Been to the bake house at last. Emptied bins and stuff. Emptied, poropped open and turned off the retarders. Set the ovens to come on for an hour or so a day to keep rust at bay. Left sacks of flour and dried fruit in the entrance for family to pick up. Over the next few days …

… as my energy levels allow, I’ll be doing a thorough, deep clean of the place. Pulling the ovens into the middle of the room and properly cleaning behind ‘em, scrubbing down the retarders, sterilising the proving baskets and generally setting the place in order so it can …

… burst out of isolation with ovens blazing when All This has passed. It feels like closing down and it’s all a bit sad, but it’s just a phase. @LoaferyBread will rise again, probably from a freshly cultured starter because I’m not into the Romance, I just like the taste …

… and right now I’m just putting one foot in front of the other and I don’t have the spoons to be responsible for a starter culture (or thinking too hard about exponential growth, if I’m honest). All the thanks in the world to the customers, suppliers and writers …

… and all my customers; businesses like @Local_Branton and @dreambakesteam shuttered by the lockdown, the regulars at Tickhill Country Market and the original test market of folk in Scrooby. It’s been great baking for all of you, and will be great when I can do it again …

… thanks to Martin Passey at Becketts Bakery Engineers, who didn’t sell my my oven, but did get it to the point where it was usable, who guided me to getting a decent mixer and have been the kindest, most helpful supplier a flailing baker could wish for …

… thanks to @ShiptonMill for great flour, prompt delivery, helpful staff and the willingness to supply ludicrously small quantities of flour while I sort out proper bulk (for me) flour storage. I’m very glad I’m not stick with half a tonne of flour on hand right now …

… thanks to all the fellow bakers who are ruling Instagram and are still baking and delivering to folk during All This. My beanie is off to you. @ForgeBakehouse and @7hillsbakery in Sheffield are the places I always try to visit when I’m in the city, beacons of positivity …

… so… yes… this thread got a bit out of hand, didn’t it? Normal @LoaferyBread service will be returned as soon as we possibly can. Until then, keep your chins up, stay safe, and don’t let the grinding things grind you down.

… who’ve supported and inspired me on the @LoaferyBread journey so far. Thanks to Andrew Whitley at @BreadMatters, whose courses and books inspired and refined my thinking, to @dan_lepard, whose Handmade Loaf book (recommended by Andrew) continues to inspire me…