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Barry The Baker Man - Master Artisan
Barry The Baker Man - Master Artisan
Date: 2013-04-26
What is so special about Barrys bread you might ask, well it is not a secret but it has something to do with extended fermentation, Baking a loaf of artisan bread requires much practice, as well as both an artistic touch and a knowledge of chemistry. Barry told me the last time I visited his shop.
The ratio of ingredients, the order in which they are added, and the stretching and kneading of the dough, all have a huge role to play in the final product. Barry continued. "Perhaps the closest we can come to a definition of artisan baking is to say that it is the work of a knowledgeable, skilled and conscientious baker who is attempting to make the best possible product."
It took Barry two months to get his formula perfect before he sold his first loaf. When he moved down to KZN from Cape Town last year, his intension was to sell his apartment and move on but it just never happened like that. Barrys daughter who lives in Cape Town advised him to start baking bread. She told Barry that he should start with just ten loaves, one for him, two for her and the rest he must give away.
Today Barry has mastered the correct formula for perfect sour dough bread, he bakes flawless loaves for the local community and the demand is growing. He has also added baguettes, croissants, bagels and Cciabattas to his delectable baked selection.
Barry is a member of The Bread Bakers Guild of America, which has dedicated itself to advancing the artisan baking profession. The Guild is well known in the baking community as the go-to educational resource for substantive, accurate information on the craft of making bread.
Barry is an incurable romantic, every loaf he bakes is made with love and care and you can taste it in every bite you take, Baking bread is very therapeutic, Barry tells me, It is a labour of love and it gives me ample time to be a good human being.
Visit Barry at Mall 505, 60 Basil Hulett Drive. Tel: 0325259987.
I love the beauty and the magic that can be created by the heart and hands of an artisan baker.