Breadsong: How Baking Changed Our Lives

Product Information

Halfway through this resting time, turn your oven on to 230 C/210 fan/gas 9. Place a large cast-iron casserole dish with its lid on into the oven to heat. This is part memoir, part cookbook. The first part is written in two hands, between Kitty and Al (the father), describing their journey to help Kitty overcome her anxiety and their journey with the bakery as well as the two seemed to come together. I really loved reading this memoir and was totally obsessed by it (I read it over two days and probably also dreamt about it at night). Don’t, whatever you do, call it a village. Watlington, population 2,643, on the edge of the Chiltern Hills in Oxfordshire, is reputed to be the smallest town in England. “We are so proud of that fact,” says 17-year-old Kitty Tait. “The townspeople, the smallest townspeople, are very proud of that.”

Breadsong - How Baking Changes Lives - The Frugal Flexitarian Breadsong - How Baking Changes Lives - The Frugal Flexitarian

If you had told me at 14 when I couldn't even get out of bed with depression and anxiety that three years later I would have written a book I would never have believed you. But here it is - the story of the Orange Bakery. How I went from bed to bread and how my Dad went from being a teacher to a baker. You reading it means everything to me' Kitty Tait It is a cookbook with the power to make you cry – or it did to me. The difficulties Kitty and her family went through, the difficulties of mental and physical health, financial worries – but bizarrely, it was the power that bread has over people that made me emotional. If you’re not a baker then you may not realise what I mean by that. I bake (unprofessionally), although not as much as I used to thanks to a Neurological condition I have developed, but I still try to when I can. Baking has always been my way of dealing with fierce emotions. When I lost my dad, I baked an absurd amount of cakes and biscuits for the hospice staff; I bake (and eat) when I’m stressed, when I’m sat, when I’m bored, when I’m happy. It’s just my moment to completely forget about everything else and the joy you get seeing someone enjoy what you’ve made is priceless. And to see that written down on paper was what made me cry. This book is cozy and warm. The first half tells the story of Kitty and her struggle with mental health, and how baking (introduced by her dad) lifted her out of that dark place. Kitty and her dad are both open and vulnerable, but ultimately their story is so heartwarming. Family, community, generosity, and kindness are all on display throughout the whole story and it’s beautiful! I am so glad that this book is going to be published later this month as I am looking forward to owning my own hard copy. I also know what I will be buying friends and family for Christmas! Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this story in exchange for an honest review.There are some photographs scattered around the recipe section of the book, but the first half contains little sketches which I believe are done by one half of the baking team Al. They’re not necessarily professional drawings but they have their own charm. They’re simple and quirky but express what they’re meant to. It means they don’t overwhelm the text but instead complement it. Breadsong is everything I could ever wish for from a book. Kitty is a true inspiration. I see her passion, her writing and her baking and I can't help but be filled with joy. I can't wait to see what she does next

Breadsong by Kitty Tait, Al Tait | Waterstones

Breadsong is exactly the kind of cookbook I love to curl up with - uplifting, inspiring, heartfelt and with wonderful recipes to boot. The best recipes are filled with heart and this book is just that After much reading, I finally reached the recipe section. I am not much of a baker, to say the least but I did think I might have some success with what looks like the easiest bread-making ever. The miracle overnight white loaf was as easy as it could possibly be. All it takes is time. Having mixed and proved the dough, it baked easily and came out a golden colour and had a terrific hollow tapping sound underneath which I have read is the sound you want when bread baking. Adding to the charm of this book, the photographs are beautifully shot and many clearly show the humor of this family. I enjoyed getting to see the shop that had been described. I'll definitely be adding a copy of this book to my cookbook shelf when it's published! Kitty is clearly very focussed and determined and before long their small home was filled with an industrial oven and other bread making paraphernalia with flour dust everywhere. Within a year of so Kitty and Al had opened The Orange Bakery in their village of Watlington near Oxford and one day Al realised that he was no longer a teacher but a baker. I’m not a good cook but was inspired to have a go..rustic was the response at my friday family table..not a piece left on any plate..even my 3 year old grandson

Discover

Not only is Breadsong a brilliant book about the bliss of baking, Kitty Tait tells a brave and beautiful story of what it is to be human. Rise up like your dough, Kitty! You are Britain's next Star Baker! Much of the book is about baking and a career change but family life is described - the importance of Christmas, family dogs, meeting other families such as a wonderful family living in Copenhagen.