It’s the fragrance of burning wood which seduces me first. Before me, flames roar in the low-domed, three-metre-deep brick cavity, which is where Jon and Gina Hutton bake their hundreds of beautiful sourdough loaves. From a wheelbarrow, Jon feeds log-ends of Australian hardwood into the gaping maw – they have 23 tonnes of it delivered annually from a saw mill in Grafton. I’m really at the coalface, and the heat within the small bakery is rising. Three times a week the oven is fired up in order to bake enough bread to supply the markets.
They’ve been at it for over 18 years now and it’s still just the two of them, a couple from Sydney’s Northern Beaches who, almost on a whim, purchased property at Crabbes Creek and proceeded to create both a business and a home. Too hot for the bakery now, we have relocated, adjacent, to that home, to one of the wooden decks which flow seamlessly from the open-plan house, all lofty ceilings and heavy wooden beams, brick walls and carved wooden furniture, all of it made by Jon. I want to move in. It’s a little paradise, the fruit of years of hard work, and maybe the day will come when Jon and Gina get to slow down and enjoy it. For now it’s the beating heart of the business, the place where their ancient grain loaves (khorasan and spelt), their pumpkin and linseed and dark rye, and macadamia and honey – sturdy, hearty, rustic breads with a devoted following which includes me, a khorasan-tragic – are pumped out. For Christmas I plan to make bread sauce using khorasan, by simmering 600ml milk with 50g butter, one chopped onion, six cloves, six peppercorns, two garlic cloves, one bayleaf and three thyme sprigs. Strain that and return the liquid to the pan then add 100g breadcrumbs and simmer for several minutes before stirring in four tablespoons of cream and freshly ground nutmeg. Season to taste then serve.
Crabbes Creek Woodfired are at New Brighton Farmers Markets every Tuesday from 8am to 11am and Mullumbimby Farmers Markets every Friday from 7am to 11am.
The Echo asked one of the devoted followers who buy this bread each week from the Mullumbimby Farmers Market what they liked about it, and they said: ‘This bread, fresh, organic, woodfired bread is something pretty special, I know people who drive down from Qld for it. Also, the fruit buns are a family staple, an easy, tasty and healthy grab-and-go that sustains’.
