From trying it out on friends to taking orders from west Kent’s bread fanatics, baker Sam Smith is fermenting fans with his sourdough creations

Who knew that bread would be so central to the last 8,000 years of human existence?

Well, the ancient Egyptians did apparently but, as we all know, good bread is ridiculously fu*king good, isn’t it. And while we have occasionally lost our way, falling for the lies of that kid pushing a bike up the cobbles of somewhere in Yorkshire, right now the bread scene is flying. So it was a lovely surprise when we came across the work of 24-year-old Sam Smith (@the_bread_smith), who only decided to pick up a rolling pin during lockdown, whose artisan sourdough and focaccia loaves are championed by the carb devotees of west Kent.

Using only organic flours, the Tunbridge Wells-based baker, also known as The Bread Smith (you can see what he’s done there), is experimenting with flavours and refining his seed game. We had to find out more about scoring, his levain (the sourdough starter that Sam has fed every day since 2020) known as Stan and whether or not he could take on Paul Hollywood in a dough-off.

Hi Sam, when and why did you decide to start making bread?

It came about in the boredom of the first lockdown! I baked a simple white loaf one day and really enjoyed it. Then when my mum attempted a sourdough and it came out like a pancake, I thought I’d like to give that a go. I fell in love with the process and its complexity.

Have you always been good in the kitchen?

I’ve always enjoyed cooking, but I had never baked before making my first loaf in 2020. I didn’t realise it was something I would enjoy doing as much as I do, let alone be good at!

What was the moment you realised you were really good at making bread?

When I first started experimenting and baking lots of sourdough, I began to see better results with every loaf and the feedback from friends and family was great. I think they were as surprised as I was, but they haven’t got bored of it yet. I think that’s when I started to believe I could do it.

How did you convince people to first start eating/stocking your bread?

I was gifting bread to friends and family during lockdown and gradually word spread and I began to build a small community of sourdough lovers that I regularly delivered to throughout the lockdowns. I think people believed in me and the product. It grew quite organically and slowly – I never thought it would turn into a business!

Do you have any bakers that you look up to?

I’ve never had any training, so I learnt most of my skills through reading books by bakers such as Chad Robertson and James Morton. I really liked their approach as it broke everything down, making the process easier to understand. Watching YouTube and following other businesses on Instagram for tips and tricks was also crucial when learning. I’ve been following Adam Pagor, who founded Grain and Hearth, since I started baking and was really inspired by his story and style. He also started baking from his house and now he has a really cool and successful bakery in Whitstable. An accomplishment I hope to achieve one day!

Why do you feel it is important to only use organic flour?

I believe organic good-quality flour makes all the difference to the freshness and longevity of the loaf. I want to use the least harmful products in my bread, and organic means it’s better for our bodies and for the environment – that’s why I use Shipton Mill organic flours.

Where do you make your breads? Are you still in your house, or have you got a big warehouse kitchen now?

I make and bake at home, where, thanks to the support of my parents, I converted the dining room into a fully kitted-out micro-bakery, with wooden shaping table, Chandley micro-deck ovens, fridges, cooling racks and storage! I hope to one day have a physical bakery or warehouse, but for now my micro-bakery works great.

What is your favourite type/style of bread to make and why? And why is sourdough so popular now?

The simple white sourdough loaf is my favourite to make. It’s the process I’ve worked hardest on, playing around with the percentages of flour and water, finding out what works or tastes best. So, although it’s simple in its outcome, there’s so much that goes into the process of getting it just right and I think that’s why I enjoy it the most. I think sourdough has a real following because people are more conscious of the ingredients in their food and what they put into their body. Sourdough is made from only three natural ingredients – flour, water and salt – so it’s fresher, better for your body and tastes delicious!

Do you make bread on request, too?

I love getting suggestions and recommendations from customers. Someone requested an olive loaf a while ago and now it’s one of my best-sellers! Currently, due to bakery capacity, I can’t meet all requests – however, I’d like to try a wider variation of popular bakes as I continue to grow.

What’s the toughest bread to make, and do you often experiment with flavours? Have you ever created a disaster bread?

I love to experiment and try out new creations. Every week I have the white and six-seeded loaves on my menu, but I like to offer more seasonal bakes to change it up every month. At the moment, I’m making olive and rye loaves, but I’ve also offered hot cross buns and spiced mixed fruit and nut loaves. There’s been a lot of trial and error over the years and I had a few mishaps when I was getting used to the process – I once forgot to add the levain to the mix and I’ve learnt about over and under proving the hard way, that’s for sure. It’s taken a while to find consistency, but I’m a lot closer now.

What are all the locations people can get your bread in-store?

I have a stall outside The Silver Sheep in Chapel Place, Tunbridge Wells, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. I supply Zilch Zero Waste shop in Tonbridge and Annabel’s Tea Room in Chislehurst. You can also try my bread at the George and Dragon pub in Speldhurst. I also continue to deliver to homes in Tunbridge Wells throughout the week and have a stall at the occasional local market.

Finally, do you think you could beat Paul Hollywood in a bake-off?

Hopefully, my sourdough would give him a run for his money in Bread Week, but in the other weeks I wouldn’t stand a chance against those blue eyes.

INFO: thebreadsmith@outlook.com