August in the Cookery School

With it being holiday and vacation season (for you guys and us!) we don’t have as full a course schedule as we normally do; though we have ensured that we’ve got the best coverage of our bread courses to suit most needs, so if you’ve got some time off and have always meant to book on to one – take advantage now!

We’ve got places available on all dates for August:

Bread: Back to Basics – Saturday 6th 9.30am-4pm

Simply Sourdough – Friday 12th 7.30-9.30pm – Saturday 13th 9.30am-1pm

Bread: Back to Basics – Thursday 18th 9.30am-4pm (weekday)

bread selection circle

And we’ve even snuck in a Bao and Chinese Dumpling course with Lap on Wednesday 31st 6.30-9.30pm – we’re always thinking of you!

 

Popsicle anyone?

Well the weather may be no good for proving sourdough, but it’s perfect for ice cream!

We’re chuffed to be stocking CREAMED POPS, a brand spanking new Birmingham based, small-batch artisan ice cream lolly brand! We rally behind our fellow Brummie food brands, so we just had to have them!

CPops x5 Jordan Ish

All natural ingredients, no artificial preservatives and fresh produce, combined to create a super delicious treat! Their ‘pops’ are fast frozen, meaning their ice cream stays silky smooth, creamy and icicle-free.

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We’re currently stocking: Cinnamon Toast, Raspberry Cheesecake, Salted Caramel, Carrot Halva, Pure Origin Chocolate and fast-favourite Vietnamese Coffee.

What flavour will you choose?!

The Birmingham Cook Book!

When we were asked if we wanted to contribute to The Birmingham Cook Book, we jumped at the chance!

Find us, along with many familiar faces on the Birmingham food scene inside!

For our contribution, we’ll give you the secret to making your own sourdough starter and how to make your own sourdough bread; plus our superstar Cookery School tutor Lap-Fai Lee, will share his knock-out recipe for Kung Pow Pastrami Bao (#TBT #BAOHOUSE)

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We’ll be selling them in our shop (1421 Pershore Rd, Stirchley) from next weekend – These are limited edition, so be sure to pop in and get your copy – don’t miss out!!

(RRP £14.95)

 

July in the Cookery School!

We’re coming to the end of June, and our July courses are filling up fast!

What better way to spend an evening or day, than learning great new cooking skills, and more importantly EATING!

dosa

 

  • Kicking off the month with our Earth Oven Building course (now SOLD OUT! But join the mailing list if you want to attend the next one!)
  • We have got places on all our super popular Flavour Geography courses though: Dosa, Sichuan & Bao.
  • Not to mention specialist evening courses on Macarons and Fish with our resident Foodist, Lap-fai Lee!
  • Finishing it off with the final places on our stellar Bread and Sourdough courses – it’s not too late to learn!

 

 

 

We look forward to welcoming you to our school!

 

 

NEW STOCK!

If you’ve been into the shop this week, you may have noticed we’ve got some new stock gracing our shelves!

We’ve curated a spice rack, with spices we use ourselves in the bakery and the cookery school. Some/most of which we haven’t found at our local shops, so you’re welcome!

spice shelf

 

You’ll find: Za’tar, Ras El Hanout, Sumac, Saffron AND a selection of spices – ORGANIC where we could!

Much to popular demand we’ve also stocked 1kg Peanut Butter, Tahini and Coconut Oil.

You may also notice (or if you follow us on Twitter..) that we’ve got a brand new swanky fridge! Fully stocked with The Happy Gut Hut Kombucha, Milk, Cawston Press drinks cans PLUS NEW Fentimans classics, Chi Coconut water and pure churned butter!

We still stock Pip’s hot sauce, Cuffufle jams, chutneys, vinegars and cordials; Quarter Horse coffee, Union Coffee, Urban Harvest apple juice, eggs and our own Granola mix.

Don’t forget we still sell bread making equipment: locally made peels, scoring knives, scrapers, proving baskets; plus Italian 00, semolina, and rice flours; AND books on bread making, foraging and preserving!

Oh yeah, we sell awesome Loaf canvas tote bags too! (If you spot one out and about, tweet us a photo! @loafonline #loafspotted

Donations for the Calais ‘Jungle’

Loaf cookery tutor Lap-fai Lee and former Loaf baker Dom Clarke are heading to the Calais Jungle to cook for a few days in the Refugee Community Kitchen. It’ll be Lap’s second trip recently – you can read all about his first trip here.

They’re taking a big van over and donations are desperately needed of bulk spices and herbs etc, and cash to buy fresh produce on their way over. There is a list of things needed by the kitchen on Lap’s blog. Donations can be dropped off at Loaf or get in touch with Lap or Dom using their email address on the poster below.1

 

Final few places for June!

pretty maslin

 

We’ve got lots of exciting courses coming up this June!

What’s even more exciting is that we have the final few places left for the taking (even on our usually sold out and ever popular Bread: Back to Basics course!)

japan sushi rolls

Take your plate round the globe, we’re holding courses on: Pasta, Bao, Japan,  and Thailand (Brand NEW!)

 

 

earth ovensDIY your own Earth Oven (Next weekend!)

sumak

Forage and cook from any hedgerow (what’s not to like about food for free?!)

Master butchery in chicken or lamb, learn from the best!

Snap them up while you can! You can book here!

 

DIY Butchery!

Illustration: www.walternewton.com

Impress your friends at your next dinner or BBQ by doing your own Butchery! The question is: Chicken or Lamb?

Local Master Butcher Steve Rossiter, who runs Birmingham’s first organic butchers – Rossiters – in Bournville, leads our Butchery courses here at Loaf Cookery School (we also buy all of our meat for the Bakery/Shop lunches from him too!)
Illustration: www.walternewton.com

 

In the Perfect Poultry course, Steve will teach you how to joint, spatchcock, and butterfly your own chicken and poussin.

As well as learning the simple secrets to the perfect chicken stock, we’ll be making chorizo-stuffed chicken breast wrapped in streaky bacon, spatchcocked poussin with lemon and garlic (wild garlic when in season), Raz al Hanout tagine chicken, and chicken liver salad.

We sit down to feast on the fruits of our labour towards the end of the evening, so save plenty of room!

 

 

In the Nose to Tail: Lamb course, he’ll take you on a guided tour around a whole organic lamb carcass, explaining the provenance of the animal, the classic butchers cuts, the quality of the meat, and typical dishes cooked from each joint.

Steve will then demonstrate how to respectfully take apart a whole side of lamb, before handing over his saws and cleavers to us to take apart the other side, under his expert guidance.

You’ll learn how to bone out, roll and stuff various joints, readIllustration: www.walternewton.y for the oven. Always finishing with a sit down dinner of delicious slow-cooked lamb – usually chump chops with butter beans and salsa verde, plus lamb curry with rice and raita.

At the end of the course you’ll also take home your oven-ready boned and rolled roasting joint to cook at home!

 

*These are the last two courses available until Autumn, so don’t delay! Book today!*

NEW COURSE! Flavour Geography: Thailand

We’re introducing a new course into our popular Flavour Geography series – Thailand!

thai main

 

Join Loaf and expert cookery tutor Lap-fai Lee for this exploration of Thai flavours and classic Thai home cooking. Thailand has many world famous dishes, and rightly so – Thai food beautifully combines an often complex array of ingredients and flavours, with an emphasis on fresh, aromatic, and spicy. It’s so much more than a jar of supermarket Thai green curry sauce!!

Like all Loaf courses it is very hands-on, and throughout the evening we’ll be tasting the fruits of our labour. We’ll be making Som Tam Thai (spicy papaya salad), Nam Pla Ra (fermented fish relish with fresh vegetables), Pla Tort (deep fried grouper with Nam Jim sauce), Massaman beef curry, Yum Makeua Yao (smoky aubergine salad with egg), and Khao Niaw Mamuang (mango sticky rice).

som tam

Please note this course is not suited to a vegetarian diet.

The course usually takes place on a weekday evening from 6.30pm-9.30pm at Loaf HQ in Stirchley, South Birmingham. You’ll feel right at home at Loaf, and everything you learn will set you up for impressing your friends and family with your new found skills at home.

The course costs £60 (inclusive of VAT) and all refreshments, equipment, recipes, and aprons are provided. Use the calendar to find and book a suitable date and add to your basket, and pay via the online checkout.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

May Courses

Can you believe it’s May already?!

Almost half way through the year, have you kept up with your resolutions to learn new cooking skills or just cook better?

It’s not too late! We’ve still got places on courses this month! Here’s what we’ve still got available:

Knife Skills & Maintenance with Lap-Fai Lee – Thurs 12th

How to Make: Macarons with Lap-Fai Lee – Weds 18th

Seafood One: Fish with Lap-Fai Lee – Thurs 19th

 

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You can book online, but feel free to pop into the shop for a chat about the courses if you want to know more!

 

Pre-Order your HCB’s!

Easter is coming!

You can order our signature Earl Grey Hot-Cross Buns for collection on Good Friday 25th or Saturday 26th; half a dozen for £5! You can order via our shop, tweet or phone!

PO HCB

 

Also, don’t forget our opening hours will be changing slightly over the Easter holiday!

 

Good Friday 25th – 12-6.30pm

Saturday 26th – 8.15am- til sell out!

Easter Sunday 27th – CLOSED

Bank Holiday Monday 28th – CLOSED

Tuesday 29th – CLOSED

Wednesday 30th – 12-5pm

 

EASTER2016

Continue reading Pre-Order your HCB’s!

Mum doesn’t have to wait too long for her course…

Mum doesn’t have to wait too long for that course you’ll be booking her onto for Mother’s Day, we’ve still got places on lots of brilliant (and usually SOLD OUT!) courses this month…

 

Pork Butchery & Charcuterie – Thurs 3rd
http://www.loafonline.co.uk/…/pig-butchery-and-charcuterie…/
pig butchery

 

Seafood One: Fish – Weds 9th
http://www.loafonline.co.uk/shop/seafood-one-fish/
Seafoodone_new2

 

Knife Skills and Maintenance – Weds 16th
http://www.loafonline.co.uk/s…/knife-skills-and-maintenance/
knife skills

 

How to make: Dosa – Tues 22nd
http://www.loafonline.co.uk/shop/dosa/
dosa-200x200

 

Flavour Geography: Chinese Bao & Dumplings – Weds 23rd
http://www.loafonline.co.uk/…/flavour-geography-chinese-ba…/

 

How to make: Macarons – Thursday 24th
http://www.loafonline.co.uk/shop/how-to-make-macarons/
macarons

Book online at your convenience, or you can pop into the shop to book!

Wanna learn how to make #MACARONS?

Wanna learn how to make #MACARONS?!? We now run a macaron making course in our cookery school with the incredibly talented Lap-Fai Lee.

Teaching you how to make macaron shells, and a variety of different flavoured ganaches, caramels and butter creams to fill ’em with! With all the secrets to a top banana Pierre Hermé kinda macaron.

What more could you want. Really.

AND why not treat all those loving Mothers out there by giving them this course as their #MOTHERSDAY present (March 6th remember…)You’ll feel the love too, as they’ll bring home a tonne of macarons from the course, as well as baking them all day erryday because they’re so darn gooooood. (you’re welcome)

The next course running for this is on Thursday 24th March! You can book it here or pop into the shop.

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Posted by Anna.

Earl Grey Hot-X-Buns!

It’s that time again… Earl Grey Hot Cross Buns!!

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We’ll be baking them daily from Tuesday 23rd Feb (this Tuesday coming) until Easter Saturday, so be sure to pop in!

We’ll also be closed Tuesday 29th March so our Baker’s can enjoy a day off! But don’t fret, we’ll be open Weds 30th as normal 🙂

 

New Year 2016

Happy New Year!
Have you missed us?  We’ve missed you!  After a lovely, much needed restful break, we’re very much looking forward to getting back into the bakery to make some great bread.

There’s a few little changes behind the scenes here… we’re welcoming Jordan back after her sabbatical.  And we’re working on a rota overhaul which will ultimately result in MORE bread being available on Saturdays (you might have noticed that we often sell out!) AND more pastries.  We’ll let you know when it all kicks into action.

AND.. you might know that Tom and his beautiful wife, Jane had a bun in the oven!  They welcome baby Reuben into the world on New Years Day.  All three of them are doing really well, and we are very excited for them.

Anyway, back to normal life….here’s this weeks lunch menu:

IMG_0519Tuesday – Tarka Daal with a hunk of Sourdough
or// Ham, Brie, Rocket and Cranberry Sauce on brioche

Wednesday – Celeriac Soup with a Hazelnut crumb served with Sourdough
or// Chicken, Bacon, Lettuce, Mayo Club Sandwich

Thursday – Roasted Squash, Pearl Barley and Feta Salad served with focaccia
or// Pulled Pork with Slaw on a brioche roll

Friday – #SALTBEEF on challah with mustard and pickles
0r// Mushroom and Blue Cheese Soup with a hunk of Sourdough
0r// Puy Lentil, Hazelnut, Lemon and Chickpea Salad with focaccia