Using my Loaf!

[Olly]

Several on UK eBay - from £19.00 ex P&P!

[Mole-Patrol]

Several on UK eBay - from £19.00 ex P&P!

The p&p charges would make it expensive compared to picking one up at a local charity shop or brocante. Also, at the moment there are lots of sellers not shipping UK<>EU because of the uncertainty of the customs checks and import duties levied seemingly at will.

[Olly]

I just wondered if that was expensive/cheap compared to France. Someone could always bring one over for your collection. When we can get there!

I am booked for the month of June out there but with Covid increasing on the continent I think I will cancel & try later in the year. Or maybe next year - that will be 20 & 21 not enjoying the sun, wine, fishing, food, and so on!

[Mole-Patrol]

There are always things going cheap in the charity shop, but I had only thought of using a bread maker after talking to one of my customers about them the other day. I can call in the local one on Friday. As for the Covid situation; I am in a dilemma as we still have some decorating to do before we can fully move back into the lounge, the weather is dropping colder and it looks very likely that France will enter a full lockdown any day now. Can I / should I squeeze a day's fishing in before then?

We are hoping, lockdown allowing, to go off for a few days to the Charente valley next weekend where I can do a bit of barbel fishing. That is looking ever more unlikely.

[Troydog]

It is a great shame that vaccination in France is lagging behind. We Brits cannot seriously climb on a Brittany Ferry when its like this, especially at 71 years old. Why take the risk? I can drink French red wine in Hereford....no one speaks French tho’.....

[Mole-Patrol]

Don't let that put you off. As long as you don't venture into the black spots, mostly large cities, you are hardly likely to encounter Covid. I have a customer base of over 50 clients spread over 3,000km2 of rural France and I don't know of anyone who has got it or had it other than one chap who caught it whilst he was hospitalised. Strangely, despite being in his 70's being very weak and quadraplegic after suffering a major stroke 16 years ago he barely suffered any symptoms.

We will be going off in our motorhome as soon as the weather picks up.

[Mole-Patrol]

Result! Ten Euros from the charity shop



After mucho whirring we are now being enticed by the smell of freshly baking bread. A farmhouse loaf to start with which will provide sandwiches for my fishing trip tomorrow. Then when the weather warms up a bit I'll make some maize bread using yeast for the carp.

[Olly]

Nice one! Love the smell - - and taste - of a French loaf - almost whatever shape!

Currently with a £5000 fine if we go abroad - - -

[Liphook]

Good find Clive! I use and enjoy mine but have to constantly remember to dig out the mixing paddles from each loaf. Maybe more modern devices have got over this slight issue? The BBC website had good recipe ideas that I've adapted. Cranberries and broken walnuts in a standard granary loaf makes a very good 'carrier' for cheeses like brie and a dry crumbly Lancashire for instance proper man bait so to heck with the fish!

[Mole-Patrol]

Yes, the paddles are a pain! (You have to speak French to understand that reference)

Years ago we used to have one and was used to make lovely tomato bread and wholemeal loaves. I think that this one will be dual purpose; fishing and home consumption. I'm not a fan of French bread. It is tasteless and full of giant holes that you could go caving in. Also, it goes stale by the time that you have got home. A lot of boulangeries now have bread machines outside for when they are closed, like 90% of the time. I presume that they are part baked baguettes like you can buy in the supermarket and the machine just applies heat for a few minutes. It will still be stale by the time they get home.