It’s All About the Dough

For many, a loaf of home-made bread starts in the

kitchen with a handful of humble ingredients – flour, water, yeast, and salt. However, behind each of these ingredients is a story that starts long before the baking ritual begins. A history that recounts the seasons, the sun, and the soil. These are the elements that give a loaf of humble bread the gravitas it deserves.

"There is truth in the phrase, ‘breaking bread together’. I truly believe it brings people together.”

At Babylonstoren, we pay homage to these processes by growing our own bread, so to speak, from scratch. Since 2013, all the wheat, rye, and barley used in the Babylonstoren bakery are grown and harvested on the property under the watchful eye of farmer Ian de Villiers and his team. After the harvest, the wheat is taken to Caledon where it is stored in silos, and later stoneground. Stoneground flour undergoes a more natural milling process and so retains its healthy wheat germ, fibre, natural oils, vitamins, and enzymes. From flour to finished product, this translates to a more flavourful and robust loaf with added nutritional benefits to the eater.

Every day, our Master Baker Nezel Jacobs (affectionately known as Peachy) conjures up delicious baked goods. These are sold in Babylonstoren's online retail shop, the Farm Shop, and all farm restaurants, including the Tasting Room, Bakery, the Greenhouse, and Babel restaurant. While the farm sleeps, Peachy and her team diligently labour to ready a variety of loaves, including sourdough, rye, white, and wholewheat, as well as a spread of confectionery and pastries. Peachy is determined to choose only the best quality ingredients in her baking – from the grains to the flour to the risen bread.

She believes, ‘Baking gives people the opportunity to tell a story and to symbolise something that is more than just a loaf of bread on a plate. It is not just about the baker, but also about the ingredient, farmer, supplier, and everyone in the process. Bread is a symphony between so many people and elements that work perfectly together.

We want our bread to reflect the changing of the seasons and incorporate ingredients that grow in the Babylonstoren gardens. Garlic, pumpkin, olives, and various seasonal herbs are used to enhance the bread’s flavour. During the summer season, when it’s time to harvest our grapes, it is also time to bake the traditional South African mosbolletjie; and during Easter, the spicy sweet aroma of fresh hot cross buns fills the air.’

Babylonstoren’s Bakery also doubles up as a restaurant two times a week. On Monday and Friday nights, guests are welcomed with a decadent bread and garden grazing board as soon as they arrive, after which a selection of scrumptious Italian-inspired meals is served from 18h00. This is followed by homemade pasta, then round after round of wood-fired pizza served by the slice from the oven to your heart’s content. We round it off with a delicious dolce and our famous coffee. Cold beverages include homemade cordial, craft beer, and the Babylonstoren range of wines. If you are looking for a memorable dining experience this spring, then email enquiries@babylonstoren.com or phone 021 863 3852 to make a reservation.

RECIPE

MAKE YOUR OWN ‘MOTHER’ DOUGH

You will need...

1 kg flour (rye) 1 L water 1 porous lid 1 jar or bowl

Proceed to...

Mix 1 kg of flour (rye) with 1 litre of water, cover with a porous lid, and leave in a warm space until you see small bubbles forming on the surface. Give it at least 24 hours to become stronger, and then store in a lightly sealed jar or bowl in the fridge. Once you’re ready to start baking, remove the starter from the fridge and allow it to double in size before using it as the yeast in your chosen bread recipe. Pro tip: When stored in the fridge, you have to feed The Mother at least once a week by adding 250 ml flour and 125 ml fresh water to the mixture and giving her a good stir.

To make ‘The Mother’, starter dough, or ‘poolish’ as it is also called, Peachy makes a mixture of water and flour, which is left to ferment at room temperature. Natural yeast spores in the stoneground flour are activated by the addition of water, which catalyses the first fermentation or rising process. The mother starter is then left for about a day or more to increase in volume until it is powerful enough to act as a raising agent or yeast.

Essentially, the breath from living micro-organisms within the flour creates the yeast bubbles, making it look alive. To harness these good gut organisms, it’s up to the baker to feed and encourage the process to produce a well-risen bread with those desirable, baked-in bubbles!

Recipe from the Babel cookbook, available for sale in Babylonstoren’s farm shop or online store.