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We went in search of an Artisan Baker and found not only a beast in the corner but a very nice little organic bakery in Helston. The following interview reveals how Vicky's bread is making a name for itself throughout Cornwall.

How it began...
I first mentioned the idea of being a baker to my best friend. We had had a few glasses of wine and I imagined we would giggle about my white hat and floury apron - it turned out she thought it was a great idea.

Where did you study?
I studied Law at Bristol University but hated every moment. I imagined honourable campaigning; but money and ambition seemed to overwhelm the cause. That kind of success doesn't interest me. I wanted to get back to Cornwall, to the water, my family and a way of life that I loved.

Is that when you began baking?
No, after college I travelled, learned Spanish and taught English abroad. The idea of becoming a baker was triggered by watching women making flat bread in India, the process fascinated me.

So the seed was sown for Vicky's bread?
To have a career in Cornwall I needed to be inventive. Opportunities are few and far between and more than anything I wanted to stay living close to the Helford River. I dabbled with art but it wasn't going anywhere. Working for myself seemed to be the best option and tenuous though it was the flat bread fascination kept sneaking up on me. Before long the idea was out in the open and my heart was set on becoming an Artisan Baker.

What is an Artisan Baker?
It is a traditional style of baking that uses natural processes and ingredients. It requires hand finishing and patience. With no improvers, stabilisers or preservatives the bread or pastries are as they should be, naturally leavened and traditional.

How did you learn the process?
There are no specialised courses in this country. The occasional weekend workshop is available but that wasn't enough to really learn the craft. After much research I enrolled at the French Culinary Institute in the States. I have since realised it is one of the most respected courses in the world.

Has it been hard?
When I started Vicky's Bread I spent all night baking. For the first two months sleep went out the window. I grabbed a few hours when I could but it really was draining. I was looking for outlets for the bread during the day and baking at night. Looking back I'm not sure how I did it. Since then I have invested in a Retarder/Prover which in essence doubles as a chilling and warming room. It means the dough can be left to sleep before being baked. This has been life changing - my working day now starts at 2am.

And 2am is good?
It is an improvement on what was an all night vigil. A baker keeps anti-social hours, it's part of the job. The 2am til 4am stretch can be hard. That is when I am rolling the baguettes. Each is done by hand, a lonely labour of love at that time in the morning.

How does your process differ from the large bakeries?
Big bakeries are governed by quantity. The majority of bread is compromised by the speed of the process. Machines replace hand moulding, macerating the air from the dough and artificial improvers are used to cover up the lack of time the bread has had to rise. Without the time to develop it is no wonder artificial boosters are needed to turn it into something resembling a loaf. When people complain of feeling bloated after eating bread this is probably due to the short cuts taken in the fermentation process.

Which is your favourite loaf?
Probably the multigrain because I love the crunchiness of the seeds when it is toasted. I also like tomato bread but this is not one of my regulars - yet...

What does making a traditional sourdough loaf involve?

Step one... feeding the beast
Artisan Bread requires patience. I begin a new batch of bread two days ahead of baking. Using a traditional leavening process, the first step is to feed the sour dough. This is the beast that lives in a vat in the corner of the bakery. Sour dough is a mix of flour and water, as simple as that. Left to ferment for a day it will feed on the natural yeasts in the flour and air. When it is ready it will resemble frothing yeasty stringy soup.

Step two... the mix
A stage I normally start at about 5am. I add the sour dough to the other ingredients... organic flour, salt and water. It is mixed and allowed to rise. This is an important stage when flavours are given the chance to develop.

Step three... weighing and shaping
After three hours the bread is ready for weighing and shaping. Hand moulding the loaves is like a yoga session, the bread is coerced into a relaxed state. Each loaf is then placed in a willow basket, called a banneton.

Step four... Retarding/Proving
At about 10am the loaves go into the R/P room to be chilled. They will stay there sleeping for the day before the temperature, which is on a timer, will increase to allow the bread its final proving time.

Step five... baking
I come in at 2am and put the ovens on, the loaves are taken out of the R/P room and baked at 3.30am... soon the bakery is filled with the smell of fresh bread.

How many outlets are selling Vicky's bread?
I now have twelve. Mostly they are farm shops and village stores, I like the idea that the bread is being sold in local communities, supporting the trend to buy locally produced goods.

What plans do you have for the future?
By next year I hope to have increased the range to include croissants, Danish pastries and a broader selection of bread. From there I would love to open my own Patisserie. That's a long way off though, in true Artisan fashion I take things slowly, getting it right takes patience and time.

Chloe Wild

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