The Flour Station

Shelf Life

1-2 days

What is it?

An English take on the traditional French baguette as traditionally the English like a bit more dough in their bread sticks. Consequently we use our biga (natural yeast starter) to give this stick a hard crust but a light moist crumb.

The English can do religion too?

The baker who created the English stick was obviously quite a pious man as he created the English stick to to resemble the body of Christ.

What to eat it with

This is quite simply a great white stick. Let your imagination go wild in choosing what you use it with!

Shelf Life

2-3 days

A bit of science – why wholemeal is so good for you

As the name suggests, whole meal bread is made from wholegrain flour. Whole grains are cereal grains that contain bran and germ as well as the endosperm, in contrast to refined grains, which retain only the endosperm (Endosperm is not just a naughty word but is the tissue produced in the seeds of most flowering plants around the time of fertilization. It surrounds the embryo and provides nutrition in the form of starch)

A 2002 study suggested that whole grain consumption is an important component of reducing risk factors for type II diabetes, Consumption of whole grains has also been consistently linked with a significant decrease in risk factors for cardiovascular disease and can contribute to an overall 26% reduction in coronary heart disease risk factors.

The Flour Station loves local ingredients

At The Flour Station not only do we source the very best ingredients, we also try to source them as locally as possible. This is why this bread holds a special place in our hearts because the main ingredients come from within the Greater London area.

The flours used for this bread are milled by Wrights Mill, London's last miller, on a mill that has been used on the site since 1867. They are a small business in an industry dominated by huge milling companies and have prospered through their dogged determination to produce very high quality, specialist flours.

The wheat for the flour comes from Benton's, 4th who've been growing wheat in Essex since 1926. The farm is in an area of low rainfall on fertile, “moisture trapping” London Clay – ideal for the cultivation of Britain's best quality bread wheat variety, Hereward.

So not only is it great flavorsome flour but it's also helping us to reduce our carbon footprint.

The butter is added to the dough in order to give the bread a smoother crumb and richer taste. However, if someone is lactose intolerant this is not the bread for them.

What to eat it with

This bread is a brilliant why to start the day as toast, or a great way to get that goodness into your body as sandwich bread.

Shelf Life

3-4 days

History and process

The London Bloomer is a fantastic white loaf that was created during war-time Britain in 1939.

There are two answers as to how many scores should be on top of the bread and what these scores represent. The first is that there should be thirteen scores, each representing Jesus and the twelve disciples. The second belief is that there should be seven scores, each one dividing the loaf into a slice for each day of the week. We normally go for around 10, ensuring everyone is kept happy!

Like all our breads the whole process from mixing, proving, shaping and then finally cooking takes over 24 hours. This process combined with the quality of our ingredients is what sets this white loaf apart from the competition.

Gold Star Winner 2009

The Flour Station Bloomer has been awarded Gold Star Status by the Guild of Fine Food and it is not surprising why. It has a robust crust with a beautiful natural luster and once you cut inside you are presented with a light soft crumb.

Sometimes all you need is the perfect white loaf.

What to eat it with

Why not try it to create a tastier sandwich. It really does help make the best Ploughman's.

Available as

• Bloomer 400g 800g
• Farmhouse Tin 400g 800g
• Sliced Bloomer 400g 800g
• Sliced Farmhouse Tin 800g

Shelf Life

3-4 days

Why it is good for you?

A true multigrain bread (such as The Flour Station's) is made with multiple whole grains such as oats, cracked wheat, buckwheat, barley, millet and flax. A diet including these whole grains is best for you nutritionally because the whole grain has been used in the making of the bread and certain nutrients have not been processed out. It has also been suggested that whole grain breads and cereals are good for the heart and therefore conducive to a longer life.

Our special Campagrain mix

Campagrain has been specially selected by The Flour Station for its mix of wheat flour, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, rye flour, brown flax seeds, yellow flax seeds, oat flour, barley flour and malted wheat flour. This is what puts the multi into our multigrain.

Like our other breads, this bread is proved overnight to give it a fuller flavour. This is Flour Station's best selling bread and once you have tasted it you will know why.

Do not be fooled by imposters

Please note, not all multigrain breads are made with whole grains and you should read bread labels carefully so that you know what nutrients you are receiving. If the words ‘enriched wheat flour' can be found near the top of the list of ingredients on a loaf of multigrain bread, then the product is not made of whole grains.

What to eat it with

Toasted slices of multigrain bread can be cut into large cubes to top salads and soups. Add flavour and texture to sandwiches or make a fantastic beans on toast.

Available as

• Round or Bloomer 400g 800g
• Farmhouse Tin 400g 800g
• Sliced Round or Bloomer 800g
• Sliced Farmhouse Tin 800g

Shelf Life

3-4 days

Why it is good for you?

A true multigrain bread (such as The Flour Station's) is made with multiple whole grains such as oats, cracked wheat, buckwheat, barley, millet and flax. A diet including these whole grains is best for you nutritionally because the whole grain has been used in the making of the bread and certain nutrients have not been processed out. It has also been suggested that whole grain breads and cereals are good for the heart and therefore conducive to a longer life.

Our special Campagrain mix

Campagrain has been specially selected by The Flour Station for its mix of wheat flour, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, rye flour, brown flax seeds, yellow flax seeds, oat flour, barley flour and malted wheat flour. This is what puts the multi into our multigrain.

Like our other breads, this bread is proved overnight to give it a fuller flavour. This is Flour Station's best selling bread and once you have tasted it you will know why.

Do not be fooled by imposters

Please note, not all multigrain breads are made with whole grains and you should read bread labels carefully so that you know what nutrients you are receiving. If the words ‘enriched wheat flour' can be found near the top of the list of ingredients on a loaf of multigrain bread, then the product is not made of whole grains.

What to eat it with

Multigrain bread can add interest, flavour and texture to sandwiches, or toast and cube for a nutritional crunchy topping for soups and salads.

Available as

• 250g

Shelf Life

3-4 days

What is a levain and why is it so special?

Levain refers to the process of leavening bread by capturing wild yeasts in a dough or batter, as opposed to using domestic, purpose-cultured yeast.

Many bakers prefer the predictability of baker's yeast to levain, as it enables them to create bread within a couple of hours. However, it is only through a levain bread that you are truly able to get breads with a depth of aroma, flavour and complexity. Of course, this takes time (in our case over twenty-four hours) and skill, but the final product proves that it is worth the extra effort.

To make a levain, water and flour are mixed together, and allowed to sit out in the open for several days to develop the yeast culture. One of the true talents needed by an artisan baker is the ability to keep their levains 'alive'. They need to be nurtured continuosly to ensure that they are kept at the correct temperature and condition, a process that some bakers have repeated with the same levain for many decades.

Each time we begin the process of baking a new batch of a levain bread, a portion of the levain is taken and mixed with flour and water to make the dough.

Why is it called a country levain?

“Good quality ingredients not messed about with” is a philosophy about food that we believe in whole-heartedly. Consequently, this is our most unadulterated levain. Simple but wonderful bread, just as Mother Nature intended

What to eat it with

Makes a really good Bruschetta!

Available as

• Bloomer 400g 800g

Shelf Life

3-4 days

What is a levain?

Levain refers to the process of leavening bread by capturing wild yeasts in a dough or batter, as opposed to using domestic, purpose –cultured yeast.

What is wheatgerm?

One of the main skills and attributes of artisan baking is the scoring of the bread, which is done just before the bread goes into the oven. This is done primarily to control the direction in which the bread will expand during “oven spring”. Intentionally creating a weak spot on the surface of the loaf prevents it from bursting at other weak spots created during shaping. The cuts also create a lovely pattern, helping the baker identify each different loaf. The beautiful pattern on the wheatgerm actually resembles the wheatgrass.

Like bran, wheat germ is often a by-product of the milling that produces refined grain products. When wheat germ is toasted in the baking process a wonderful nutty flavour is produced.

Wheat germ is also one of the most nutritional products available. In fact, wheat germ contains 23 nutrients and has more nutrients per ounce than any other vegetable or grain. It is also high in protein and Vitamin E.

Taste and tradition

By adding wheatgerm, malt extract and rye flour with the levain, The Flour Station have created a sweet, nutty flavour with a slight sour note creating a unique and delightful bread.

The Flour Station is a firm believer in keeping with the traditions of artisan baking. One of the main skills of artisan baking is scoring the bread, which is done just before the bread goes into the oven. Its purpose is primarily to control the direction in which the bread will expand during “oven spring.” Intentionally creating a weak spot on the surface of the loaf prevents the loaf from bursting at weak spots created during shaping. The pattern of cuts also can create a lovely pattern on the loaf, helping the baker to identify each different loaf. The beautiful pattern on the wheatgerm actually resembles the wheatgrass – how clever is that!

What to eat it with

This is a beautiful loaf with a moist crumb and complex flavour. Subtle enough to serve with mild cheeses, robust enough to round off a simple meal of soup and salad.

This bread is also a great way for parents to get their children eating really healthy food.

Available as

• Bloomer 400g 800g

Shelf Life

3-4 days

What is a levain?

Levain refers to the process of leavening bread by capturing wild yeasts in a dough or batter, as opposed to using domestic, purpose –cultured yeast.

Levain/Sourdough more specifically refers to a symbiotic culture of lactobacilli and yeasts, giving a distinctively tangy or sour taste (hence its name), due mainly to the lactic acid and acetic acid produced by the lactobacilli.

A few facts about our olives

For millennia, olives have sustained people, especially coupled with that other product of civilization, bread. All food aficionados know that olives and bread are a match made in heaven. Mediterranean cultures often graft the two, baking bread with olives inside. The result for The Flour Station is our Mixed Olive Levain!

Each loaf has a distinct light and crunchy crust and stuffed with big (queen green) aromatic martini olives and black Coquille Nicoise olives. The olives are broken up into the dough during the mixing process giving a wonderful green and black olive fleck throughout the final bread. We use so many olives they are literally falling out of the bread.

We source our olives from the renowned Fresh Olive Company (who have a stall next to us at Borough Market). The olives are not pasteurised or heat-treated. They are never dyed or spoiled by additives, stabilisers or colourants and they have never seen a can or tin. Olives are rich in iron, vitamin E and copper, and are an excellent source of fibre.

But what about all the fat? It is true that olives do have some fat, but it's the incredibly healthy monounsaturated variety (increasing good cholesterol!).

An important note: when the Martini olives are added to the dough they are “shaken (in), not stirred”

What to eat it with

This is very versatile bread; however, using it to accompany a cheese board is a must. In fact, Joe (our market's boss) has not been able to stop eating it with his favorite cheese Comté, and appears to be doubling in size.

Available as

• Bloomer 400g

Shelf Life

3-4 days

What is a levain?

Levain refers to the process of leavening bread by capturing wild yeasts in a dough or batter, as opposed to using domestic, purpose –cultured yeast. Our levain dough mixed with spelt and sultanas creases a lovely nutty but sweet bread that is a dream spread with a little butter or topped with cheese..

What is spelt?

Spelt is a grain in the wheat family that has been in cultivation for thousands of years. In fact, it can be traced back to ancient Egypt some 9 thousand years ago. There has been some debate over the classification of spelt, with some botanists considering it a subspecies of common wheat and others saying that it is an entirely different species. All we know is that it makes fantastic bread.

Spelt fell out of popularity among grain cultivators due to the hardness of its outer shell, but with the advent of the health foods movement in the 1980s, spelt began to enter the popular diet again. Spelt supporters feel that the grain has more nutritional value and flavour than wheat, because the hard outer casing protects the kernels. More importantly, the hull protects the kernel from many insects, pests and infestations, making spelt easier to grow without the use of pesticides.

Our Spelt supplier, Doves Farm

Our spelt flour is sourced from Doves Farm; Doves Farm is a family owned enterprise with over 60 staff, drawing the majority of these and many raw materials from the local Wessex area. They are dedicated to upholding organic, ethical and Fair-trade agricultural systems, nurturing partnerships with suppliers and customers and supporting local community projects.

Our clever bakers are ‘raisin' the level of baking

Spelt has a delicious and characteristic nutty taste that is unlike the more mild flavour of wheat. However, our ingenious team of bakers have off-set this nutty flavour by adding beautifully plump raisins and sultanas.

What to eat it with

This is the perfect bread to kick-start your day just by adding a little butter. However, you could even go that extra mile (that's The Flour Station way) and try adding a sprinkle of sugar and cinnamon as well. This is how Jon (our market's manager) kick starts his day and we all know how ridiculously enthusiastic he is.

Available as

• Bloomer 400g 800g

Shelf Life

3-4 days

What is a levain?

Levain refers to the process of leavening bread by capturing wild yeasts in a dough or batter, as opposed to using domestic, purpose –cultured yeast.

Levain/Sourdough more specifically refers to a symbiotic culture of lactobacilli and yeasts, giving a distinctively tangy or sour taste (hence its name), due mainly to the lactic acid and acetic acid produced by the lactobacilli.

Why we love walnuts

Our Walnut Levain is defined by a crisp and robust crust boasting more than a handful of big and luscious nuts. It is the sort of bread one could curl up with, while nibbling at from dawn 'til dusk, if not forever.

At The Flour Station we believe in maintaining traditional baking practices so to create the amazing flavour that is found in our Walnut Levain, our bakers roast the walnuts before adding them to the dough. This allows the natural oils that are trapped inside the nut to be released. This oil spreads the amazing flavours throughout the loaf to create an outstanding nutty aroma.

Walnuts are also an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, having been shown as helpful in lowering cholesterol.

What to eat it with

This bread goes really well with stronger flavoured cheeses or salamis.

Available as

• Bloomer 400g 800g

Shelf Life

7-10 days

A gold star winner

This is an exemplary example of how The Flour Station is dedicated to traditional baking methods and recipes. In fact, the Guild of Fine Food considered it such a good example they awarded it a gold star in 2009.

What is Rye?

Rye is a hardy grain crop that has been cultivated by humans for over 4,000 years. It is a grass grown extensively as a grain and forage crop and is a member of the wheat tribe, closely related to barley and wheat.

Since the Middle Ages, rye has been widely cultivated in Central and Eastern Europe and is the main bread cereal in most areas east of the French-German border, most famously Scandinavia.

Rye also produces kernels, which are smaller and much darker than wheat kernels. Rye flour also has a lower gluten content than wheat flour, and contains a higher proportion of soluble fibre.

What is our 100% rye made with - and why does it stay fresh for so long?

Our 100% rye uses a natural rye sourdough starter, rye flour, roast potato shavings, sunflower oil, cane molasses, salt and water. In effect this means the bread is wheat free (though it is made in the same environment as other wheat products).

A great property of our 100% rye is that it stays fresh for at least a week. One of the reasons the potatoes are used are because they attract moisture therefore keeping the bread moist for longer.

Ok, we admit it, we would love to be Scandinavian!

The sourness of our starter and the rye flour combined with the sweetness of the roast potato and the cane molasses makes it very similar to the Scandinavian 100% ryes. In fact many of our Scandinavian customers tell us it reminds them of home.

Traditionally 100% rye breads were popular in Scandinavia as storage rations for long boat trips and outdoors expeditions. It is usually sliced very thin because of their density, sometimes only a few millimeters thick.

What to eat it with

The classic way to eat 100% rye is in Smørbrød (a Scandinavian open sandwich). Typical toppings include shrimps, smoked salmon, caviar, hard boiled eggs, bacon, herring, fish fillets, liver pâté (called leverpastej), and/or small meatballs.

Available as

• 800g

How we make it

Originating in the southeastern tip of Italy, Pugliese (poolee-AY-zee) is renowned for itʼs lightness, simplicity and well structured crumb. Our bakers have created this Pugliese using the same traditional ingredients and techniques resulting in truly authentic bread. The main distinction between this and some of our other Italian breads is the inclusion of golden Duram Flour or fine ground semolina giving it a slightly nutty flavour and a wonderful golden colour.

Similar in style to other simple, rustic 'hearth' breads like Ciabatta or the Tuscan Toscana, the Pugliese differs in a few key ways: it has a higher water content and is therefore a much wetter dough, resulting in larger holes and a crunchier crust; it is traditionally Batard (oval) shaped, and slashed with a single cut running lengthwise; we bake it at a hotter temperature than our other breads which helps further develop the very crunchy crust.

Its only downside is that because of its lightness and crust, it doesn't last as long as our other breads so is best enjoyed the day of baking, although it's great for toasting the next day too.

Some ideas for when to eat our Pugliese

As a mild bread, with low salt content, it's a lovely accompaniment to cured meats & cheeses, makes a perfect base for Bruschetta and is ideal dipped in flavoursome olive oil.

Available as

• 400g

Ingredients

Semolina flour (rimacinata), water, wheat flour, yeast, salt.

A little bit of background

Originating from Calabria, the ‘toe' of Italy, the Calabrese is a regional variation on the typical hearty rustic Italian country loaf. Our bakers have followed a simple traditional recipe which calls for no updating. The crucial ingredient is the very finely milled semolina (durum wheat) flour which is imported directly from Italy. It's this that gives the crumb of the bread its wonderful golden hue. Baked on our stone based oven, at a high temperature, the crust turns a rich dark brown colour, packed with flavour and dusted with flour. The crumb is soft and dense, almost cakey, but not heavy. Although it's quite mild in flavour, the combination of crust and crumb is deliciously complex. As with all our Italian breads, it's made from our carefully nurtured biga starter.

Some ideas for when to eat our Pane Calabrese

As a mild bread, with low salt content, it's a lovely accompaniment to cured meats & cheeses, makes a perfect base for Bruschetta and is ideal dipped in flavoursome olive oil or mopping up a good stew or soup.

Shelf Life

3-4 days

This bread really does deserve to be much more popular. However, it seems that many of the top restaurants we supply to like to keep it as their secret. It has a fabulous flavour, created through the mix of rye, ground baked potatoes and cane molasses. As it is only 20% rye, it is not as dense or as intense as the 100% rye, and is an amazing way to experience the subtle taste of rye. The addition of the caraway seeds ties it even closer to its Eastern European heritage.

What is rye?

Rye is a hardy crop that has been grown extensively for both grain and foraging, for over 4,000 years. Although it's closely related to barley and wheat, it can withstand wetter and poorer growing conditions and therefore became the main bread cereal in most areas east of the French-German border and famously Scandinavia.

Rye also produces kernels, which are smaller and much darker than wheat kernels. Rye flour also has a lower gluten content than wheat flour, and contains a higher proportion of soluble fibre.

What to eat it with

This is a very versatile bread and lends itself to all manner of uses.

The wild mushroom stall next to us at Covent Garden market uses it for their fried mushroom sandwiches, which are nothing short of sensational.

Available as

• 800g

Shelf Life

2-3 days

This brilliant bread ties in fantastically with our Italian heritage (as you know The Flour Station started out of the back of Fifteen Restaurant).

This bread is made using a “biga” with potato flour made from freshly baked ground potatoes and honey.

What is a biga?

“Biga” is a type of starter used to make traditional Italian breads. In Italy, “biga” is used to refer to sourdough sponges, collectives of wild yeast, and other starters. Like our other levains when a biga is used, bread is lighter, with bigger holes and a moister crumb. In some parts of Italy, the biga is known as “la madre,” or “the mother,” a reference to the idea that biga is the mother of the bread. Since the yeast is more developed, the bread made with a biga takes longer to rise, but it also has a more complex and evolved flavour. As with many pre-fermentation processes, it takes practice to make a biga (luckily The Flour Station have some amazing bakers who know how to do this). Many Italian breads such as Ciabatta (including The Flour Station's) are made with a biga base. As the biga rests, the yeasts inside multiply, forming complex flavours and aromas which enhance breads. The flavours and textures of biga-based breads are significantly more intense than ordinary yeast breads.

Special ingredients create ‘righteous' bread

The addition of the potato flour and honey create a bread that has an amazing depth of flavour. The honey does not create a sweet bread but a nutty and intense flavour. It is a real favourite with many of The Flour Station's restaurant buyers. As with many Italian breads, the tortano has religious connotations; the ring is meant to represent Jesus's crown of thorns.

What to eat it with

During the winter (or on all year wet days in the UK) Tortano goes great with sloppy stews and soups. Tortano can also be used to make one of the greatest roast beef sandwiches ever. Cold roast beef (preferably cooked medium rare), tons of horseradish cream and some sliced baby tomatoes. Buon appetito!

Available as

• Crown 400g 800g
• Long 800g
• Roll 110g

Shelf Life

1-2 days

This brilliant bread ties in fantastically with our Italian heritage (as you know The Flour Station started out of the back of Fifteen Restaurant).

The history and meaning of ciabatta

Ciabatta was first produced in Liguria, a coastal region of north-west Italy, although at least one type of Ciabatta can be found in nearly every region of Italy nowadays.

Our Ciabatta resembles the style found in the area encompassing Lake Como which has a crisp crust, a somewhat soft, porous texture, and is light to the touch.

In Italian, Ciabatta means ‘slipper', leading some people to call the bread ‘slipper bread.' The name is a reference to the shape, which does sort of resemble a slipper.

What is a biga?

This bread is made using a “biga”. “Biga” is a type of starter used to make traditional Italian breads. In Italy, “biga” is used to refer to sourdough sponges, collectives of wild yeast, and other starters. Like our other levains when a biga is used, bread is lighter, with bigger holes and a moister crumb. In some parts of Italy, the biga is known as “la madre,” or “the mother,” a reference to the idea that biga is the mother of the bread. Since the yeast is more developed, the bread made with a biga takes longer to rise, but it also has a more complex and evolved flavour. As with many pre-fermentation processes, it takes practice to make a biga (luckily The Flour Station has some amazing bakers who know how to do this). As the biga rests, the yeasts inside multiply, forming complex flavours and aromas which enhance breads. The flavours and textures of biga-based breads are significantly more intense than ordinary yeast breads. The great taste of our biga has resulted in many food lovers proclaiming that our ciabatta is the best in London

What to eat it with

Ciabatta is ideally suited to sandwiches. We also love it with olive oils and other dips, since the crumb absorbs dips and liquids very well, and it may be toasted when served for this purpose. Dried Ciabatta bread can also be turned into excellent croutons.

Most of all it makes a fantastic Bruschetta (as world renowned chef, Gennaro Contaldo demonstrated on television).

Available as

• Slipper Loaf 400g
• Roll 130g

Packed with juicy sweet fruit!

Ingredients: Wheat flour, Water, Sultanas, Apricots, Currants, Rye Flour, Salt, Honey & Yeast.

As the autumn draws in, all we could think of was cups of tea and hot sweet buttered toast. Each time the bakers brought us a sample, we sent it back asking for more fruit. The final tweak was to soak the fruit first which makes it even softer and squidgier. The result is a deliciously sweet juicy loaf which we love, so much so, that some of us have been known to eat a whole loaf in one sitting (with a very large cup of tea!)

A gentle brown sourdough with soaked wheat berries.

Ingredients: Wheat flour, Water, Wheat Grain, Extra Virgin Oil, Salt.

A partner to the Borough White, the Borough Brown is a light sourdough with the a mild 'tang' rather than the full sour flavour of the Country Levain. We've added soaked wheat berries for a little bit of bite. So, if the multigrain is a bit over the top on the seed front, this is the bread for you.

As with the Borough White, it's baked in a bannetone (basket) which gives it this distinctive shape. Although we're happy to eat bread in any shape or form, our café customers were baying for a bread that they can cut up for sandwiches without wasting too much at the pointy end bit. Who are we to argue? (It does make it harder to break a nugget off on the way back from the market though!)

As with all our breads, this bread lasts for days and is arguably better on day two!

Try it on its own, with a good spread of lovely butter, with jam, with cheeses, with meats…with anything, basically!

A soft, light, white sourdough with a dark, blistered crust.

Ingredients: Wheat flour, Water, Extra Virgin Oil, Salt

Much as we love our Country Levain, we know it can be a bit too ‘sour' for some. And our London White is deliciously white and creamy, and our Ciabatta is light and springy and airy, and our Tortano is fabulous and…ok, so do we really need another white sourdough bread? Yes, we do. We can't get enough of this bread. The aim was to develop a sourdough that had a light, airy texture but still plenty of moisture and a chewy crunchy crust but not heavy and thick. A tall order, we thought, but not for our bakers.

It seems a simple bread, but it's technically very difficult to get that beautifully dark blistered crust and still retain the moisture in the dough, and the lightness and that lovely glazed effect to the crumb. As for what it goes with, what doesn't it go with? It's a classic ‘all-rounder'.

A mild sourdough with huge green olives and wheatberries.

Ingredients: Wheat flour, water, green olives, wholemeal flour, wheat berries, rapeseed oil, extra virgin olive oil & salt.

Apparently there are some people who think that our Mixed Olive Levain is just too olivey (?!) Think of this, therefore, as a lighter version. It has other strings to it's bow though. It's a milder sourdough, a bit less dense and yes, a few fewer olives, but, crucially, just green olives, which are a bit milder than the black olive in the Mixed Olive.

It also has the addition of the little nutty wheatberries. These are the whole wheatgrain, soaked so that it puffs up like pearl barley. Be warned, those on the outside get baked and go hard as nails again, but those in the dough are lovely and soft and bring even more moisture to the loaf. All in all, this is more of a bread with huge olives, whereas the Mixed Olive is really mixed olives with a bit of bread in between... each to his own! They're both delicious, who are we to argue one over the other? Handmade

Our first fruit and nut loaf, with a little bit of rosemary, and a little bit of spelt...

Ingredients: Wheat flour, water, hazelnuts, sultanas, spelt, salt & fresh rosemary

A little fruit & nut gem. So loaded and weighed down with hazelnuts and juicy sultanas, we don't think it would lift off the ground if we tried to make a larger loaf, so 400g it is. Small, but perfectly formed.

Just delicious toasted, drenched in butter with a cup of tea, but then again, we say that about all our breads. The addition of the fresh rosemary is a genius touch though, it lifts the hazelnuts, takes the edge off the sweetness of the sultanas and yet softens the bitterness of the spelt. It binds the flavours together, without overpowering anything. Try it, especially with blue cheese.

Shelf Life

1-2 days

Inspiration

Our focaccia's have been heavily influenced by the world renowned chef Gennaro Contaldo. Gennaro has built a vast fan base for his recipes and cooking style and he is constantly being asked about his focaccias. The Flour Station is the only London Gennaro consults, and though we will probably never quite live up to his expectations we would like to think we do him proud.

The Method

Each focaccia is individually hand made by our amazing team of bakers headed by Rameck (the Don Juan of the baking world).

Using our remarkable Italian Biga we create a “beautiful dough” (Gennaro's words not ours), which we then mould into the shape we desire.

The bakers use their extremely large fingers to press down into the dough to create little divots for the ingredients to settle. After adding the flavours (for example tomatoes and basil or rosemary and sea salt) we then push these ingredients firmly into the dough.

This ensures the flavours permeate throughout the bread and hopefully results in the toppings not falling off. We add a generous amount of first class extra virgin olive oil which adds an evermore tender flavour to the bread. Additionally, it avoids the bread from becoming too dry and prevents the over cooking of the toppings.

Finally, we place our focaccias into our ovens to bake for 20 to 35 minutes at 220C° depending on size.

What to eat it with

One of the best things about our focaccia is not only their dashing good looks and sensational taste, but they are ready to eat straight away, almost like a sandwich.

However, we do believe the most gratifying way of consuming this zenith of breads is to take it home, lightly warm it through, and have some olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the side ready to dunk, crack open a bottle of wine and just sit back and think of Italy (or Gennaro).

Available as

• Tomato & Basil 300g 450g 2kg
• Rosemary & Sea salt 300g 450g 2kg
• Red onion, fennel and Thyme 300g 450g 2kg
• Mixed roast pepper 300g 450g 2kg
• Potato and Thyme 300g 450g 2kg
• Garlic and Parsley 300g 450g 2kg