Since I found Vicky’s bread in our local deli, my dough hook has started to gather dust in the corner of the kitchen. One mouthful and I was hooked. Vicky Royall is a passionate artisan baker based in Helston, West Cornwall. She and her crew hand makes bread the old fashioned way; with a sourdough culture and a slow-risen dough made with the finest organic ingredients. This is seriously good bread and we are so lucky to have it at our fingertips, right here in Cornwall.

Using a sourdough culture to leaven bread has a number of magical benefits. As it ferments, sourdough produces organic acids. The increased acidity extends the shelf life of the bread without the need for artificial preservatives. It also improves the flavour, resulting in a loaf that is usually more moist other types of bread. To top it all off, the sourdough culture actually encourages our body to extract more minerals from the flour in the bread as we digest it.

The dough is proved at low temperatures for extra flavour and baked with steam on the hearth of the oven. Vicky produces a variety of organic breads, including a French-style baguette made with yeast as well as rustic Bordelais, spelt, and multigrain sourdough. Sometimes she makes other speciality breads like Ciabatta, walnut and rye and roasted potato and rosemary. Look out for the organic apricot and hazelnut bread with spices that appears around around Easter time.

Vicky’s Bread is a big supporter of small, local shops. You can find a selection of her loaves at delis, country stores, farm shops, farmers markets and fruit and vegetable stands dotted in and around Cornwall. Click here for a list of exactly where to buy. My favourite loaf is the multigrain. After the ritual Saturday morning food shop, I often toast a couple of big hearty slices and smear them with Cornish butter. They then form the base for a quick and easy autumn brunch of poached organic eggs, roasted vine tomatoes and mushrooms. I finish it off with a handful of chopped garlic and fresh parsley over the top. All local, seasonal ingredients, of course!