Its No. 12 Spirulina & Pumpkin Seeds Bread came first in the speciality Savoury category and was then announced as Overall Winner, ahead of hundreds of other bakes.
The awards ceremony was held in Hyde Park and hosted by Stephen Hallam, chair of the judges, master baker and MD of Dickinson & Morris.
According to the Triptee World Bread Awards website, a wholesome 12 million loaves of bread are sold daily in the UK. So it’s a big triumph for a small artisanal baker to come out in front in a field that “was more competitive than ever,” said Hallam, whose fellow judges included Frances Quinn from Great British Bake Off.
Paying tribute to the past
Master bakers Agnes Gabriel-Damaz and Romauld Damaz set up Gradz Bakery in 2003 in Park Royal in London to pay tribute to the recipes hand written by their great grandfather. Today, the bakery boasts 10 products in its range of traditional sourdough breads.
Although the siblings follow the old family recipes, they’ve given each a spin to make it more appealing to the modern consumer, such as the addition of antioxidants like amaranth, spirulina, sunflower seeds and caraway seeds. The use of half-wheat and half-rye flours also remain true to the originals.
The mother dough
Since 2003, a natural ‘mother dough’ has been the source for the continental-style breads, eliminating the need for baker’s yeast or artificial ingredients and ensuring the authentic sourdough flavour and characteristics.
The natural starter requires a slow fermentation process in which the dough rises gradually for up to 24 hours. During this time, glutens are broken down, eventually making the bread easier to digest.
“We know people love our new loaf but we did not expect to take on and win the world so soon after launch,” said Agnes. “We are hoping this award will help us to grow our business so more people can experience our whole range of artisanal continental style bread.”