I listened to the podcast that Jeremy did with Graham and decided to become a member of this interesting community. My name is Bart, I live in Belgium and am a home baker since last summer. I went to culinary school for baker but started working in a chocolate factory 16 years ago and still work there. Recently I worked a second job in a bakery but I had to leave there because the boss was not treating me right. I love bread and have a blog. I am interested in wild yeast and last months have been a journey in the wonder world of natural leavening. Over here in Belgium I know only a couple bakeries who use sourdough. Most bakers might use powdered sourdough they get from large bakery supplie companies. Personally I rather not use commercial products to bake at home, I have tried powdered sourdough but it is not the same as using the real deal. When I see the pics on this site I wish I could work in one of the many awesome bakeries that produce these fantastic breads. But I guess that will be a dream. Meanwhile I keep on doing my best producing good breads @ home. I love it!
Bart
Bart
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Replies
I am pleased you found this site through my interview with Graham, listen to the other bakers, cooks, etc....spread the word!
You will find we are enthusiastic and I even found a source for Desem sourdough from Teresa of Northewestsourdough, right here!
Make and show your breads, we love pictures!
The bread in your avatar looks gorgeous!
(psst! Celia....Bart works in a choc factory!)
Nice to meet you, Bart !
Jeremy, I have no idea what you're talking about.. :D
Btw my avatar is the barm bread by Dan Lepard, check my blog if you want
to see the large format.
PS : working in a chocolate factory is cool, I just wish I could stop eating
so much chocolate at my work :-)
PS : working in a chocolate factory is cool, I just wish I could stop eating
so much chocolate at my work :-)
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I don't work in a chocolate factory and I eat a lot of it....and these are not necessarily Belgium choc. I'll be in chocolate heaven if I worked in one. Sigh.
Peeked at your blog. You make very nice breads.
Thanks for the feedback on my blog, I really appreciate it.
Bart
I actually check your blog quite often because the bread you bake looks really great! Left a comment asking where you got your bannetons actually. I'm currently in the Netherlands so I'm pretty close by. Glad to see you here!
Hi Bart:
I just moved from US to Beglium (Gent area). Sourdough was my favorate, but now I'm really having a hard time finding one. In our local bakeries, the usual ones are the wit, bruin, 7(10) granen, melk, volkoren, suiker, rozijnen .... from what I understand, the bruin one is rye based, thus must be leavened by lactobacillus, but it does not really tast like it is. Help! Do you know where can I find sourdough in Belgium? Thanks!
[quote=Tess]
Hi Bart:
I just moved from US to Beglium (Gent area). Sourdough was my favorate, but now I'm really having a hard time finding one. In our local bakeries, the usual ones are the wit, bruin, 7(10) granen, melk, volkoren, suiker, rozijnen .... from what I understand, the bruin one is rye based, thus must be leavened by lactobacillus, but it does not really tast like it is. Help! Do you know where can I find sourdough in Belgium? Thanks!
[/quote]
Hi Tess,
well, you could try to go to a store called "Bio Planet" in Gent :
www.bioplanet.be
Drongensesteenweg 134
9000 Gent
There you can purchase several breads als sourdough bread. Also I think that most of the 'bruin' bread not necessarily is made with sourdough, it might also be made with yeast, even if it contains rye.
In Brussels there is a bakery that is called 'Boulangery Paul'
Boulangerie Paul
3 - 5 Rue des Fripiers
1000 Brussel
Only problem there is that it is super expensive! I once purchased a loaf there and it costed 5 EURO!
That is ridiculous, it tasted like the sourdough I bake at home.
You should find more bakers in Gent I think that make sourdough bread. I guess in the city center of Gent there is this bakery/tea room, but I cannot seem to remember the name, been there and ate there, but the name escapes me... It is not 'Pain Cotidien' but is very close to there : http://www.lepainquotidien.com/ check locations : Gent.
Gent
Kalandeberg 10
B-9000 Gent
You might find sourdough in pain cotidien as well, but like I mentioned, there is this other place that I cannot remember.
Please keep me updated that would be cool. Feel free to email me if you need more info @ bart DOT van DOT mulders AT
hotmail Dot com.