Shipton Mill flour

WHETHER you are one of the millions of people who got first into baking during lockdown or you are an experienced hand, you know that the best bakes start with the best ingredients.

Shipton Mill has been producing flour in the Cotswolds for nearly a thousand years, most recently, under the loving care of the Lister family, who brought this ancient mill back to life in 1981. They provide exceptional quality flours, produced without haste and with scrupulous care, to professional and home bakers across the UK with products that are known as ‘the Prada and Gucci of flours’.

Each batch begins with only the finest wheat, sourced from farmers who share the Lister’s commitment to leaving our descendants a clean and fertile planet through ecologically sustainable practices. Then they use an ancient stone grinding process, which ensures all the goodness of the wholemeal flour is retained.

When only the best will do for your holiday baking, browse our online shop for our wide selection of bread, cake, wholemeal, white, speciality, gluten free and heritage flours, as well as our collection of recipes and tips for your own home baking. Visit www.shipton-mill.com

Recipe

Porridge Sourdough Loaf
by Chris Holister

Ingredients:

• 450g strong white flour
• 50g strong wholemeal flour
• 350g water (around 40°C)
• 100g sourdough starter
• 10g salt
• 125g cooked porridge oats

Method:

Place the flours, water and sourdough starter in a mixing bowl.

Combine until the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated, cover, and leave for 30 minutes to autolyse.

Next, add the salt and a tablespoon of water. Work this well into the dough, cover, and leave for 3-4 hours in total. Fold the dough once every hour. After the first hour, add in the cooked porridge and combine thoroughly, making sure it’s incorporated all the way throughout. Leaving the dough for an hour before adding the porridge allows the gluten to start developing first.

Once ready, the dough should feel pillowy and have increased in volume by a third.

Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a round (or your shape of preference).

Place into a floured proofing basket and leave it for one hour at room temperature. Then place the dough in the fridge overnight.

Preheat your oven to 250°C, and put your casserole pot/Dutch oven in to heat up in advance.

Flip the loaf out of the basket onto some baking parchment and slash.

Lift the loaf on the parchment paper into your hot casserole pot and place in the oven with the lid on for 30 minutes.

Carefully remove the lid and continue to bake for 15-20 minutes until you get the desired colour on the crust.

Remove the loaf and leave on a wire rack to cool for at least an hour.

Plus, read more of the stories behind the goodies inside the Scottish Field Christmas hamper.