Breadsong: How Baking Changed Our Lives

Product Information

I then took my copy on holiday and read 'the journey'. It was so enjoyable, I loved every minute, it was so interesting and despite my preconceptions (thought they must have had a bit of money to start something like this) I was completely wrong and it was completely inspirational how this happened. It's given me hope and inspiration to try to do something with my own love of cooking and I would highly recommend this to anyone but especially those who have found a time in their life when they have struggled. It's profoundly obvious but there are just some things that are bound to help when you're not feeling well or when you are stressed and walking a dog or baking some bread or spending time with loved ones should be up there with things doctors prescribe.

Breadsong - How Baking Changes Lives - The Frugal Flexitarian Breadsong - How Baking Changes Lives - The Frugal Flexitarian

This is not just the story of Kitty and Al but her very understanding and supportive Mum and older brother and sister. And also all of the population of Watlington which seems like a wonderful community to live in. I am so glad that this book is going to be published later this month as I am looking forward to owning my own hard copy. I also know what I will be buying friends and family for Christmas! Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this story in exchange for an honest review. Having looked at many recipes these past two years as I got to grip with making sourdough bread I can 100% recommend Kitty's recipes. They are clear, simple and sensible. I have seen so many sourdough recipes elsewhere which have so many unnecessary steps in and make such a palaver of the process that you wonder why anyone bothers. 10/10 to Kitty for the clarity of her recipes. I am still only making basic sourdough loaves with the occasional foray into crumpets, bagels and doughnuts. Kitty's recipes have inspired me to try a lot more and I shall be heading into the territory of puff pastry, pains au chocolate and anything with a segment of a Terry's Chocolate Orange inside.

About the contributors

Place the shaped dough on a sheet of parchment paper, cover with a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm, cosy place to rest for 1 hour.

Breadsong,’ a Story of Baking Through Depression In ‘Breadsong,’ a Story of Baking Through Depression

When I first took this book out of the library I tried some recipes and made the decision not to buy shop bought bread anymore. I make bread every day now. I made my own sourdough starter and made a loaf that tasted better than any bread I had previously eaten. I really wanted this book and managed to find a copy that wasn't too expensive. I felt disappointed that the book was half filled with 'the journey' and I didn't want this part but bought it for the recipes. The Orange Bakery, especially, has developed a cult following. An artist called Biddy who makes work about “anything that’s dead”, describes it to me as the heartbeat of Watlington. When I’m hanging around the shop, a man with his toddler son tells me, unsolicited, that the Taits make the best bread in the world. When I tell Kitty that later, she replies: “Well, I did pay him. Money well spent. The boy, actually, was the expensive one.” I think that bread, just like Dad, will always just be a part of me Kitty Tait There are some photographs scattered around the recipe section of the book, but the first half contains little sketches which I believe are done by one half of the baking team Al. They’re not necessarily professional drawings but they have their own charm. They’re simple and quirky but express what they’re meant to. It means they don’t overwhelm the text but instead complement it. This book is such a wonderful read. It shows the deep bond of family, friends and the support of a community, and how much of an impact this can have on a person's life. The village of Watlington comes across as a wonderful place to live, with so many people helping on Kitty’s journey. The book is beautifully and simply written, with some beautiful hand drawn illustrations, and excellent photography. The story is inspiring, and shows how, with the right support you can get through most challenges in life. When you have finished the beautiful story, you then get to the recipes which were chosen to be included. They are wonderfully clearly laid out, with fantastic product photos, excellent and easy to follow instructions, and they all sound amazing. I think this book would make a wonderful gift for anyone in your life who enjoys food, and who has ever struggled with mental health. It is a perfect combination. Place a damp tea towel or shower cap over the rim of the bowl and leave in a cosy draught-free place to prove for hours – overnight is best. Like the fairy godmother turns a pumpkin into a carriage, time transforms your scrappy, dull dough into a bubbly, live creature of its own, although I think I’d prefer the pumpkin over the carriage.In a mixing bowl, stir together the raisins, sultanas or mixed dried fruit and garam masala (and the cranberries if you want). Add the tea bag (English breakfast is fine, but earl grey adds a really nice fragrance) and pour in enough boiling water to cover. Set aside to steep for at least 15 minutes or overnight. Kitty Tait grew up a funny, chatty redhead who made everyone in her family laugh. But around the time she turned 14, Kitty began experiencing anxiety. Slowly, she disconnected from everyone around her and struggled to wake up, get dressed, and leave the house. Full of worry, her parents tried everything, from new hobbies like reading and painting to medication and visits to a specialist. Nothing seemed to help.

Breadsong: How Baking Changed Our Lives - Goodreads

I chose this book because on the surface, it is about anxiety and depression, something I suffered from at a similar age to Kitty. I am always interested in how people cope with a mental health issue especially when you are still in your teens and in full time education. However, there is so much more to this book. Kitty is a strong woman with a wonderfully supportive family who not only allow her to recover in her own way without worrying about her schooling but help her every step of the way. It was a brave move for her father to give up the job of teaching to become a baker in partnership with his daughter. It is clear he knew he had no option. He writes about his amazing journey in this book and Kitty writes about hers. It doesn’t surprise me how much support this family received on their journey including from teachers at Kitty’s school. If you had told me at 14 when I couldn't even get out of bed with depression and anxiety that three years later I would have written a book I would never have believed you. But here it is - the story of the Orange Bakery. How I went from bed to bread and how my Dad went from being a teacher to a baker. You reading it means everything to me' Kitty Tait Line a deep baking tray with parchment paper. Place the dough slices cut-side down on the tray, spacing them 1cm apart. Place a damp tea towel over the top and leave in a warm place to prove for 40-45 minutes, or until doubled in size. Radio 2 has a lot to answer for; every time they feature an author on their Sunday morning show, I HAVE to go and buy it, and this was no exception. Halfway through the resting time, preheat the oven to 210C fan/gas mark 9 or as high as it will go. Put a large cast-iron casserole dish with a lid and a heatproof handle into the hot oven for 30 minutes to heat up.I read the whole book, but will try to star baking from it this weekend. So keep in mind that it this isn't a review of the accesibility of the recipes in it and yet I am not too worried seeing how accesible and original they are, sometimes quirky. Swap 250g of the strong white bread flour for wholemeal flour. This results in an earthy loaf that makes you feel like you’ve been working in a field all day. Adding to the charm of this book, the photographs are beautifully shot and many clearly show the humor of this family. I enjoyed getting to see the shop that had been described. I'll definitely be adding a copy of this book to my cookbook shelf when it's published! I actually finished reading the memoir part of this book a couple of weeks ago - the day I received it in fact. But I had to wait until I had baked a couple of the recipes before I could do a legit review! Starting at one long edge, roll the dough into a tight log. Using a sharp knife or length of thread, slice the dough crossways into 12 equal slices, each roughly 2cm wide.

Breadsong by Kitty Tait, Al Tait | Waterstones

Kitty is the first to admit she has an obsessive streak. Not long ago, she “had a fling” with carrots: she was eating a bag a day, pretty much. Eventually her skin started turning orange, a harmless condition called carotenemia. “I thought you’d been using fake tan, which is very unlike you!” says her mum, Katie. “It really reminded me of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, with the child who turned into a blueberry.” Much of the book is about baking and a career change but family life is described - the importance of Christmas, family dogs, meeting other families such as a wonderful family living in Copenhagen. Also I really like the form of the book, it being set up through Kitty's and Al's alternated writing, interspursed with pictures and drawings. A very lovely book to look at as well. The recipes are exiting, I don't know where to start first. Perhaps the marmite comfort loaf? I love marmite, such a shame it is not so big here in NL (I want marmite twiglets!!) I think it’s a testament to the recipe writing that the first one I chose to make was The Comfort Loaf – a white bread with marmite in. Considering I cannot stand marmite – like, I dislike it with a passion – this is quite the credit. Marmite is still not my thing – and I did have issues getting the bread out of the tin (my mistake) – just the smell of it coming out of the oven made me smile.Throughout the evening the bar will be open for drinks and guests will be able to book in and stay for dinner afterwards. The first half of Birdsong recounts how The Orange Bakery came to be, including Kitty's mental health struggles that led to her being introduced to breadmaking. I found the split father and daughter narration to be really engaging, with a good blend of (sometimes stark) emotional reality and humour. It evoked such a smell and image of freshly made bread that I had to pause reading it to make my own loaf so that I could continue reading with some warm fresh bread with an inch of butter melting slowly into it. It reminded me why I love baking bread so much.