Bread and Jesus

It’s that time of year again, when we all take a few days off work to celebrate a weekend long ago, when Jesus released the hit single, ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’, had a little nap, then delivered chocolate eggs to thousands of spoilt children on the back of a giant rabbit. Or something like that.

I didn’t pay too much attention in my R.E. lessons, but one theme that I know cropped up several times in the big book, was bread. In the Lord’s Prayer we ask for our daily bread; at the last supper it represented the body of Christ; and the Big J Man proved himself as the most kick-arse baker around by splitting 5 loaves into 5000, to feed the starving.

Since Jesus’ day, trends have changed – we prefer the cinema to a good stoning, we preach on twitter rather than street corners, and you’ve got absolutely no chance of claiming Immaculate Conception if you find yourself up the duff – but bread has held its own. Admittedly our faith wavered a little a few years back when our love of supermarkets blossomed and a Greggs popped up on every corner, but as the very wise Joni Mitchell once sang, ‘you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone’, and we’re rediscovering an appreciation of a proper loaf - and thank goodness, because a culinary skill which predates the bible should not be reduced to the likes of Kingsmill and Hovis.

When done properly, bread-making is a lengthy and temperamental process, requiring the biceps of Schwarzenegger and the patience of Super Nanny – a genetic hybrid which many of us are unfortunately lacking. Thankfully, there are experts out there willing to do the hard graft for us, so you can avoid the washing-up and the supermarket all at once.  Below are my favourites in Norwich.  

Dozen Bakery

Dozen Bakery, on Gloucester Street, is run by artisan baker Tom, and has been open since 2008.  It produces a range of hand-crafted loaves, croissants, cakes and their incredibly popular sausage rolls (even Albert Roux has complimented them). Oh, and to keep things relevant, they’ll be making hot cross buns later this month.

www.dozenbakery.co.uk

Metfield Bakery