London-based Paul Rhodes Bakery has unveiled a 14-strong range of breads made with historical British grains.

The business, the founder of which, Paul Rhodes, was named Baker of the Year at last year’s Baking Industry Awards, said the Mastercrafted range was born out of “a renewed focus on ingredients provenance, true artisanal production techniques, and a firm commitment to sustainability and supporting independent British farmers”.

The products have been more than a year in development and are made with predominantly British-grown grains. The bakery has prioritised the use of stone-ground flour that has been milled in the UK, which it said ensured a greater inclusion of bran and germ, delivering more flavour and nutrition.

Some of the products in the range – the Seeded Porridge Sour and Villages Sour – launched last year. Their popularity was the reason the bakery developed further products using the same approach to ingredient sourcing and production.

Other loaves in the Mastercrafted range include:

  • Sicilian Olive Sour, which features single origin variety Sicilian Nocarella olives from Belazu
  • Salted Emmer (main image, centre), a slowly fermented and slightly yeasted round loaf made using emmer and extra virgin olive oil
  • Burnt Potato Sour (main image, right), which uses predominantly British flour, but gains some of its subtle, smoky flavour from the addition of Grano Arso, an Italian wheat burnt in the field ahead of milling. This loaf also contains roasted Natoora potatoes, rosemary and garlic.

Isabel Kelly who led development of the Mastercrafted range for Paul Rhodes Bakery, said: “For Mastercrafted we took a real back to basics approach, gradually meeting with farmers, growers, millers and other suppliers to find the best possible tasting grains and other ingredients – and significantly reduce the amount that the bakery used to import.

“Our journey to launching Mastercrafted and prioritising British produce has also sought to remind us of the tremendous work undertaken by independent British farmers, so we are pleased to have stepped up our support in helping to sustain those who are investing in the future of the land.”

Paul Rhodes said the loaves would give chefs a choice of “flavoursome and honest breads” to offer to their customers, knowing exactly where the few ingredients in each came from, and how each handcrafted loaf was produced.

“We are really pleased to have met so many talented people during the Mastercrafted development process and are glad to have forged some great new partnerships with farmers and other suppliers who share our ethos about creating good food,” Rhodes added.

Earlier this year, Rhodes spoke to British Baker about what it meant to be named Baker of the Year at the 2018 Baking Industry Awards.

To secure your ticket to this year’s Baking Industry Awards, visit the bakery awards website.

Pictured below (top to bottom): Sicilian Olive Sour, Greenwich Rye, British Slipper and Sage Emmer.

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