I’m Eleanora and I’m a baker with a passion for bread making.

I cannot say exactly when I started making bread. It was something that we always had around the house. My father owned a bakery and he was passionate about food in general, and bread in particular. His passion was infectious and I soon caught the bug.

I started off experimenting with treats that didn’t require a lot of kneading and soon I was learning the ropes of bread making. Growing up in that kind of environment, you learn without realising. I learned with different grains and grounds of flour. It was always nice to accompany our neighbours, who used more grains than we did since they made industrial scales of native drinks, to the mill to grind their millet and corn. I used to pinch a bit of their stock and practise my craft.

As soon as I was old enough to operate the oven I started baking in large quantities. My father was a patient teacher who helped me learn to be confident and open to ideas.  He taught me to respect the good food and never cut corners. He taught me how to knead different types of bread, be patient enough to give it time, I learnt ratios and contingencies in the kitchen and a wealth of things I remain grateful for. Every ingredient that goes into our bread must be of the best quality. I remember fondly how he’d take a sniff of bread presented to him and pull his “rejection face” – he was never keen on fast yeast or additives. Now being in a similar position, I appreciate the painstaking effort involved in bread making. It’s amazing how different fresh yeast tastes and smells in comparison to active yeast.

All that passion and vibe has influenced my bread making. I go to great lengths to source my ingredients. I was so excited when I found a farm that sells grains and cereals and a mill that’d grind my batch. I have enjoyed trying out different suppliers to find the one that have the “nora” factor. I can confirm I have found one that sells the perfect types of flours I need.

For fear of boring you more than necessary, I hope you enjoy your loaf  and come back for more.

Thanks!