Ember & RyeBakehouse

The craft

Slow on purpose.

Good bread can't be hurried, and neither can good coffee. Here's what actually happens between the flour sack and your table, and why it takes as long as it does.

A baker's hands dusting flour over a proofed sourdough loaf on a wooden bench

Long fermentation

Forty-eight hours, start to crust.

Commercial loaves can go from mix to shelf in about three hours. Ours take two days. That time is where the flavour comes from, and why the loaf still tastes good on day four.

  1. Day one, 6am

    Feed the starter

    Our starter is a living culture of wild yeast and bacteria, fed flour and water twice a day. It's what makes the bread rise, with no commercial yeast at all.

  2. Day one, noon

    Mix and rest

    Stone-milled flour, water, salt and starter. Then we leave it alone for an hour so the flour can fully absorb the water before any kneading.

  3. Afternoon

    Fold, by hand

    Four sets of gentle folds over three hours build strength without a mixer tearing the dough. You can feel it change from shaggy to silky.

  4. Overnight

    Shape and cold-proof

    Shaped loaves rest in linen-lined baskets at 4°C for 14 to 18 hours. The cold slows the yeast and lets the slow, tangy flavours develop.

  5. Day two, 5am

    Score and bake dark

    Each loaf is scored with a blade, then baked on stone with steam until the crust is deep amber. Pale crust is missed flavour, so we bake it bold.

Gloved hands holding a sourdough round steady while a blade opens a long score across its floured top

Ingredients

Four ingredients. No shortcuts.

Our bread is flour, water, salt and starter. No dough conditioners, no added sugar in the sourdough, no preservatives. Whole-grain flour is stone-milled from regional growers, which keeps the bran and germ (and the flavour) in.

Butter for the pastry is cultured and high in fat, which is what gives a croissant clean, distinct layers instead of a bready middle.

48 hrsfrom mix to bake for every sourdough loaf
3 daysto laminate a batch of croissant dough
Freshly roasted coffee beans turning in a roaster's steel cooling tray

Small-batch roasting

Mondays belong to the roaster.

When the ovens are off, the roaster is on. We roast in small batches so nothing sits on a shelf for months, and each batch is tasted before it's bagged.

Then we wait. Espresso beans rest for five to seven days so the gas settles and the shot pours sweet and even. Filter coffee rotates with whatever single origin is tasting best.

Weeklyroasting, so beans are never stale
5–7 daysrest before beans reach the grinder
Neatly diced red pepper, yellow pepper, courgette and garlic on a wooden board, with a chef's knife in front

The weekend kitchen

Same flour, different shape.

Pasta night grew out of a simple idea: the flour that makes great bread makes great pasta too. On Friday and Saturday afternoons the bench is cleared, the dough is rolled by hand and vegetables from the morning market are prepped for the evening.

The menu is short because everything on it is made that day. When something runs out, it's gone until next weekend.

See a typical pasta night menu

What you can count on

Our promises, in writing.

Baked today, or not on the shelf

Bread and pastry are sold the day they're baked. The only exception is the twice-baked almond croissant, and we tell you that.

Pre-orders made right

If your order isn't what you asked for, we'll replace it from the shelf or refund it on the spot. No forms.

Clear prices

Cake prices are listed by size. Extras like fresh flowers are quoted before you pay a deposit, never after.

Nothing wasted

Unsold bread goes to the neighbourhood pantry each afternoon. Day-old croissants become almond croissants.

Questions

Good to know.

Is sourdough easier to digest?
Some people tell us they get on better with long-fermented bread, but we're bakers, not doctors, so we won't make health claims. If you have coeliac disease or a wheat allergy, our bread isn't suitable.
Which breads are vegan?
The country sourdough, seeded rye, olive & rosemary, demi baguette and focaccia contain no dairy, eggs or honey. Pastry is made with butter.
How should I store a loaf?
Cut side down on a board, or wrapped in a cloth. Never in the fridge, which makes bread stale faster. For longer keeping, slice it and freeze; toast straight from frozen.
Do you supply cafés or restaurants?
In small numbers, if the ovens have room. Use the contact form and choose "Something else", and tell us what you need and how often.
Can I buy some of your starter?
We'll give you a spoonful for free. Bring a clean jar on any weekday morning and ask at the counter.

Taste the two days for yourself.

Pre-order tonight by 8pm and your loaf will be boxed with your name on it from 8am tomorrow.

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