Roly Allen

I was always a keen amateur cook, but didn't bake sourdough bread until I lost my job in my mid forties and wanted to use the time to develop a new skill. My first few loaves were terrible (really, really bad: I shudder at the memory) but I persevered, read as much as I could about bread baking, worked out what I needed to know and what I didn't, and eventually evolved a simple method to make a loaf that has a good rise, a chewy crust, and a bubbly crumb. At the same time, I found that baking was also great therapy: everything about the process, from feeding your own starter, to kneading, folding, proofing and baking, has a calming and relaxing effect. This was incredibly valuable to me at the time, and I have since seen friends and family benefitting from it, too. What I didn't find was a truly straightforward beginner's book that made it simple for anyone to get started. There are many really great baking books out there, but some of them make the topic way too complicated, some don't have the right photos, some have way too many, others use baker's yeast instead of a sourdough... lots of books were quite good, but none of them were great for beginners. (I'd worked in book publishing for years, so I judge books harshly. It was my job!) So, for the real beginners, like I had been, I wrote HOW TO RAISE A LOAF AND FALL IN LOVE WITH SOURDOUGH. Enough detail to give you the skills you need: but no unnecessary complications, and not expensive. Lovely photography from Ida Riveros and Rita Platts make it beautiful to look at, too. And I am really delighted to say that it works! I hear from people every day who have used the book either to make bread for the first time, or make bread successfully for the first time. Like me, they've also discovered what a calming, rewarding activity bread baking is. I hope you'll join us.