Some information on bakery related articles that may interest you Gluten free No gluten containing ingredients. To supply the ever growing number of customers with coeliac disease we are constantly trying out new recipes to increase our ‘no gluten containing ingredients’. We currently have: Macaroons Florentines (chocolate coated) Meringue nests Fresh cream meringues Chocolate brownies However, although all these products have no gluten containing ingredients, we are NOT a gluten free environment, therefore we cannot guarantee the items have not come into contact with the allergen. The science of bread Saccharomyces rereusiae (Bakers Yeast) is a live single cell fungus. There are about 160 species of yeast, many of them live all around us. At Darvell and Son, we use fresh bakers yeast to make our bread, however most people are familiar with its mass produced form; the beige granules that comes to life when it comes into contact with warm water. Once reactivated, yeast begins to feed on the sugars in the flour and release the carbon dioxide that makes bread rise. Yeast also adds many of the unique and distinctive flavours and aromas of bread. Leavening agents would be nothing but bubbling brews without something to contain them. This is where flour comes in. There are many different types of flour, but the most commonly used in bread is wheat flour. This is because wheat flour contains two proteins, Glutenin and Gliadin, which when combined with water forms gluten. As a dough is kneaded, the gluten becomes more stressed and increasingly stretchy. This gum like substance fills with thousands of gas bubbles as the yeast works during rising, this is called gluten animation. The other key ingredient into the mix is starch. This carbohydrate makes up about 70% of flour by weight, when starch granules are attacked by enzymes present in the flour, they release the sugars that the yeast feeds on. Starch also reinforces the gluten and absorbs water during baking, helping the gluten to contain the pockets of gas produced by the yeast. Bread, a global food Nowadays, bread is something that we use to hold a sandwich together or as a side item. Bread in modern Western culture is not really a necessity, one could function quite easily without bread. Not so in biblical days. At the very centre of life during the times of Jesus and earlier. Without bread there was no life. The bible tells of ‘matzoh’ which the Israelites ate as they fled Egypt. Because a former slaves dough had not time to rise, they baked it on their backs as they escaped into the desert. In central Asia where both grain and fuel are scarce, nomads make small thin rounds that are cooked quickly over fire. To survive long, cold winters the people of hung out rings of bread from the rafters, when bread is needed a ring is brought down, moistened with water and is ready to eat. Breaking bread with a neighbour was an important social act. As the most famous prayer begins: ‘Our father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name Give us this day our daily bread…. The first raised breads were baked in Egypt around 4000BC. Over the centuries bread has travelled and evolved reflecting the diversity of human culture and an ability to adapt according to environment. SHOP LOCATIONS CHESHAM 28-30 High Street Chesham HP5 1EP BERKHAMSTED 102 High Street Berkhamsted HP4 2BL TELEPHONE NUMBERS CHESHAM 01494 774974 BERKHAMSTED 01442 877688 WHOLESALE 01494 794305 OPENING HOURS CHESHAM Monday-Saturday 08:30-15:00 BERKHAMSTED Monday-Saturday 08:30-15:00 Copyright 2021 Darvell and Sons | Designed by kickstartlondon.co | Privacy Policy We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok