Making Better Bread

Thanks to you, we'll always keep trying.

In the economic crisis of 2022, with no gas to be got, we commissioned a wood-fired oven. None of us had any experience operating one, we didn't even know for sure if our kind of sourdough could be made in a Lankan poranuwa as they are called. Lankan ovens have different designs, different key ratios, different materials and different ways of being used. They only bake tin loaves for a start.

We worked with a 3rd generation oven builder and adjusted the design hoping that that would get us the result we wanted. He looked worried, we were worried, and we all still rolled the dice. I knew that in the best case scenario we'd have a long steep learning curve in front of us. We'd have to learn how to use the oven as we used it, learn building fires, the thermal properties of the oven and how that related to how the bread baked. All this not knowing for sure that we'd be able to make it work.

Smelling deeply of smoke and creosote, I baked our first batch of loaves, then the second. It wasn't bad. It was bread we'd eat. It broke my heart though. After making beautiful looking loaves for years in gas ovens that we had modified and optimised to make some of the best sourdough ever, here were loaves that were just: alright. The colour wasn't as burnished, the crust a bit different. They weren't about to win any beauty contests.

But already, I noticed something exciting. The texture was better. It was the way a retained heat masonry oven transfers heat to bread. In gas ovens it's all steel and flame, the heat tends to act the most on the crust, top and bottom. In a wood-fired oven, it's silent and dark, but relentless like a glacier. The heat doesn't cut in and out with a thermostat. It doesn't scorch and singe. It pushes through the loaf and reaches the centre and keeps pushing through non-stop. The bread develops a characteristic texture that blows you away. 

Still, our loaves didn't look as good as they used to. And for two and a half years, we have kept at it, tweaking steam, temperature, fermentation, timing, all to make our bread better. And where we are now: making real sourdough in a wood-fired oven that look almost as good as they are inside, is incredibly rewarding. We love the bread we make today.

And while our effort and risk has been rewarded, that only tells half the story. Your trust, patience and support made this happen too. You kept buying our bread, sending us notes of appreciation. Leaving us beautiful reviews. Returning to us from your holidays, telling us how much you enjoy the bread. It's almost like you knew that even when we were adapting, changing and learning; that we were still trying to make the best bread we could.

So, thank you. For keeping the faith with us. For supporting our journey. Here's to good bread. May we always keep trying to make it better.

BREAD.lk is a specialist bakery making the best handmade Sourdough and Brioche in Sri Lanka. We make wholegrain, sprouted wheat and healthy seed and grain sourdough bread, rustic ciabatta as well as delicious Brioches and Babkas. We rely on a combination of wild yeast fermentation and traditional breadmaking techniques to get the best out of all-natural ingredients. We use no artificial additives or preservatives. Order your loaf at www.bread.lk . Pick it up from one of our collection points across Colombo or have it delivered to you overnight anywhere on the island.