Fields of Gold - Scotland’s Ancient Grains

“You could drive home sitting on one of my loaves and it would spring back,” says the Isle of Arran-based baker George Grassie. “I’m not exaggerating,” he grins, when he sees my disbelieving expression. To prove the point, he pushes his fist, with some force, into one of the day’s sourdough loaves, fresh from the oven in Blackwater Bakehouse, Blackwaterfoot. Sure enough, it slowly reflates.

This resilience is – alongside hours of proving and physical kneading – thanks to George’s use of flour from ancient, or heritage, wheats. These are defined by the Whole Grains Council as “grains that are largely unchanged over the last several hundred years”. And they really are hardy, says George.