Yesterday, I baked six loaves and gave them to my neighbours.
It’s a tricky thing to do when we’re all self-isolating, but we’ve figured out a safe delivery system. I either leave a carefully wrapped loaf on their front porch, then text them to say it’s been delivered OR I leave wrapped loaves at the far end of our back deck. That way, they can walk up our drive and pick them up. So far it’s been working brilliantly, and no-one has come within two metres of each other.
And it occurred to me that it’s at times of crisis that the community bonds we’ve worked so long and hard to forge really stand us in good stead. We’re all in touch almost daily, and if any of us have to leave the house to buy groceries, there’s always an offer made. “I’m going to XYZ, do you need anything?” We’ve got each other’s bank accounts and money is being transferred immediately so that no-one is out of pocket. By doing this, we greatly reduce the number of times any of us have to go to the shops.
I only needed Weetbix from the supermarket, so Carol picked up three boxes for me while she was there and left them on my back deck…
Lovely Jane has been ordering eggs in bulk from a restaurant wholesaler and gifting them to us fortnightly…
Carol needed rye flour and grain mix, so I left some for her on the back deck…
PeteV was driving through Robertson and stopped to buy a sack of potatoes – he delivered these to us…
And when my lovely friends heard that I was baking bread to share, they sent me sacks of flour – an incredible gift during times of shortage.
Steve is stuck in Italy at the moment, but that didn’t stop him ringing Lario International and getting them to deliver this wonderful Italian flour to my door. That’s a hot tip, by the way. If you can’t find things on the supermarket shelves, start calling wholesalers. You’ll need to buy in bulk, but many of them are struggling because of the loss of restaurant trade, so most are happy to sell to the public at this time.
My darling friends Kevin and Robyn who operate an amazing mill in Tamworth surprised me with a bag of their artisan bakers flour…
It came with a note that made me teary…
It’s been wonderful to have such a strong support network at this time. Even though we’re all staying home and only venturing out for essentials, it’s important that we’re still talking and texting and checking up on each other. And doing whatever we can to look after each other, while always staying at a safe distance. Take good care, dearhearts. ♥
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
What is really good is that this was happening in your, mine and many other neighbourhoods and communities already, and Covid19 has simply ramped it up to match days-like-these. I hope that the making, baking, growing, sharing, caring for the newly inspired continues long after Covid19 was a part of our learning curve.
Where can I find a sour dough starter?
My friend Emilie has instructions on how to make one here: https://www.theclevercarrot.com/2019/03/beginner-sourdough-starter-recipe/
Thank you so much for that.
I sent you an email!
Hi Celia lovely post. Where do you buy your rye flour from? Thanks
Amanda, I buy it from Southern Cross Supplies in Lidcombe.
How heart warming! I’m here in Sydney staying with my sister as I was undeniable to get a flight back to the U.K. Mine was cancelled. Love what your
community are doing.
Fabulously supportive community, Celia – it gives everyone a sense of purpose and structure to life as well as making them feel not alone: the essentials, I’d say, for mental well-being – big elbow bumps to you all 😀
What wonderful ways friends and neighbors have found to share.
What a lovely neighbourhood you have! Glad your all looking out for each other. And lucky you got all that weetbix – our supermarket has a limit of 2 on breakfast cereals. I live in Toowoomba, and we’re better off than the smaller towns, so I guess you being in the city that you get even more supplies than us.
Helen
Hiya Celia, wishing I could buy flour… had busy been several weeks ago (after the bushfires) making pizza dough and sharing it with neighbours and friends. Now no flour. enjoying your updates, but WP doesn’t seem to allow me to hit the like button, even when I log in.
Celia, you are an angel for your friends and your neighborhood. Reading your post warmed my heart. I still bake with your Priscilla, you had mailed to me many years ago, she is getting a little sour, because I can’t get any flour anywhere. I shall try online. Stay safe and healthy.
Sharing is everything at the moment isn’t it Celia? A kind friend in town recently bought me some flour. Any flour, let alone bread flour has been hard to get locally, not sure what supplies are like in Sydney? This morning our neighbour called to ask if we needed anything. It is these things that will get us through to the other side. Your bread looks fabulous as always x
Jane, wholesale flour supplies in Sydney are still good, but retail seems to have dried up. Have you thought of ringing local cafes or restaurants and asking if they have flour to sell? Now that they’ve all been made to close their doors, they have a lot of surplus stock in hand. Just a thought…
What a beautiful community to be a part of Celia. Wonderful! Wish the world over was the same way.
:-) xo
What goes around, comes around as Bill often quotes. There seem to be many people over here who bemoan the lack of community in streets without understanding that they have to get off their backsides and make it happen instead of waiting for an official to organise it. The supermarket shelves here are packed with bread but bread flour is almost impossible to buy – I presume it’s all been diverted to make factory bread, which is annoying for people who’ve always made their own bread. x
The thought of lockdown had me resurrect my long dormant starter (one of Priscilla’s offspring from several years ago) which had been sitting neglected in my fridge for, ummm, two years! Amazingly it has survived and thrived since I woke it up. So I have been baking and also giving friends their own starter — and links to your wonderful blog — so they can make their own bread. It’s so lovely to see people excited and proud of what they’ve baked themselves — a feeling I’m sure you’re familiar with. Thanks again Celia :-)
Your sudden sequence of posts is very welcome, and you are capturing the sad spirit of the times.
Our neighbor gave us flour too, and we gave them one of our loaves that we baked with it. We phoned to arrange pickup and they put a cookie sheet on the porch where we put the (wrapped) loaf … then talked from a distance as they picked it up. One thing you didn’t say: for those who need to bake less often, the flour shortage means you shouldn’t discard the discard! Find a recipe to use it up. Looks like you bake very often, don’t have to discard any starter.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I have a sourdough question. I made a starter and it finally got foamy and bubbly. Almost doubled in size. Should I bake with it now?
Lori, try putting a teaspoon of the starter gently into a glass of water. If it floats, it should be good to go. Good luck!
That was a treat to hear! Thank you. Yes we shop for each other here also.
be well.
A fabulous community… wished I lived in your street!
I enjoyed using your starter above the Arctic circle in Kotzebue, Alaska. Unfortunately, I could not figure out a way to take her home to Chistochina, AK. Pesky airline rules. So, I am using the slow rise fermentation method until I can get another reliable sourdough starter. Thanks so much for the lovely posts. You are a welcome inspiration.
Celia what a lovely idea to make bread for your close neighbourhood community and your loaves look fantastic. I would be making more of my sourdough loaves except for the shortage of bread making flour, any flour, here in Mackay. I’ll explore some of your sources and try to buy some online. What a great idea. Making your own bread is so therapeutic and delicious too of course.Thanks so much for your inspirational post.
Celia, you kindly sent me some dry starter years ago and it is still going strong. I’ve shared with family and friends and currently baking loaves for my neighbours as well. I’ve ordered flour from some small mills we have here in Canada. It’s a bit more expensive but totally worth it. Thanks again for that kind gift…I always keep dry flakes in my freezer in case of sourdough emergencies!