SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Will none take the bait? No memories/reflections on bread? Warm fresh loaves werapped in tissue?Dinky little baby Hovises (Hovii)? 3-D golden lettering in an unusual case, fastened on baker's shops; reading 'Turog'? Into the seventies with 'Tiger', industrial bread from a refinery; came in a bag? The smell blowing across Calverley from Sunblest/ Mothers' Pride?

Here's our most recent discussion on the topic:http://www.secretleeds.co.uk/forum/Mess ... ID=5209But if you put 'bread' in the search box quite a few old threads come up too.

Good memories of Mary Bakers (yes that was her real name!) bread shop on Greenmount Street, South Leeds. She sold lovely big round breadcakes, the size of a large plate, & we had them cut into long thin slices, (which made it go further) spread with 'best' butter if we were lucky, or maybe home made pork dripping when funds were short. There was also a 'Pie & Pea ' shop opposite & I remember taking a large white jug to be filled with mushy peas to take home - they were very pale green & watery, but a lovely flavour. We couldn't afford the pies to go with them, so had a bowlful with some mint sauce & mopped up the juices with slices of Mary's bread cake.My Grandmas bread cakes & loaves are one of my favourite childhood memories. She had a pub, which kept her busy, but she still found time to bake. Wednesday & Saturday were her baking days & she never measured the ingredients, just put the flour, salt & a bit of lard in a huge earthenware bowl, & kept it in a warm place while she added fresh yeast & a little sugar to half a jug of warm water. The yeast had a smell of it's own & she'd break a small piece off & give me it to eat, telling me it was good for me! I'd watch the yeast ferment & bubble up & then she'd make a well in the flour & mix in the yeast mixture. This was followed by much kneading as she seemed to take her frustrations out on the dough! Then another miracle occurred - she'd dust the bowl with flour, put the kneaded dough back into the bowl, cover it with a clean tea-cloth & leave it to rise - sure enough a couple of hours later the dough had risen so much it was pushing the tea-cloth off the top of the bowl! I watched as the dough was 'knocked back', rolled out, & cut into triangle shaped breadcakes, placed on trays, left to rise again, pricked with a fork (which was my job!), then finally baked. Wednesdays treat was eating fish & chips with lovely warm breadcakes, spread thickly with butter, which melted & ran down your chin!I like to think I've inherited my Grandma's skill at baking, however try as I might, I just can't quite match her bread cakes!

Pong e Beck wrote: Will none take the bait? No memories/reflections on bread? Warm fresh loaves werapped in tissue?Dinky little baby Hovises (Hovii)? 3-D golden lettering in an unusual case, fastened on baker's shops; reading 'Turog'? Into the seventies with 'Tiger', industrial bread from a refinery; came in a bag? The smell blowing across Calverley from Sunblest/ Mothers' Pride? Re the "Dinky little baby Hovises (Hovii)?". With the passing of time I wonder now if my recollection is wrong but I'm sure that when I was kid in the late 1940s to early 1950s tiny loaves (about a couple of inches or so in l/w/h, probably a bit longer) were sold for 1/4d (a farthing in old money) at Daddy Clayton's (?) bread shop on Osmondthorpe Lane. They were just baked and very nice I recall.

@ stoneseyI too remember the bakery in question except it in the sixties, early seventies it was Mary DOBSON not Baker, she also had another shop in Trentham Street.The bread cakes You describe we called it new cakeDo You also remember the bakery at the top of Greenmount street Stephensons?            

Leodian wrote: Pong e Beck wrote: Will none take the bait? No memories/reflections on bread? Warm fresh loaves werapped in tissue?Dinky little baby Hovises (Hovii)? 3-D golden lettering in an unusual case, fastened on baker's shops; reading 'Turog'? Into the seventies with 'Tiger', industrial bread from a refinery; came in a bag? The smell blowing across Calverley from Sunblest/ Mothers' Pride? Re the "Dinky little baby Hovises (Hovii)?". With the passing of time I wonder now if my recollection is wrong but I'm sure that when I was kid in the late 1940s to early 1950s tiny loaves (about a couple of inches or so in l/w/h, probably a bit longer) were sold for 1/4d (a farthing in old money) at Daddy Clayton's (?) bread shop on Osmondthorpe Lane. They were just baked and very nice I recall. Hi Leodion I remember them I dont remember the price but I seem to recall they had the Hovis stamp on the side

I can remember the mini Hovis loaves as late as the 1980s being sold in Lunn's bakery on Chapel Hill in Morley. We used to have them with soup. I'm sure the brown bread of the past was a lot 'browner' if that makes any sense. The sliced loaves that they sell in Morrisons as wholemeal bread arent what I remember as brown bread. Stonesey's brought back a few memories talking about his grandma making bread. The lady who used to child mind myself and several other local children in the late 70s made her own bread regularly. The whole process seemed to take all day. I can remember the fresh yeast bought from Morley market that had to be put in a bowl with water and a little sugar until it was all frothy, then endless kneading of dough , cutting the dough into sections then covering it with a slightly damp tea towel and arranged on the hearth in front of the coal fire until it had risen. Then it would be knocked back and put into a variety of different shaped tins and finally baked. This child minding lady would make good use of her young charges so we'd all be covered in flour and dough by the end of it. The bread was always delicious though and we'd find ourselves being served it as jam sandwiches as an afternoon treat before going home. As for making bread at home I think its definately an art not a science. I'm a fairly competent cook and I'm able to knock up all kinds of meals plus I can make all kinds of cakes and pastries plus sauces / jams etc. However despite my early hands-on experience and following umpteen recipes to the letter, every time I've tried to make my own bread its been hopeless. I've ended up with rock hard, barely risen lumps of claggy dough that regardless of how inedible it has been I find myself compelled to eat anyhow because of the trouble I've gone to. I'm not in a hurry to try again because I've gone off eating my home-made attempts not to mention the time, effort and cost of it...

Geordie-exile wrote: Here's our most recent discussion on the topic:http://www.secretleeds.co.uk/forum/Mess ... ID=5209But if you put 'bread' in the search box quite a few old threads come up too. I did tooList of "Best"http://www.secretleeds.com/forum/Messag ... tMessage=0

TABBYCAT wrote: @ stoneseyI too remember the bakery in question except it in the sixties, early seventies it was Mary DOBSON not Baker, she also had another shop in Trentham Street.The bread cakes You describe we called it new cakeDo You also remember the bakery at the top of Greenmount street Stephensons?             Hi Tabbycat,Yes you're right, you've jogged my memory! The shop was called Mary Dobsons, I think we kids called it Mary the bakers which got shortened to 'Mary Bakers'. I also remember Stephensons, they made nice buns, a bit more fancy & also more expensive than Mary Dobsons basic fayre. Mary & her hubby also made lovely meat & potato pies. I think it was on a Wednesday (not sure.I was sent to buy the warm pies for tea & took a jam jar or jug which they would fill with a thick gravy that was very light brown in colour, but very tasty. We lived in Sunbeam Avenue & I can remember a green grocers shop next to Mary Dobsons, Dave Cochrans paper shop was further up the road (at the top of Sunbeam Avenue), almost opposite Stephensons bakery, & a chippy was next door to the paper shop. Dave Cochran was an ex-Leeds United & Ireland player, I remember him as a nice soft spoken man.I think Stephensons eventually moved from Greenmount Street to a shop on Beeston Hill.

stonesey wrote: TABBYCAT wrote: @ stoneseyI too remember the bakery in question except it in the sixties, early seventies it was Mary DOBSON not Baker, she also had another shop in Trentham Street.The bread cakes You describe we called it new cakeDo You also remember the bakery at the top of Greenmount street Stephensons?             Hi Tabbycat,Yes you're right, you've jogged my memory! The shop was called Mary Dobsons, I think we kids called it Mary the bakers which got shortened to 'Mary Bakers'. I also remember Stephensons, they made nice buns, a bit more fancy & also more expensive than Mary Dobsons basic fayre. Mary & her hubby also made lovely meat & potato pies. I think it was on a Wednesday (not sure.I was sent to buy the warm pies for tea & took a jam jar or jug which they would fill with a thick gravy that was very light brown in colour, but very tasty. We lived in Sunbeam Avenue & I can remember a green grocers shop next to Mary Dobsons, Dave Cochrans paper shop was further up the road (at the top of Sunbeam Avenue), almost opposite Stephensons bakery, & a chippy was next door to the paper shop. Dave Cochran was an ex-Leeds United & Ireland player, I remember him as a nice soft spoken man.I think Stephensons eventually moved from Greenmount Street to a shop on Beeston Hill. Hi Stonesey.All the above was familiar to me, Stephensons I seem to think may have bought/taken over Daws at some point, though I could be wrong.David Cochrans bright yellow painted shop was an Aladins cave of toys and sweets as I remember and he was indeed a lovely gentle man. His daughter who used to help him run the shop is still to be seen in the area usually walking her dog.The chippy next door, leonards ,I think it was called, I remember for three things, one, the slow service and big queues, two the first lava lamp I ever saw was behind the counter and three the first microwave I ever saw was used there to heat pies up.In Greenmount street alone from Lilly perrys off licence at the bottom to Leonards at the top there were all the shops mentioned plus another fish and chip shop a butchers, another off licence and some I can't recall, all in a nice little community scattered to the four winds when the area was brutally put under the wrecking ball only to be replaced by shoddily built hen huts minus the amenities already mentioned. I speak from experience as I had to live in one for a time and had to work on these properties as part of my job. Sadly some of those hen huts are now falling under that same wrecking ball, so much for longevity.