Jan's 'boule' (squashed ball design) of dough prior to oven baking. More on the bread making later. Two groups were taken by coach from our Libourne docking location to the .. Mill of Porcheres, built in 1850, on the river Isle 'ees-la', a tributary of the Dordogne. The mill was initially a stone water mill then turned into a cylinder mill in 1937.
The first group was instructed how to make bread while our group was given a tour of how the mill took the grain and made flour.
Here's some grinding wheels - just like the ones Bob's Red Mill used.
These are the shaker/shifter machines with silk screens.
Tubes and chutes running everywhere on three levels! After processing and going through 12 stages grinding, cleaning, and sifting, .. after a WEEK they're ready to bag :
The most AMAZING fact .. this whole 3-floor operation was run by .. 2-men !!
Now it was our turn to make bread.
The ingredients with a warmed up bowl of yeast were mixed and put into a large dough-hook machine and afterwards were cut up into 200g chunks and distributed and then she showed us some typical shapes we could make. This was mine :
20-30 min. of baking time and .. voila !
It was a fun visit! Back to Libourne and lunch. Of course we munched on our warm bread on the way back. After lunch we started cruising down river. We went under a bridge that Gustav Eiffel, yes HIM!, built in 1883. It was destroyed in WWII but rebuilt by his grandson.
Before we docked in Blaye, we passed many chateaus or wine production areas as I showed you on the map earlier, here's the Chateau Tayac and it's logo :
We docked in Blaye for the next day's exploration fun. Dinner tonight was ..
herb crusted rack of saltmarsh lamb, natural jus, glazed vegetables, artichoke puree, potato gratin ..
Tonight's entertainment was brought in from Bordeaux, 'La Douce France' :
Daylight savings change is tonight in France, it's already 12:30!! To bed I go.
Beautiful loaves! RA
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