A moment in time

St Patricks Day, bread and more bread

Mar 27, 2025

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Mark Thomas
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Mar 11
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They say, you don’t get the dog you want, you get the dog you need. I had always heard of that saying but never truly understood what it meant until Hiro came into our lives.

He is a stubborn, independent, reactive (due to a dog attack when he was younger) little prince - who is also the most sweet, loyal, adventure-loving best friend that you could wish for.

There are so many lessons that I’m sure every dog owner will relate with: unconditional love (although sometimes I’m sure Hiro has a cheese clause in his contract), patience and the freedom to be unabashedly silly, to name a few.

With Hiro being poorly, there have also been some deeper lessons I’ve learned: resilience, gratitude, selflessness and being truly present.

One of the quirks of his condition is a dodgy tummy, which means we quite often find ourselves on midnight walks - a 2am stroll along the clifftops. And in those moments where we’re looking out at the sea of stars stretching above the water - time seems to hang, paused.

I find myself grounded, grateful… and often caught off guard by how much those quiet minutes matter.

Moments in time that I’ll snapshot, and keep with me forever.

"The greatest pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him, and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself, too."

In today’s post:

Bread Making Course at River Cottage HQ
Celebrating St Patrick’s Day with Irish Soda Bread
Welsh Cakes
Honey and Jam Madeleines by Lisa

Bread Making Course at River Cottage HQ

I’ve got a very exciting month ahead, as I’m going to be spending some time with the folks at River Cottage HQ for a proper bread-making course! This is my first ‘baking related’ course I’m going on, and I can’t bloody wait!

Here’s what I’ll be learning on the day:

At River Cottage, we bake all our bread from scratch, including our signature classic farmhouse loaf. Your day begins with mastering this delicious staple. From there, you’ll expand your repertoire by exploring international favourites like focaccia, crafting your own pizza dough for a wood-fired pizza lunch, and working with sweet doughs to make cinnamon doughnuts and chocolate brioche. You’ll also learn to whip up foolproof soda bread, perfect for a comforting teatime treat.

As much as I love teaching myself how to bake, bread still gives me the jeebies. So it’s going to be great to get hands-on learning with a tutor to understand the how’s and why’s behind each of the doughs.

I’ll be documenting as much of the day as I can and reporting back to share everything I’ve learned!

Irish Soda Bread

☘️ Happy St Patrick’s Day! ☘️ After scrolling through lots of amazing looking recipes, I decided that what better way to celebrate St Patrick’s Day than with a loaf of traditional Irish Soda Bread! (Or a pint of Guinness, if you ask Ben)

This rustic beauty was so simple to make - just flour, baking soda, buttermilk and salt. And no kneading needed either!

I learned that soda bread became a staple in Ireland in the 1800s, when baking soda was first introduced. It meant people could bake bread without yeast, which I’m sure at the time felt like a HUGE game changer - quick, affordable and doable at home. Hence, the name: soda bread!

Also, legend has it that the cross on top isn’t just for decoration, it’s said to let the fairies (or the devil, depending on who you ask) escape before baking.

I love learning about folklore - especially when it’s something you can eat, too! Perhaps this could be a new feature to the Substack 🤔 Folklore Feasts?

Sláinte! (cheers!)

What’s your favourite Irish dish / meal / drink?

Welsh Cakes

There was no plan. I woke up on Monday thinking I might make Eccles cakes… but honestly, I didn’t quite have the energy for all that rolling and folding before breakfast.

And so, I settled for Welsh cakes instead! Still buttery and spiced, with plenty of currants, but much less faff. Just mix, pat, cut and straight onto a dry pan they go.

Golden on the outside, soft in the middle and exactly what I needed with a quiet cuppa to ease into the week.

The great thing about working dough with your hands is that it forces you to switch off from your phone, from work, from everything really and just focus on what’s in front of you.

There’s something really cathartic about it I find. It’s simple, grounding and gives your brain a little room to breathe - and allows you to really focus on the lyrics you’re belting out alongside the radio, too!

Honey and Strawberry Jam Madeleines

I’d been thinking about Lisa’s honey madeleines with strawberry jam ever since I spotted her recipe - and eventually, I couldn’t resist any longer.

The ingredients were already in the kitchen, so there was no excuse not to bake them!

I may have rushed the batter a little (and yes, I definitely overfilled the moulds), but my word… they turned out so bloody good. Light, golden and gently sweet, with that jammy middle… *chef’s kiss*

It’s one of those bakes that looks fancy but is actually really quick and easy to pull together. Which makes it all the more dangerous now that I know how good they taste. Thanks Lisa! I’ll definitely be making another batch soon and dropping a few off with the friends and neighbours - gotta share the love!.

If you fancy giving them a go (and I highly recommend you do), head over to Lisa’s page for the full recipe and all the details.