Budget gift for keen baker??

[bluechristmas18]

Hi everyone. Is anyone a keen bread baker on here? My step dad has really got in to bread baking since retiring. Things are super tight this year and I’m struggling but would like to try and get something for everyone even if it’s only a little. I could possibly spare £10 for his present (I know it’s minimal trust me) and just wondered if there’s anything good I could get that a bread baker would appreciate? Even if it’s a few small £1 things and I made a hamper? Just things bread making related. Thanks

Spatula... couple of quid each
You have enough time to make him a levan.

Loads of bread cook books around £10 on Amazon? A good bowl/dough scraper?

The GBBO bread book is down to £7 on Amazon

you have enough time to make him a levan
Erm...what’s a levan?
Yes I thought about a book and a couple of other little bits and there are some used bread books for a couple of pounds on eBay but wasn’t sure what was good. Will look at the gbbo one. I’ve had a quick browse at dough scrapers, noticed plastic or metal, is there a great difference?

Proving basket?

I prefer a plastic scraper (and they are slightly cheaper), doesn’t matter if he already has one as if he’s anything like me he will misplace them 🤣

Fresh yeast? I can only find it in a health food shop. Or how about some specialised flour, some mills do different types.

proving basket
They seemed like a cool gift but I couldn’t seem to find any cheap enough with postage and that would get here in time.
Lovemusic33 glad you say plastic is better as you say it’s cheaper lol

Morrison’s sell fresh yeast (in the fridge).

I would go for a book and a scraper, I would be happy receiving it as a gift.

Added seasoning maybe? So he can change the flavour of the bread he's making?

you cant do better or a book than . Dan Lepard The Handmade Loaf its £10.33 on Amazon in paperback.. DH is s really keen baker and says there is no one better..
other wise look at the Bakery Bits website a cane banneton would probably be very well received

I like bread making, would be v happy with say bag of rye flour, or Doves organic if there's a deli nearby maybe. I like making Challah bread which has honey and poppy seeds, so bag of flour, honey, poppy seeds, happy bunny.

I love baking but are quite fussy about recipes and prefer to buy my own so I know I am actually baking them.

I got a proving basket a couple of years ago, so great and I refuse to use anything else.

Something like this
www.amazon.co.uk/Banneton-Proofing-Basket-Brotform-Rising/dp/B01N2PPF44/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=proving+basket&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1544996958&sr=8-3

Thanks for some lovely ideas. It’s nice to hear from bakers that you would be happy to receive something as simple as the ingredients to bake the bread.

The baker Richard Bertinet is really well respected amongst all the bread bakers I know - he has a couple of good books (Dough and Crust I think?)

Some really nice interesting flour, eg an organic rye, or seeded or similar, not normally more than a couple of pounds from a farm shop/health food shop would always be gratefully received here! Also agree with fresh yeast being a great gift for a baker, little known secret is that if you ask at the baker counter at a big Tesco they will give you a small bag of it for free!

Try amazon for proving baskets, also often called banneton, I think you can get them with next day delivery.

Hope that helps!

Oh and River Cottage Bread Handbook is absolutely fantastic and I think about £8, it explains lots of the science and has so many different types of bread in it

You can get some really cute sets of nested measuring cups. I have two sets, and find that I use both in the same baking session. So if he already has a set, a second will be useful and not take up much space. They only cost a few pounds.

Or this baking thermometer around £5, and this firm doing free next day delivery this month, no minimum spend.

Woops that is £6 with VAT, but still a bargain at 50% reduction. I have used this firm, and they are good.

My local Tesco do loads of different bread making flours, seeds and yeast sachets(. Maybe some of though with a small bread making recipe book from the works?

bread book

@bluechristmas18

A Levan is a yeast starter for sourdough. Mix equal ish amounts of flour and water (100 g of each) in a bowl. Leave uncovered. Next day and each subsequent day half the volume and add 100g of both water and flour to the remaining half. After 5- 6 days it will start to bubble as the yeast develops. Once you get to this stage you can get away with feeding once a week -month. Keep it in a jar in the fridge.

If you're lucky and you house is not overly clean you end up with a really vigorous yeast culture that makes it around the world.

Sainsbury's have got a gorgeous rubber spatula (My fave type of cooking utensil) with a smooth ergonomically lovely handle with 'cooked with love' on the handle

Sorry I’m only just replying. I genuinely forgot I had done this post (memory problems). I got him the Dan Lepard book as someone recommended in a previous post. It was only £4.19 in a used but very good condition so can still get him a little something else. Thanks for all of your ideas they have been wonderful. I love the idea of a levan, it’s really thoughtful and I may make him one of those for another occasion or a ‘just because’. Thanks again