Riot Rye - Bread Making Course

I attended the level 1 bread making course at Riotrye recently.  Riotrye is based in the Eco Village, Cloughjordan, Co.Tipperary and is run by Joe Fitzmaurice and Julie Lockett.  They specialise in baking sourdough and the emphasis is on natural products, organic flour and sustainability.  To involve you in the whole process and to get you thinking about sourdough you're encouraged to make your own starter about a week before you attend. The course ran from the civilised hours of 11am to 6pm, not a drill instructor in sight, and is aimed at the home baker.

So jar of starter tucked under the arm I entered the bakehouse.  My fellow enthusiasts trickled in and soon the eight of us were sat at our baking stations.  People were from a variety of backgrounds and attended for a plethora of reasons.  The first hour or so Joe introduced us to the differences between grains such as wheat and rye, he explained the importance of soil management and the link between the farmer and the food on your plate.
Next we moved on the the importance of the starter.  If you starter isn't up to scratch then neither will your bread.  I looked at the starter supplied by Joe and compared it with my own rather insipid affair. Chalk and cheese.  Joe explained how and where I had gone wrong but stressed it was redeemable, a semblance of pride was restored and we moved on to actual baking.
Using the ingredients supplied we made sourdough in keeping with the "Common Loaf" recipe which can be found on their website.  The recipe results in two 750gr loafs.  One we left to prove in a tea towel lined pyrex casserole dish, the other in a banneton or bread proving basket.

Banneton

All my own Work

While these were proving we moved onto another sourdough recipe.  This was a 100% rye bread, Rossisky, this is from Russia and dates from the Napoleonic era.  Because rye doesn't have much structure this loaf is baked in a tin to help it keep it's shape. As the Rossisky was proving we sat down to a noble lunch provided by Julie.  Excellent homemade vegetable soup, local cheese, freshly picked homegrown salads and tomatoes, and not surprisingly good bread.   Lunch finished a walk around the Eco Village was required to stretch the legs and for a change of scenery.  As we walked around our breads were cooking in the wood fired brick oven.
I must say the results were excellent and very satisfying, there's a great sense of achievement when you make something from scratch. Given the enthusiasm with which the breads were devoured at home I must have done something right.
The day was very enjoyable and not just about baking.  Joe encouraged you to ask questions and provided all the answers.  He patiently demonstrated baking techniques and brought you back on track when you strayed (thanks Joe).  It's an excellent course for home bakers who want to improve and for those who want to start.  If you're interested in either give them a go.