Sunday’s We Bake Bread with Raphaelle who lives in Berlin
Raphaelle (Instagram) is a 34 year old french girl who likes to bake bread in her free time. She has been living in Berlin for 8 years and she is a mother to a lovely girl name Louise. She is also a store manager at Sessun, a french brand from the South of France.
How did your love for baking start?
I used to bake some breads sometimes but always with yeast. Every time I tried to do my sourdough I quit too earlier because I didn’t have the time to take care of it.
During the lockdown I thought it would be a good time to try again and this time it works. So I began to bake one bread a day and after some fails I found the good combination !
What emotions provoke you when you bake?
Satisfaction ! Baking with sourdough is a very long process. It takes between 24 to 48 hours. I use to bake it in a dutch oven. You can’t imagine the satisfaction when you open the lid and see the oven spring.
What are your favorite things to bake?
I love to bake basic sourdough loaf but my favorite is cheddar with pumpkin seed !
What’s been inspiring you lately?
I began to do some “artistic” scoring on my breads and found a good mix between the flour to get a good bread, where I can score what I want. I love for example the work of Linda ring which her face on breads and the work of Sarah Vignon, who does some lovely drawings, which I tried to score on breads.
What does bread symbolize for you?
As french girl, bread has always been really important for me ! A meal isn’t complete if you don’t have bread on the table!
What is the most challenging part of baking bread?
To master the good hydration level of the dough to get a lot of big bubbles in the crumb!
What’s the most important thing to you when baking?
A nice crumb and crispy crust.
What are some things you’ve learned about bread?
To be patient and take the time. If you bake it to early you will always get a flatbread.
How do you like to eat your bread?
I love it both sweet or savory. For the sweet part, I love it with salty butter and honey. For the savory I love to dip it in the juice of fresh tomatoes or with comté cheese.
