After three years without a break, we finally flew off to Croatia, to reunite with family, friends and the beautiful Dalmatian Archipelago.

Naturally, we took our starter with us… Those of you who’ve been to our live classes know that our starter, Bread Astaire, is pretty liquid, so Dragan stiffened it into a small lump of dough and packed it in his suitcase. Once we arrived, we gave Mr. Astaire a couple of drinks, and soon had him bubbling with excitement to be baking abroad.

Not content with sourdough-on-the-go, Dragan also packed his seeds and sprouting jar, so we had regular supplies of freshly sprouted beans, broccoli, radish and alfalfa. With jewel-like tomatoes and cucumber, dressed in olive oil and lemon – all locally grown – we feasted like kings. Peaches were in season, as were cherries, more precious than rubies, and the water melons were sublime.

Renting a boat is the ideal way to explore, and it doesn’t have to be a superyacht. We threw a few beers, a big watermelon, some sourdough and salad in a bag, chucked it in the icebox and headed out for the turquoise and aquamarine bays we love to swim in. The scent of hot pine trees, herbs and lavender fields wafting across us as we swam was like a balm.

And now we’re back!

Our Friday bake for Cornwood Stores & Tearoom resumed without a hitch (apart from one bust oven, being fixed today). Our first classes back have been brilliant – baking with beginners and professional cake-makers expanding into patisserie. We have plenty of classes coming up this summer too, and if you can’t see the date you want, do just ping us an email and we’ll see what we can sort out. We look forward to seeing you!