
We often hear people say they don’t eat bread because they are trying to be healthy, lose weight or avoid gluten, or they find it hard to digest.
Vicky Harford believes slow bread is the answer – properly fermented bread that takes days to make and is easier for our stomachs to digest. And it’s why she is passionate about the real bread she makes at Vicky’s Bread in Helston, Cornwall.
To celebrate Real Bread Week this week her offering includes some novel sourdough loaves such as Fig, Hazelnut and Pumpkin Seed; Spelt, Honey and Toasted Oat and Butternut Squash and Cranberry.
“I love to make up new recipes, although when I say new, nothing is really that innovative in bread making; it is a traditional craft, so it is really all about creating a new little twist on a classic,” she told us. “We will be doing some fun new sourdoughs this year, for example wild garlic sourdough when the wild garlic starts growing in the woods in April and May.”
The bakery has trebled in size in just 2-3 years and now employs around 20 people and delivers across Devon and Cornwall. Vicky and partner Hairy have given up three other businesses (the village shop, pub and a holiday cottage business) to concentrate on the bakery and build on its success.
“The bakery is our passion, and I do have some exciting ideas for the year to come, including more tasting days in the shops and free workshops/tours of the bakery on a Saturday morning. The more we can get the word out there about the delicious-ness of real bread and its health benefits, the better!”
Vicky believes that for many people who experience discomfort after eating bread, the answer could be in eating slowly fermented, artisan bread. “Modern bread is made far too quickly, giving the flour no time to ferment and become more easily digestible. It is a little like making a white sauce but not cooking the flour, so it is stodgy and makes you feel heavy and uncomfortable. Commercial white breads are typically mixed, moulded, baked and cooled in 35-40 minutes, whereas our bread takes 3 days!”
Try it for yourselves and let us know what you think – we have bread deliveries Monday-Saturday in all our shops.