Baking is famously one of the world’s most ancient professions, and London’s Worshipful Company of Bakers is the city’s second oldest recorded guild, able to trace its origins back to 1155.
Thanks to a new generation of artisans – and social media – the city’s baking industry is on the rise.
In 2010, e5 Bakehouse became London’s first independent bakery to champion artisanal baking and heritage grain – the latter being grains that were grown before the introduction of intensive plant-breeding in the mid-20th century.
“I baked a loaf of bread at my parents’ place,” e5 founder Ben MacKinnon tells The Gannet. “I thought, bloody hell, all you need is flour and water and your own drive and you’ve got a product. I liked the feel of bakeries.”
After a five-day breadmaking course at the School of Artisan Food in Nottingham, Ben built his own wood-fired oven and opened a bakery beneath a railway arch in 2010, with a small team selling wholesale bread locally, delivered by bike. They soon moved to the current e5 Bakehouse, a few arches down.
Little did they realise at the time, but Ben and his team were to become known as pioneers of the sourdough movement, challenging industrial baking and developing more sustainable and ethical methods. They now produce around 600kg of bread per day.
Using as many local ingredients as possible, e5 lives by a farm-to-table philosophy. By 2013, they had grown to the point where they were able to install their own mill enabling them to control how the flour was milled and sourced. The following year, the purchase of Fellows Farm allowed e5, using ecological farming methods, to initially grow its own heritage grain, and then cereals, vegetables and fruit used at e5’s bakeries as well as wholesale. Fellows Farm continued to evolve with the addition of a campsite, workshop and micro bakery.
Now, 14 years into the journey, e5 also overseas a roastery and the Poplar Bakehouse which serves as a bakery during the day and community space during the evening. The company hosts classes and workshops covering all aspects of baking from pastry to of course, sourdough. Regular events such as supper clubs, workshops, panel discussions and community outreach provide connection and education, including occasional refugee programmes.
Using as many local ingredients as possible, e5 lives by a farm-to-table philosophy.
A Taste of History!
Sourdough is bread as it was made for most of human history, naturally leavened rather than using a commercial yeast to rise. This is done by way of a fermented flour-and-water mixture which is usually referred to as a ‘starter’ and contains a concoction of good bacteria and wild yeast which leads to sourdough’s gorgeous chewy texture and slight tang. Unlike store-bought bread, sourdough is basically made from flour, water, and salt, though often further flavoured with the likes of nuts, olives, or herbs, which can either be worked into the dough, or sprinkled on top at the end.
Electric Bread
Last month, electric bike and scooter hire company Lime created the UK’s first ride-thru bakery for an event in London in honour of the city’s booming baking culture. The temporary ‘Lime-thru Bakery’ was set up in the suburb of Shoreditch and treated registered users of the app to a free lime-flavoured pastry and artisan-brewed coffee. For those that wanted to hang around, the adjoining custom-built coffee bar displayed some exclusive artwork by observational meme artist The Real Housewives of Clapton.
