Paul Barker

The Church Street Sourdough comes from Paul Barker of Cinnamon Square Bakery in Hertfordshire.
His new book Naturally Fermented Bread (released in October by Quarry Books) show us how to use botanical starters cultivated from fruits, flowers, plants and vegetables to bake wholesome loaves, buns and pastries.  Like sourdough baking, baking bread botanically draws on the amazing process of fermentation and the ancient art of breadmaking.  To bake naturally fermented bread, the plant-based ingredients are submerged in water and left for a few days to a few weeks to ferment. Yeasts living in this newly fermented botanical water will, like a sourdough starter, raise the dough more slowly than commercial fresh or dried yeast resulting in a more flavourful and gut-friendly bread. Naturally Fermented Bread is the first and most authoritative introduction to this innovative baking technique—a must for any baker’s library
 
With over 35 years’ experience, Paul Barker is a qualified baker, pâtissier, chocolatier, cake decorator, and flour miller with an infectious enthusiasm for his craft. He has a passion for the science of baking and thrives on using this knowledge to pioneer and develop new products and approaches to baking. In 2005 he opened Cinnamon Square, an artisan bakery with a baking School for adults and children. Cinnamon Square is now a multi award–winning business and its accolades include recognition from the World Bread Awards and The Great Taste Awards.

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