Heritage Woodbridge Tide Mill celebrating Real Bread Week

Woodbridge Tide Mill was one of the first working tide mills, and today is unquestionably one of the last still harnessing the tide’s reliable green energy to produce flour and animal feed.

On Saturday, May 13 and Sunday, May 14, the mill will be taking part in National Mills Weekend. This annual festival of British milling heritage is co-ordinated by the Mills Section of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings charity and gives individuals the fantastic opportunity to visit a number of wind and watermills nationwide, many of which may not usually be open to the public.

Following National Mills Week, the Tide Mill also intends to mount an exhibition in relation to the Real Bread Campaign and its Real Bread Week. Being held from Saturday, May 6 to Sunday, May 14, Real Bread Week is the annual celebration of supporting your local, independent Real Bread bakery and encouraging people to bake their own.

This exhibition will also showcase the work of food anthropologist, illustrator and founder of Breadear, Bee Farrell, who works to document the craft of artisan bakers in East Suffolk.

Woodbridge Tide Mill uses locally grown wheat to produce the stone-ground wholemeal flour that can be found in the baked goods of many businesses in the county. Honey + Harvey and The Cake Shop in Woodbridge are both known for using the much-loved flour in their bread and cakes. The ingredient is also available to buy at a number of establishments across Suffolk and therefore can be a staple in your own home baking.

Interested in baking your own bread during Real Bread Week? The following recipe for Tide Mill Wholemeal Loaf is from Christine and Peter Wright of The Cake Shop Bakery in collaboration with the Tide Mill Living Museum and uses the mill’s own wholemeal flour.

Tide Mill Wholemeal Loaf

Ingredients

600g Tide Mill traditional wholemeal flour

50g fresh yeast

8-10g salt

500ml warm water

Splash of olive or sunflower oil

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220C. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl and add a splash of oil.

2. Either add the yeast to the warm water and then add to the flour, or add the water to the flour and then add the crumbled yeast.

3. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic (about eight to 12 minutes). Form a round shape and place in a bowl.

4. Cover with cling film and place in a warm space for 20 to 30 minutes.

5. Take out a bowl and scale off to the required weight and mould into various shapes.

6. Place the shapes on a baking tray greased or lined with silicone paper, cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for 15 to 20 minutes to rise.

7. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 20 to 30 minutes and until the underneath sounds hollow when tapped with your knuckles.

Find out more about the Real Bread Campaign, and see more about the work of Bee Farrell here.