Tartine @Ballymaloe

A couple of months ago I was pondering my Bread making skills

I am a massive fan of Jim Laheys No Knead Bread

and make it every week 

But I felt like I wanted to push things up a notch 

After a little bit of a web trawl I was amazed and delighted to discover that 

Chad Robertson from Tartine in San Francisco 

was teaching a workshop at Ballymaloe

Chad Robertson in cork!!! teaching a workshop that I can attend!!

I have been a massive fan of Tartine for some years and have dabbled in his country bread

although I must admit I found the prospect of starters and leavens a little intimidating 

I literally felt like a 5 year old waiting for Christmas 

And finally the day came last week 

Firstly this was my first visit to Ballymaloe

and most certainly will not be my last 

The Weather was not on my side but I still managed a stroll around the impressive gardens

Now that is a herb garden !! (below)

 

I ate dinner at Ballymaloe house on the first night 

(the cookery school is about 2 miles away)

Local, fresh, they make their own butter and cheese and of course bread 

and grow their own vegetables

Each day the menu is designed around what is fresh and available 

 Mackerel to start 

and then slices of sirloin with spinach and Ballymaloe potatoes

Heaven...

The following morning after eating a delicious breakfast 

Day 1 began 

Darina introduces Chad

Chad talks us through the process as Richard his right hand man 

gets busy mixing the doughs

I would say the message of the morning was pay attention to your environment

Your starter and leaven are living things 

they react to room temperature drafts etc 

be aware of what is going on with your dough

Chad is an intuitive baker

and talked more about look, feel, smell 

than measurements and scales

I am not going to post the recipe for the bread as if you are familiar with Tartine 

then you have the book

and if you are not and you want to make the best bread of your life then buy it 

The recipe in the book is 38 pages long

and I will not do it the injustice of writing a synopsis

Chad talked about the autolysse (initial resting of the dough) 

and the resting and turning of the dough

and the hydration (water percentage)

This dough is WET!

after resting and turning for about 3 hours 

and leaving for a bench rest 

Richard and Chad got to the shaping 

Chad shaping the dough

Chad makes it look very easy ......

In the afternoon the discussion was about Chad's new book (available end of November)

and how his travels to 

Denmark and Sweden had influenced his baking 

He is looking at darker breads 

and using a lot of sprouted grains

I look forward to getting it 

Richard cuts the Rugbrod for tasting

Me the groupie with Chad and Richard

The real highlight came though on the second day 

when we actually got to go into the kitchen with Chad and Richard and mix a dough 

What an honour

and Richard and Chad were so gracious and patient

as the attendees ranged from the experienced chef 

like Skye Gyngell to the complete novice 

Me and Skye

At 2 o'clock I left Ballymaloe

with 2 doughs in plastic bags nestled around a 2 litre of cold milk 

to try and stall the fermentation process while i drove home 

then when i got home, 4 hours later, I tipped them into bread baskets 

left them for 2 hours and baked 

and without a doubt the BEST bread I have ever made 

a light crust 

a chewy centre

complex flavour

This bread has no equal 

 

So Thank you Richard and Chad 

It was a privilege

x