The virtual review: Bread Ahead Cinnamon rolls

COLUMBUS, OH, UNITED STATES

04.03.2020

Story by Michelle Young 

Defense Finance and Accounting Service

Hello, my name is Micki and I've never made cinnamon rolls from scratch.

Laugh if you want, but my girls are indifferent about cinnamon rolls. However, since we're all staying in, it's all about getting creative at home and I thought I'd give it a shot.

I learned of British baking classes from a friend, who knew I was taking this online journey.

On March 20, I tuned into Instagram to get on a live video stream from Bread Ahead, a bakery based out of Borough Market, London, England. According to the Bread Ahead site, it looks like they just started this program March 18 in response to the COVID-19 quarantine as well, so everyone is jumping in.

To get started, first I visited BreadAhead.com. On the site, they list all of the upcoming live streams, with their respective ingredients. You can pick what looks good to you. These are all stand-alone, one part classes and appear to all be under one hour long.

The setting is a very rustic, European-style bakery. The kitchen had a huge butcher board table and several bowls, measuring cups, and ingredients all over the workspace.

The first thing I noticed was that I had no idea what half the ingredients were, and needed Google to translate. Second, measurements are in grams, so more translation needed.

I cleared off a big area of my counter and got mentally ready.

I determined I had everything I needed and it was all set out, including the butter that needed to be softened. I found a stand for my phone and put my tea towel on my shoulder. The towel is the mark of a seasoned baker for sure.

Matthew Jones, head baker and owner, introduces himself and plugs his book, Bread School, where his recipes come from, to kick off the broadcast. Jones flashes a blackboard with the shortlist of ingredients (and no real directions), then gets right to baking.

The baker tosses the flour around like it's an extension of his hand, with little regard for exactness, but with grace. His mannerisms, voice, and approach is very calming and almost soothing. This approach is very different from many of the loud and bright cooking shows popular in the United States.

He talks a lot in his livestream about doing things nicely and respecting the items he bakes with. Jones seems to be one with his ingredients and tools. He refers to his ingredients in grams, which is a bit confusing, but thankfully the show goes at a slow pace and I was able to figure out the weight differences.

The camera woman, who is not identified, is an integral part of the broadcast. They have a conversational relationship throughout the livestream, where she asks him questions and it gets him talking and explaining what he's doing.

He uses his hands a lot, over conventional tools, highlighting that whether this is the first time I've baked or 100th, fanciness isn't a concern.

Jones races through the preparation of the dough. Basic ingredients—flour, water, butter, milk, and yeast, are all you need. There is a series of mixing, resting, rising, and repeating.

Next, we roll the dough out, something my girls were thrilled to help with. A basic, rustic rectangle is the goal.

While rolling, Jones talked a little bit about an upcoming Sourdough starter class and some other breads I wasn't familiar with. I was happy to hear most of his breads follow similar ingredients and processes. With just small modifications, once you get the dough making process down, it can be simply modified to create dozens of others.

A layer of butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar get spread on the rolled out dough, then it's rolled up, like a cinnamon roll, but in a tube shape.

It's cut into pieces, we did 12, then placed in a 9x13 baking pan. There is one last period of rising, then into the oven, which presented with one last time to convert from Fahrenheit to Celsius to get the baking temperature right.

While baking, Jones mentioned that a drizzle or frosting was optional, I got the impression that he didn't feel a need to add a topping to his rolls. I have to add that even though we whipped up the optional and traditional cream cheese frosting, it did alter the beautiful appearance and presentation of the rolls fresh out of the oven, which was nothing short of amazing.

The list for the next several weeks is on the site. Many basic breads are listed there, which we plan on taking as well. There are also pastries and a few brownies and cakes mixed in.

It is critical that if you plan to bake along, you choose your recipe, solidify your ingredients, and set a reminder on your phone.

Jones starts promptly at 2 p.m. UK time, that's 10 a.m. EST, but he leaves the streams up for 24 hours on the Instagram. If you're like me, you may want to watch it live, then watch it a second time as you prepare it.

Where would you like me to visit or try out next? Email me at [e-mail] and give me your suggestions. Your dedicated online review partner—Micki

• Date Taken: 04.03.2020
• Date Posted: 12.28.2020 12:47
• Story ID: 385879
• Location: COLUMBUS, OH, US