Bakkerij Gerwin Brand

20/12/2025

14/03/2025

Yum yum for the tum! ⁣
⁣
Another tasty loaf, full of goodness for both body and soul. ⁣
Did you know proper sourdough bread has got several health benefits over conventional bread? ⁣
⁣
Here’s a few of the biggest reasons why. ⁣
⁣
To start with, the sourdough process ensures the creation of amino acids in the dough. This means a much tastier loaf of bread and that means the amount of salt added to the dough can be reduced. Most conventional breads have 2% of salt added in relation to the amount of flour. In sourdough you can easily reduce that to between 1,2 and 1,6%. ⁣
⁣
Then there is the ‘chewy’ texture. A good sourdough has a nice crispy crust and a slightly chewy crumb. This means you need to chew it more and longer. This helps to release more saliva containing enzymes which help the digestion. ⁣
⁣
And one of the main reasons is the availability of nutrients. Every grain we know contains what is called Phytic Acid. This is a substance which naturally binds the majority of the nutrients /minerals in a grain to its own molecules, making it impossible for our digestive tract to absorb these nutrients in our bloodstream. During the sourdough process, the lactic acid bacteria degrade the Phytic Acid, thus releasing the nutrients to be absorbed into our body. It has to be said though that this affect only takes place after a minimum of 8 hours of fermentation and only with a real sourdough culture containing LAB. ⁣
⁣
Lastly, a lot of people with a gluten intolerance are actually able to eat sourdough bread containing wheat and/or rye, without having the symptoms they would have eating conventional bread. ⁣
This is because an enzyme called Protease is breaking down the glutenin and gliadin to such an extend that the body does not have to do this job anymore. Again, this is only relevant with a sourdough culture containing LAB and after a substantial fermentation time. ⁣
⁣

26/02/2025

Canard à l’Orange revisited. ⁣
⁣
The idea for this dish first came to my head about 8 years ago. Been playing around with it ever since and with this version it finally feels complete. ⁣
⁣
The season for citrus fruit is short so we only serve this dish a few weeks of the year in February/March. ⁣
⁣
Chicories are in season at the same time as citrus fruits so it only made sense to pair the two together. Trevise tardive is simply roasted with some olive oil and salt and pepper, while the Puntarelle is kept raw and seasoned with a dressing of Seville orange juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and thyme. ⁣
⁣
The carrot and orange puree is made just before service to preserve freshness and the pickled carrot not only holds the bulghur wheat together but gives another fresh note. ⁣
⁣
The duck legs are confited and the breasts slow roasted on the bone and all the excess bones are used to make the jus, infused with blood orange and Seville orange juice and zest, marmelade and a splash of Cointreau. ⁣
⁣
In the end it’s a simple combo of sweet, sour and bitter, but a delicious one at that according to our guests. 😊⁣
⁣
⁣

21/02/2025

Another dreamy dessert. ⁣
⁣
Admittely not entirely my own idea. ‘Borrowed’ the basics from LMQS, but gave it our own twist. ⁣
⁣
Compressed warm apple terrine, polenta and almond crumble, spiced toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream. ⁣
⁣
A bit of a twist on the classic Tarte Tatin. Takes a bit of effort but is so comforting on a cold winter’s eve. ⁣
⁣
Layers and layers of very finely sliced apple stacked together with a little melted butter and Calvados, baked for about 2,5 hrs alltogether until tender and caramelised. Polenta and toasted almond crumble serve as a base to present the terrine on. ⁣
A toffee sauce made with caramel, the apple cores, butter, cream, star anise, cinnamon, vanilla and lemon complement the terrine. ⁣
⁣
An apple compôte serves as the base for a classic vanilla ice cream and brings a nice fresh note to the dish. The apple crisp finishes the presentation.

17/02/2025

Bouillabaisse anyone? ⁣
⁣
Our take on this French Classic is becoming a firm favourite with our guests at The Lodge. ⁣
⁣
Because we get most of our fish, shellfish and crustaceans in whole, it means we accumulate a fair amount of bones and shells. Packed with flavour we freeze those down and once we have enough it’s time to make a batch of Bouillabaisse soup. ⁣
⁣
For this we make a basic tomato fondue with onions, garlic, thyme, tarragon and bayleaf. To that we add a fennel fondue and a good splash of boiled white wine. ⁣
Next the fishbones and the shells of the crustaceans are quickly seared on high heat to get a good roasting flavour and the pans are deglazed with a splash of Cognac. The bones are added to the tomato - fennel fodue and some Saffron goes in as well. A 15 minute infusion follows. The whole mix is then passed off through a colander and all the liquid pressed out off the bones. ⁣
Then a second infusion follows by repeating the roasting process with more fresh bones and shells. ⁣
After another 15 mins the mix is passed off again, first through a colander, then pressed through a chinois, then tapped through a chinois at least two more times to remove all impurities. After that the soup is seasoned with salt, cayenne, a liitle olive oil and lemon juice. ⁣
⁣
To finally serve it, we make a garnish of potato dice with Brown Shrimps to go in the bottom of the plate, freshly steamed Mussels, sautéed Squid and roast Lobster go around. Pan fried Stone Bass tops the potato dice. Hot emulsified Bouillabaisse is poured into the bown and a crunchy slice of Melba toast with Saffron Aioli is served alongside the dish, as well as of course a thick slice of home made sourdough to soak up all that deliciousness. ⁣
⁣
I learned to make the fundaments of this dish many moons ago when I was working at Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons in Oxford under the tutelage of Raymond Blanc and Gary Jones. ⁣
⁣
Intricate and slightly time consuming but oh so worth it. ⁣
⁣

13/02/2025

My photography skills don’t do it justice, but luckily the flavours on the plate speak for itself. 😃⁣
⁣
Pan fried Halibut, Fregola with winter vegetables, Shellfish, Citrus and a Lemongrass infused jus. ⁣
⁣
For this one we are getting in whole Halibut. After filleting and portioning we use the bones to make the lemongrass infused jus. ⁣
⁣
Fregola, a kind of giant couscous which originated from Sardinia, is started off like a risotto, with a sofrito and a dash of white wine and water. ⁣
In the meantime the Palourde clams are steamed with a mirepoix and a dash of white wine. ⁣
Once the Fregola is al dente the winter vegetables (carrot, parsnip, leek) are added and it is finished with a good dash of the clam cooking juices, a bit of preserved lemon dice and parsley julienne. ⁣
⁣
The Halibut is gently pan fried in olive oil along with Scallops. ⁣
When done, the Fregola goes in the bottom of the bowl, fresh grapefruit segments, a Scallop and the clams go around it. The Halibut goes on top of the Fregola and the dish is finished with the Lemongrass jus. ⁣
All beautiful bang in season produce cooked with care and attention. ⁣
Bon appetit. 😊⁣

08/01/2025

The sexiest loaf is not the one with the largest alveoles made with specialty flour from some far away place, made by someone who thinks he or she is the god of bread baking. ⁣
⁣
The sexiest loaf is the one made from flour made from local grain, grown with respect for nature by Sébastien Sauthier. Stoneground on his farm in Vollèges and all I had to do was making it into one of the tastiest breads I have ever had in my life. Easier said than done given the weak gluten of the wheat variety. ⁣
⁣
But that’s where the skills of the farmer/miller and baker meet in the middle. To produce a beautiful, tasty and nutritious product from something that was grown, harvested, milled and baked in a 2 mile radius. A product that makes sense to get one step closer to a circular economy. Way better than selling all this baked air!

06/12/2024

An open mind and perseverance are just a few of the ingredients you need to start making Panettone. ⁣
⁣
Two and a half years into this journey and I’ve recently learned that a few crucial steps in the process should be handled completely different than I was previously taught. ⁣
⁣
That’s why it is good to always keep asking (yourself) questions. As Mr. Montanari has said; ‘’ There are no stupid questions. Only stupid answers’’. ⁣
⁣
The Matcha and Yuzu Panettone in the pics above are made with only one preparatory refreshment, 1 : 4 : 0,45. ⁣
The result is an incredibly aromatic and soft Panettone, which will definitely have a good shelf life as well. The process is easier and less hassle than the 1 to 1 refreshments and gives better results. ⁣
⁣
It’s all about the balance. ⁣
⁣

30/08/2024

Feel the love. Little spot of home baking using up end bits of different flours = Deliciousness, Goodness and lovely smells in da house! 😋.

28/08/2024

Oh hello Frankisch! It’s been while. . . Still one of the tastiest ryebreads in my repertoire. Deliciously simple and simply delicious.

15/08/2024

Dreamy Desserts. My little take on Black Forest Gateau. With a few different elements this is a lovely dessert for a summer’s evening. ⁣
⁣
In the base is a chocolate crumble with cacao nibs, topped up with a thin layer of ganache made with Maracaibo 65% dark chocolate from . ⁣
This is followed by a sponge soaked with Amarena cherry syrup on top of which halved Amarena cherries are being scattered. ⁣
⁣
This is then finished with a Maracaibo and Griotte cherry mousse. ⁣
⁣
The gateau is served with cherries roasted in a mixture of caramel, red wine and port, orange and lemon juice and zest and vanilla, cinnamon, star anise, clove and cardamom. ⁣
⁣
To finish it off there is a spiced crumble topped with a sorbet made with Griotte cherries and a home made wild cherry Vodka. ⁣
⁣
Wild cherries are growing abundantly in our valley and are delicious. They are however only about 1/3 to 1/2 the size of normal farmed cherries. Not great to make a puree from given the quantities you would need to pick. But when I first decided to try to make a cherry Vodka, a bit along the lines of making Sloe Gin, a number of years ago, I was pleasantly surprised. ⁣
⁣
I macerated whole wild cherries simply in Vodka and added some sugar and the result was a deep dark red liqueur with an almost Marzipan like flavour. Delish! 😃 ⁣
⁣

09/05/2024

Er zijn nog enkele Panettone verkrijgbaar om je moeder te verrassen komende zondag. En onder het motto ‘Try before you buy’, kun je ook nog komen proeven. Vandaag tot 14 uur en morgen en zaterdag van 9 tot 14. Tot gauw. 😃.