Northern Ireland's Krazibaker goes back to school!
Krazibaker, the Northern Ireland artisan baker, has opened a unique bakery school to help increase awareness of traditional Irish
griddle breads.
The award winning business, owned and run by Mark Douglas, is aimingto create interest in Britain in the production of staple Irish
products such as handmade soda bread, potato cakes, potato apple,
wheaten loaves and all butter shortbread.
Douglas, who has over 30 years experience in baking a range of
traditional and contemporary breads, has won UK Great Taste awards
for his shortbread, which is made using handmade butter from
Abernethy Butter, another Northern Irish award winner.
While the bakery school is currently based at his home in Dromore,
County Down, he plans to team up with a local hotel to offer
residential courses. He aims to attract the interest of baking
enthusiasts in Britain influenced by the success of television
cookery shows such as 'The Great British Bake-Off'.
"Interest in baking skills especially traditional Northern Irish
breads is stronger now than ever. The trend has also been encouragedby the growth in tourism in Northern Ireland and from presentations in London and Dublin that I've been invited to undertake by Tourism Ireland," he says.
He is also strengthening interest in Northern Irish soda breads by
coming up with original products such as an Irish wheaten, a brown
soda bread, using sultanas soaked overnight in Irish whiskey and
then baked with cinnamon.
"It's an extremely tasty bread for breakfast as well as other times of the day. It's another bread based on Northern Ireland's great
tradition of wheaten breads, usually known as brown sodas in
Britain," he adds.
Douglas has been developing awareness and interest in traditional
griddle baking techniques and products at farmers' markets and showsthroughout Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland over the
past three years.
He specialises in "anything that can be baked freshly on a griddle".All his freshly baked products are made without yeast or
preservatives.
"The days when traditional breads like potato cakes and soda farls
were regularly baked in many homes especially in Northern Ireland
have long gone.
"It's a skill that appears to be dying, and that's sad because
griddle breads are tastier. This recognition led me to attempt to dosomething to keep the technique alive. The bakery school is a
logical extension of this commitment. I've already organised severalsessions and these have proved extremely popular."
griddle breads.
The award winning business, owned and run by Mark Douglas, is aimingto create interest in Britain in the production of staple Irish
products such as handmade soda bread, potato cakes, potato apple,
wheaten loaves and all butter shortbread.
Douglas, who has over 30 years experience in baking a range of
traditional and contemporary breads, has won UK Great Taste awards
for his shortbread, which is made using handmade butter from
Abernethy Butter, another Northern Irish award winner.
While the bakery school is currently based at his home in Dromore,
County Down, he plans to team up with a local hotel to offer
residential courses. He aims to attract the interest of baking
enthusiasts in Britain influenced by the success of television
cookery shows such as 'The Great British Bake-Off'.
"Interest in baking skills especially traditional Northern Irish
breads is stronger now than ever. The trend has also been encouragedby the growth in tourism in Northern Ireland and from presentations in London and Dublin that I've been invited to undertake by Tourism Ireland," he says.
He is also strengthening interest in Northern Irish soda breads by
coming up with original products such as an Irish wheaten, a brown
soda bread, using sultanas soaked overnight in Irish whiskey and
then baked with cinnamon.
"It's an extremely tasty bread for breakfast as well as other times of the day. It's another bread based on Northern Ireland's great
tradition of wheaten breads, usually known as brown sodas in
Britain," he adds.
Douglas has been developing awareness and interest in traditional
griddle baking techniques and products at farmers' markets and showsthroughout Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland over the
past three years.
He specialises in "anything that can be baked freshly on a griddle".All his freshly baked products are made without yeast or
preservatives.
"The days when traditional breads like potato cakes and soda farls
were regularly baked in many homes especially in Northern Ireland
have long gone.
"It's a skill that appears to be dying, and that's sad because
griddle breads are tastier. This recognition led me to attempt to dosomething to keep the technique alive. The bakery school is a
logical extension of this commitment. I've already organised severalsessions and these have proved extremely popular."