I’ve been baking bread since 2008 when I went on a day course with the Wild Yeast Bakery with Simon Michaels in the Forest of Dean. I also had a lovely day learning with Dan Lepard in London a couple of years ago and have spent many happy hours on his forum talking and learning about bread and making friends there too.
I’ve met a whole lot of lovely people in the process. One of the outstanding learning experiences from doing this is how very kind people are, how willing to share and help and encourage, and encouragement is so important when you embark on new learning. I hope never to lose sight of ‘beginner’s mind’, it keeps you open to change and excited and enthusiastic. It would be great to make perfect bread, but it’s even more fun to keep on learning, holds true for most things in life really. I am no expert, though I can point you in the direction of people who are, suggest books and sites to visit and am happy to share the bits and pieces I have picked up.
I miss the activity on Dan Lepard’s forum, which was a far better space for people to ask questions and learn about bread baking than a blog can ever be. A blog is always ‘run’ very clearly by the person whose blog it is, that’s part of the nature of a blog. A forum is a far richer platform for shared discussions. If you want more than one opinion I still recommend joining danlepard.com or thefresh loaf.com, or both! Sign up and post away there. The other option is to use Twitter. The Twitter community is amazingly generous with help and advice and it’s quick to respond too. My Twitter name is @Zeb_Bakes. There is no cost involved in any of these (at the time of writing) and you will get a lot from it. The more information you give when you ask for help, the better people can help you, so think about that too when you post.
I live with Brian and two poodles (one of whom is the Zeb who pops up here from time to time) with a shared passion for cheese bread, particularly toasted with extra butter and crispy bacon. We live in the west of England.
I like to get out and about with the dogs, attempt to keep a back garden going, swim, birdwatch, fight with the computer, grow a few vegetables and salads in the warmer seasons. I dream of orchards of cherries and plums, duck ponds, woodland and micro-bakeries. We all have dreams.
Zeb checks the mise en place for Dan Lepard's Dundee Cake
As far as copyright goes I would be grateful if you would ask before publishing any text or images elsewhere – we’ll probably say yes, but we like to be asked first, and we like to be credited too.
Joanna @ Zeb Bakes
Contact form here.
I never knew Zeb was the name of your dog… how cute!
There are many of us on the internet
This is just fantastic! Well done. Great photography.
Have you used the French loaf tin yet?
Bises, Mike
Merci mon cher Mike! I have yet to baptise the tin but it is very high on the list!
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Great site Zeb like the look of the garlic bread.
kind regards Normbake (Michael)
Hi Michael! Thanks for visiting. Hope to post some more bread soon, been a bit busy sorting out the garden lately.
Great plan with the email! It took me ages to realise that I wanted to put it on my blog. Love your dog, he’s fantastic!
Hi C, Thanks for the tip, any others welcome.
Getting a bit more spam with the email address so I have taken it off. I have added a contact form instead
Aw ! Ok I think that I left this in the wrong place before. So. I LOVE this post ! Love Zeb, love Zeb sitting up to attention , and this reminds me of when you see dogs with their heads poking out of open windows of moving cars , looking all joyous and ears flying in the wind : D Fab x
You got it right second time and I have added a note up top because it is confusing, so thanks for persevering ! He usually supervises from the floor I should say
And now I realise (thanks to the previous comment) that Jane sent me this message via email and probably meant it to go in here so here it is
Hi there–your blog is making me hungry…
blessings
jane
I love getting blessings ! Jane, thank you!
Hi Zeb, looking forward to seeing you at the weekend! I like the google search with images – apparently I have written a book called there was an Old Lady who swallowed a Pie! Great!
Choc/Allison
Thanks Allison! See you tomorrow x
Here’s a bread like recipe -West-East interpretation, my style: Grape Foccaccia with ginger root and spices
It’s probably a bit wierder compared to your recipes.
Oh Jean I missed this somehow! Sorry! I’ve never made a grape foccaccia though I’ve seen them in books and they do sound delicious and yours sounds fantastic with all those spices. I love ginger root!
Maybe one day you can do a blog post about how on earth you can bake all this stuff and eat it all…or do you make your neighbours happy?
Neighbours, friends, family, Tweeps, anyone who wants it is welcome. I took part of Friday’s bake to a Twitter acquaintance who gave me some fresh eggs, beetroot, and broadbeans from her allotment. I bake maybe once a week these days. The blog is an optical illusion of breadiness. And I have just come back from swimming in 17 C water in my local drowned quarry, that burns a few calories too. The blog was started as a place to ‘house’ the Mellow Bakers’ group I joined, so it tends to be about bread more than anything, but don’t be fooled, I do other things too!