Panary – One day wood-fired oven cooking course

Wood-fired Oven - one-day course: enjoy an exciting day learning to use the masonry oven. You will learn to have the right food ready for the descending heat of the oven. Begin by firing it very hot, then we blister the skins off vegetables for making dips as we cook a range of flatbreads around the coals. Learn to rake out the coals and ash to have a clean floor for our proved loaf breads which can then be followed by meats, baked vegetables, casseroles and puddings. Somewhere in all the activity we shall settle for our lunch direct from the oven.

The pitch of the course also caters to those who may be curious to observe the masonry oven and make enquiries with a view to deciding whether they may wish to acquire one from PANARY.

Courses start at 10.00am on the first day.

Price includes:

all tuition

printed materials/recipes

an apron

lunches

drinks/aperitif snacks in the bakery when 2 or 3 day course

all raw materials, plus your inspired produce to take home

Paul Merry has been involved with craft baking and masonry ovens for over thirty years, and has been teaching courses for fifteen years. When he is not teaching he is a consultant in traditional baking or is dealing with his French wood-fired ovens.

An Australian, he had his own bakery with wood-fired oven outside Melbourne, where he enjoyed for over a decade the life of the village baker in an appreciative community.

He considers that the step from being a master of your trade to becoming a teacher and a consultant is a natural and easy progression.

“During the years I was in my bakery I enjoyed having apprentices, and to watch them flourish into competent bakers was deeply rewarding. I have always enjoyed teaching my craft, and now I see it as a worthy duty given that the craft itself faces extinction unless others are persuaded to put the clock back to allow time for fermentation and the proper handling of dough.”

About Paul Merry

Paul Merry has been involved with craft baking and masonry ovens for over thirty years, and has been teaching courses for fifteen years. When he is not teaching he is a consultant in traditional baking or is dealing with his French wood-fired ovens.

An Australian, he had his own bakery with wood-fired oven outside Melbourne, where he enjoyed for over a decade the life of the village baker in an appreciative community.

He considers that the step from being a master of your trade to becoming a teacher and a consultant is a natural and easy progression. “During the years I was in my bakery I enjoyed having apprentices, and to watch them flourish into competent bakers was deeply rewarding. I have always enjoyed teaching my craft, and now I see it as a worthy duty given that the craft itself faces extinction unless others are persuaded to put the clock back to allow time for fermentation and the proper handling of dough.”

Customer Comments:

'Just a short note to say thank you for Friday's course. Despite having lots of loaves from Friday's baking, I decided to make some more loaves on the weekend while everything was still fresh in my mind. The result (see pic below) is ten times better than anything I have made before, much lighter and with a much better crumb and texture. I feel that I have really moved forward and, for the first time, that I am making proper bread. Thanks again, and best wishes for the future.

p.s. The whole family agrees that Michael's flour (we tried the granary for this batch) is absolutely delicious!'

Simon Miles, February 2009