Knead to know for Ber’s bread
Síofra Grant
The Westmeath woman who is one of the finalists for the National Brown Bread Baking Competition does not share her recipe, even with those closest to her.
Ber Ennis, a member of the Horseleap Streamstown ICA Guild, is representing the Westmeath ICA Federation in the finals of the competition at the National Ploughing Championships in September. Ber was named one of the three finalists at An Grianán on Wednesday last, July 29.
No stranger to winning, Ber’s bread has taken her to An Grianán three times now, and she has competed in several other baking competitions.
“It was a big shock when they called my name,” said Ber. “But I got over it, I had my two daughters with me.
“I do a few shows and I get prizes for shows. I have been up to An Grianán twice before.”
Asked about the bake-off at the Ploughing, she humbly replied: “Will I be able for it?
“I’m not used to the Ploughing Championships and all that but anyway my two girls will come with me.”
Ber’s recipe is one she’s honed over years of experience. Where many people would have learned from mothers and grandmothers, Ber came up with her own.
“I’ve been making brown bread for years. I baked for a shop in Kilbeggan for quite a long time. The recipe is my own. I don’t like a heavy brown cake, I like more flour than anything else.”
At last Wednesday’s competition, there were a total of 26 cakes entered.
“The chef who was judging at An Grianán came to me afterwards and said you’ve got top marks for your brown bread.”
Baking is a big part of Ber’s life and an accessible activity for her.
“I’m not very mobile, I have no balance but I’m able to sit down and make my brown cake and my apple tart, roll out the pastry, and make buns and things like that.
“You need something to do when you’re not very mobile. I do a lot of knitting as well.
Throughout the interview, Ber continuously mentioned her daughters. “They’re very good, they don’t knit or crochet, but they all cook,” she said, but she has not shared the recipe for the bread with the girls.
“Actually, I make a brown cake and give them half of it,” she said with a laugh.
“I would like to thank Horseleap Streamstown ICA because only for them I wouldn’t have been in the final.
“We were on an outing and the chairperson said to me on the way home, ‘are you making the brown cake?’.
“I said ‘no’, and she said I had to, that there might only be a few [entries], so that’s how I came to enter the competition.”
Ber has been a member of the ICA for years, and would encourage people to check out their local branches.
“I would love to see young people coming in because people think it’s only for old people, but it’s not. We have everything, pole walking, cooking, knitting, sewing.
“I hope they bring more people in because it’s a great organisation to get together and go to lots of different places.”
National competition
Eight senior finalists will bake their brown breads live on stage at the Ploughing Championships in Tullamore, competing for a €5,000 cash prize and a NEFF Slide&Hide Oven. Eight bakers aged 12–18 take part in the junior competition.