Sometimes you hear about how someone who was not born a baker eventually became one. It’s a bit of twist though when two such people meet and form a business that becomes an immense food chain. But that is what Roy Levy and Gail Mejia have accomplished. And now many of their beautiful recipes appear in Gail’s Artisan Bakery: Cookbook.
Early in this century there was a feeling in Britain that if you wanted great bread, you need to hop the train to Paris. British bread was considered poor by many. Which is strange because Britain has always been a wonderful grain producing country – although it is true a wee bit of that grain is translated into beverages. Still, bread and cheese are the two staple foods that began long before history was being written. And in Britain, Roy and Gail decided to start a new chapter in bread and baking history.
Their first Gail’s Artisan Bakery opened in 2005 in Hampstead, a village-like community in London just 4 miles north of Charing Cross. It was bold place to start because if you can make it in Hampstead, then … Well, they did. Now there are over twenty shops, dotting greater London and serving bread that makes people forget about training it to Paris. At least for the bread.
These are upscale shops, much like the famous Flour chain in Boston founded by Joanne Chang. The core is bread, offered in meals ranging from breakfast to lunch to dinner. Oh, in London, there is tea time as well. What kind of breads have made Gail’s so successful? Here are a few:
Onion Seed Sourdough
Spelt Rolls
Seeded Buttermilk and Treacle Loaf
Breakfast at Gail’s is good but not simple:
Ricotta, Cherry, and Crumble Croissants
Croissant Bake [pictured below, bread pudding with blueberries!]
Sour Cherry and Dark Chocolate Drop Scones
Toasted Cornbread with Avocado Salsa and Fried Eggs
At lunchtime the food becomes, if you can believe this, a bit richer:
Caramelized Onion and Vintage Cheddar Brioche Buns
Gruyere and Chive Scones
Puy Lentil, Roasted Beetroot and Goat’s Cheese Salad
Ricotta, Lemon and Sage Bread Pie
At tea time, the menu scales back, well, just a little back:
Apricot and Pistachio Tartlets
Lemon Curd and Mascarpone Tartlets with Strawberries
Apple Crumble Cake
At dinner, all stops are removed. Gail’s imagination has ascended:
Leeks Vinaigrette with Maple and Mustard Croutons
Baked Sardines with Sourdough Crumbs and Heritage Tomato Salad
Chicken Stuffed with Bulgur Wheat, Onion, Pine Nuts, Lemon and Curry Powder
If you love to cook, your conundrum is wanting to upscale things. It’s tough, with busy lives and no time for a semester at cooking school, to achieve those culinary upgrades in your life. That’s why Gail’s Artisan Bakery is such a lovely book. Those “better, creative, imaginative” ideas you want are here. Page after page of them. And, even if you claim not to be a baker, neither did Roy or Gail. See what that got them.
Enjoy this book that brings Paris, no, I mean London to your own kitchen.