Breadsong: How Baking Changed Our Lives (2024)

When I first took this book out of the library I tried some recipes and made the decision not to buy shop bought bread anymore. I make bread every day now. I made my own sourdough starter and made a loaf that tasted better than any bread I had previously eaten. I really wanted this book and managed to find a copy that wasn't too expensive. I felt disappointed that the book was half filled with 'the journey' and I didn't want this part but bought it for the recipes.

I then took my copy on holiday and read 'the journey'. It was so enjoyable, I loved every minute, it was so interesting and despite my preconceptions (thought they must have had a bit of money to start something like this) I was completely wrong and it was completely inspirational how this happened. It's given me hope and inspiration to try to do something with my own love of cooking and I would highly recommend this to anyone but especially those who have found a time in their life when they have struggled. It's profoundly obvious but there are just some things that are bound to help when you're not feeling well or when you are stressed and walking a dog or baking some bread or spending time with loved ones should be up there with things doctors prescribe.

Really beautiful story with an inspiring and important message. If you read this be sure to Google the bakery afterwards and see how far it has come!

I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves baking and bread. It's a very uplifting story and would make a beautiful gift for any cook or bread lover.

I loved this! The first half of the book is the story of how the Orange Bakery came to be. At 14, Kitty, always the happy kid, began to struggle with depression and anxiety. While trying various activities to try to help her focus, her father, Al, bakes a loaf of bread. Kitty is intrigued and a new obsession is born. The reader is brought along as they go from baking in their home kitchen for their own family, then neighbors (borrowing oven space), then the town with a storefront of their own. We get a glimpse of the ups and downs of growing a business while trying to still have a life away from work. The story alternates between Kitty's and Al's perspective. While many cookbooks include an origin story, this story felt more personal than most. I'll admit I sometimes skim or even skip over the background section in cookbooks, but trust me, don't skip this!

Then, the recipes! While I instantly gravitate to the sourdough recipes (of which I'll be trying most!), there are so many other recipes I want to try. Recipes are divided into categories: breads, sourdough, sweet doughs (peanut butter, banana and chocolate buns?!), pastries, cookies and cakes (deconstructed snickers!). There's even a vegan cookie recipe I'll be trying today, but I'll definitely be trying to veganize those snickers cookies...

Adding to the charm of this book, the photographs are beautifully shot and many clearly show the humor of this family. I enjoyed getting to see the shop that had been described. I'll definitely be adding a copy of this book to my cookbook shelf when it's published!

Thanks to Bloomsbury USA and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

ETA: I baked the vegan nut butter and banana cookies... YUM! They have a lovely crunchy outside, but fluffy soft inside. 😋

I got this because I love bread. I fell for this book because of the heart that shines out of it. Part autobiography, written by Kitty & her dad Al, part recipe book, Breadsong is the recounting of how baking bread saved a 14 year old girl from depression & anxiety opening up a whole new & delicious world. At times this is emotional, humourous & hunger inducing all within a few lines.

Breadsong can be read from so many different perspectives for me: as a parent; as someone who has struggled with dark times; as someone who loves baking bread & pastries, then eating them.

I really enjoyed Breadsong, though it certainly highlights a very particular kind of Britishness. I feel like things would have played out very differently in other parts of the country, without the opportunities encountered here. That said, this is a really uplifting and inspiring read - it was wonderful to see the village rally round the family, and to hear about a young girl discovering and developing her passion. It made me want to reach for my bread flour and immediately start experimenting!
The first half of Birdsong recounts how The Orange Bakery came to be, including Kitty's mental health struggles that led to her being introduced to breadmaking. I found the split father and daughter narration to be really engaging, with a good blend of (sometimes stark) emotional reality and humour.
The second half is full of the recipes we saw being developed during the bakery's journey. As I read through, there were some I made a note of, hoping the recipe would be there (the Comfort and the Albert in particular) - and they were! There are also some amazing flavour combinations that I can't wait to get my teeth into. The instructions are clear, and I liked how the recipes worked together as a collection - using bases covered earlier on to develop different flavours and bakes, for example.
I always appreciate a cookbook which blends the cook's story and experiences into the recipes, which Breadsong manages excellently.
Thanks to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for the ARC.

I listened to this book on my way to the city. Tears stung my eyes at least 16 times. Even during the first chapter. And I’m crusty. Stopped at Barnes and Noble, they didn’t have in what I wanted, browsed through the cookbook section. Suddenly in the bottom shelf corner I spied Breadsong. I picked it up and walked straight to the till without any hesitation. I’m not sorry. I love the story. I love the photography. I’ve seen all the bread photos, yawn. But this book has a fresh take. This book is a testament to wholesome family love and security. Community and support. Best book I’ve read in 2023, hands down. What a great ending to another year of this reading life. And now I have a powerful craving for a cheese toastie.

I’ve first heard about Kitty from an article in Food, Waitrose’s magazine. From there I discovered her Instagram account. From there I learned she’d written a book (together with her father), describing her journey from suffering of anxiety to becoming a baker. This is it the book!

This is part memoir, part cookbook. The first part is written in two hands, between Kitty and Al (the father), describing their journey to help Kitty overcome her anxiety and their journey with the bakery as well as the two seemed to come together. I really loved reading this memoir and was totally obsessed by it (I read it over two days and probably also dreamt about it at night).
I have been baking bread for many years now and at some point discovered and made my own sourdough starter. Kitty’s Instagram account is therefore a treat: full of baking goods, good humour and a lovely smile!

I haven’t tried the recipes on the second part, but I’m sure I will! (Though not sure about ‘pastéis de nata’ with garam masala and nutmeg!). Some of the photos made me laugh!

I loooved this story. How many times I got tears in my eyes or chuckled. They are so good at describing their family personalities. And I loved most of all how baking rescued Kit. She has such a loving family to do so much for her to try and help her. How I hope that I can be the love surrounding someone I love should they ever have something like this happen…
Bonus all the recipes with dough. Maybe THIS a year will be the year to learn how to understand and make yeast breads…
Cookbooks with a story are theee best kind of cookbooks!

An absolutely lovely read! Gorgeously illustrated and a really beautiful testament to a deep passion for bread and baking and eating and everything fun. The book jumps between Kitty and her dad's perspectives and is all the better for it - it's great seeing both of them reflected equally in the final thing. The recipes look wooooonderful and I'll be trying out the first one tomorrow night.

I am so glad that this book is going to be published later this month as I am looking forward to owning my own hard copy. I also know what I will be buying friends and family for Christmas! Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this story in exchange for an honest review.
I chose this book because on the surface, it is about anxiety and depression, something I suffered from at a similar age to Kitty. I am always interested in how people cope with a mental health issue especially when you are still in your teens and in full time education. However, there is so much more to this book. Kitty is a strong woman with a wonderfully supportive family who not only allow her to recover in her own way without worrying about her schooling but help her every step of the way. It was a brave move for her father to give up the job of teaching to become a baker in partnership with his daughter. It is clear he knew he had no option. He writes about his amazing journey in this book and Kitty writes about hers. It doesn’t surprise me how much support this family received on their journey including from teachers at Kitty’s school.
Much of the book is about baking and a career change but family life is described - the importance of Christmas, family dogs, meeting other families such as a wonderful family living in Copenhagen.
I loved the illustrations and the use of photos. Was the choice of an old copy of “What Katy did” made on purpose?
The recipes are amazing hence the Christmas presents! I too found baking therapeutic as a teenager. My passion was making fudge. There is a fudge recipe in this book. I think beating the fudge to help it to set properly helped with my anxiety. This wasn’t mentioned in this recipe but we are all different.
During covid and lockdown this family helped to keep the village going even supplying ingredients for those wanting to make their own bread. A real community.
It seems the bakery needs no publicity but I would imagine this book will bring many people to Watlington!

Inspiring, humbling, amusing, engaging, moving ….just a few of the adjectives I could use to sum up this book which is oh so much more than a cookery book. Written by both Kitty Tait & her father Al Tait the first half recounts their journey which lead them to setting up their ‘Orange Bakery’ & the second half is recipes. But even the recipes (written by Kitty) are a joy to read. Never have I ever laughed out loud at a serving suggestion before!! Yes it’s also a memoir through the hell that is anxiety & depression but the whole book is a complete joy. I’d recommend it to anyone. Now to bake me some bread!!

Many thanks to Bloomsbury Cooks & Tandem for the Arc. Views 100% my own!

I adored everything about this book. I could relate to Kitty, as I've dealt with anxiety and depression myself. Al's drawings made me happy.
What creative adorable people. I want to hug them all. And I would do a lot to get to visit Orange Bakery.

*I haven't tried any of the recipes yet.

I cannot give this anything but 5 stars, a heart warming blend of a bread/pastry recipe book and the story of how the father and daughter who've written it got into baking; during an challenging period for the then 14 year old daughter who struggling with anxiety/depression, stopped and eventually dropped out of school. It follows what grew from baking a few loaves together to calm her mind to finding an incredible talent for bread making and opening a village bakery together within 2 years.The recipes are all so tempting, we've tried one so far, it was easy to follow and delicious!

Radio 2 has a lot to answer for; every time they feature an author on their Sunday morning show, I HAVE to go and buy it, and this was no exception.

I debated whether to write a review for this book, as a cookbook is a cookbook is a cookbook right? Wrong. I have read an awful lot of cookbooks over the years, some chock-a-block full of recipes such as Jamie Oliver or Mary Berry, and some with a more story-like feel, like Nigel Slater, but I’ve never read a cookbook with as much heart and soul and passion written in every word as this one. Half of the book is a narrative of how the bakery was born, and the other consists of a number of delectable bread and pastry based offerings.

On my first read, I decided I’d note down the recipes I wanted to try, but I soon gave up when I realised I was just copying out the whole book. I wanted to make them all. At first, I was a little dubious as to why they had to spend 150 odd pages writing about their life story, and would it just be something to skip to get to the recipes. But I was proved wrong almost instantly. Sure, as a cookbook you can skip to the recipe half, which is fine. But the first half has so much heart in it that it makes you appreciate what goes into the recipes that much more.

It evoked such a smell and image of freshly made bread that I had to pause reading it to make my own loaf so that I could continue reading with some warm fresh bread with an inch of butter melting slowly into it. It reminded me why I love baking bread so much.

It is a cookbook with the power to make you cry – or it did to me. The difficulties Kitty and her family went through, the difficulties of mental and physical health, financial worries – but bizarrely, it was the power that bread has over people that made me emotional. If you’re not a baker then you may not realise what I mean by that. I bake (unprofessionally), although not as much as I used to thanks to a Neurological condition I have developed, but I still try to when I can. Baking has always been my way of dealing with fierce emotions. When I lost my dad, I baked an absurd amount of cakes and biscuits for the hospice staff; I bake (and eat) when I’m stressed, when I’m sat, when I’m bored, when I’m happy. It’s just my moment to completely forget about everything else and the joy you get seeing someone enjoy what you’ve made is priceless. And to see that written down on paper was what made me cry.

What’s that famous saying? Don’t cry over spilled milk? But you can cry over a freshly made loaf of bread.

There are some photographs scattered around the recipe section of the book, but the first half contains little sketches which I believe are done by one half of the baking team Al. They’re not necessarily professional drawings but they have their own charm. They’re simple and quirky but express what they’re meant to. It means they don’t overwhelm the text but instead complement it.

I think it’s a testament to the recipe writing that the first one I chose to make was The Comfort Loaf – a white bread with marmite in. Considering I cannot stand marmite – like, I dislike it with a passion – this is quite the credit. Marmite is still not my thing – and I did have issues getting the bread out of the tin (my mistake) – just the smell of it coming out of the oven made me smile.

I can’t really put it into words – and not sound corny or sappy over bread – what this book has done for me. I’ve always wanted to put my baking recipes in a book, but as I’ve got more and more unwell, and I’m unable to bake nearly as much as I’d like to, I thought that wasn’t an option, but I’m starting to think that it might actually be the answer.

When Kitty Tait was 14 she suddenly fell into a deep depression with extremely high anxiety. Her parents were trying to find anything to help her get outside her own head with little success. Then one day her Dad, Al, decided to make bread from scratch and it got Kitty's attention. Soon she started making bread herself and trying new recipes. Baking bread was the only thing Kitty could do that helped calm the anxiety and gave her enjoyment. But their family could only eat so much bread. So, first they started giving bread to their neighbors, then they started a subscription service and that led to some pop up shops in borrowed spaces, and eventually they opened their own storefront of Orange Bakery. Throughout the two year journey, Kitty found ways to cope with her anxiety and was able to get mostly back to her old self but still credits bread baking with what turned things around for her. This book is half memoir (written by both Kitty and Al) and half cookbook. There are definitely a few recipes I'd like to try out and the book is full of gorgeous photos of all the yummy bread.

In reading the memoir side I did feel a little bad for her older siblings during Kitty's breakdown and the beginning of her bread obsession. Her parents focused almost 100% on trying to help Kitty (which is understandable), but also let Kitty take over the whole kitchen. The family had always made a point of eating dinner together, but they let Kitty get rid of the dining table for more baking room/supplies. And the first Christmas during her bread obsession they basically didn't celebrate much because it was too overwhelming for her. While I can't imagine what that time was like for Kitty or her parents, I still felt bad for the older siblings who just seemed like they were on their own. And while Orange Bakery became a huge success, it was definitely a gamble for her parents to put so much time and money into something like that. It was an interesting story and I'm sure Kitty will go on to do amazing things in the baking world.

Provided by the publisher.

I actually finished reading the memoir part of this book a couple of weeks ago - the day I received it in fact. But I had to wait until I had baked a couple of the recipes before I could do a legit review!

This is two books in one. The second part is a cookbook - all bread or bread-adjacent (a couple of biscuits and cakes). So far I have made the Miracle Overnight White Loaf, which is a marvellous no-knead, overnight (duh) bread that you cook in casserole dish; and today I made the focaccia, which uses the same dough but you press it out to make focaccia. Both of these are AMAZING and will definitely be in high rotation. A large section of the recipes is sourdough, and... I've done the sourdough thing, and I'm just not sure I can face going back to the world of the starter. I'll have to give it some more thought. There are definitely other recipes I want to try - bialys, and their mini panettone buns. Each of the recipes is laid out beautifully - I love that there is a different font for the chat at the start, and the ingredients, and the recipe itself. It's also got delightful photos and in general the cookbook aspect is just fabulous.

But the recipes are only half the book. The first half of the book is a memoir. This book is written by Kitty and her father, Al - they tell the story together and they each have a distinct font. It's the story of how they ended up running a bakery together, and while that sounds all heartwarming - and it is, absolutely - but it starts because baking a loaf of bread is one thing that Al tries to help Kitty with her crippling anxiety. Like, anxiety that made going to school impossible, getting out of bed barely feasible, nothing in the world seeming worthwhile. I deeply appreciated the honesty that Al in particular presents here - that he and his wife did not see what was happening at the start, that they were bewildered by the change in their youngest daughter, and that they struggled to figure out what to do. Kitty, of course, is also very honest: she didn't know why it happened, either, and makes no excuses for it, or for feeling the way she did. It just was.

The book explores the slow movement from Kitty deciding she wanted to bake a loaf of bread - to wanting to make more, and therefore being allowed to use neighbouring ovens - to giving bread away because she was making so much, leading to a subscription service, then a pop-up, and then an actual real bakery and high street shop. Well, I say slow, but it all happened over about 2 years and that's just incredible.

It's the sort of book that makes me think "maybe I could be a baker and make bread all the time and bring joy to people!" and then you keep reading and you realise just how much stress the whole thing is, and how early you have to get up (unless you're the Margaret River bakers who sell their bread from 3pm onwards, LIFE GOALS) and... yeh. I'll just stick with making bread for people in my house, thanks.

As a memoir, the book is a delight. It's honest and thoughtful and funny (when appropriate). It's got enough context of other things going on that you know bread isn't absolutely everything, but it's also very clear that the focus is the story of Kitty not being able to go to school ---> opening the bakery; it's not a complete autobiography. The different fonts make the dual authorship work really well, there's lovely pictures and photos throughout, and I really did sit and read the 150-odd pages in one day, because I started and then I had to keep going. I didn't really need another bread book in my life but I definitely needed this book.

Wow, what a lovely book! I started off feeling a bit concerned as although the book sounded interesting and relevant to me, I really wasn't in the mood for reading a non fiction book. As it turned out, I devoured it in a day. Breadsong is co written by father and daughter Al and Kitty Tait and chronicles the deep dive into depression that Kitty suffered at age 14, and the desperation her parents felt at trying to help her. After many failed attempts at engaging Kitty in different activities, Al makes some bread and it piques Kitty's interest. What follows is an adventure in breadmaking with trials and tribulations, chance discoveries and serendipitous encounters. Having plunged headlong into baking, the two successfully forge ahead with the creation of their business. The book is interspersed with photos and quirky drawings which add to its charm. It is well written, very easy to read and an uplifting and inspirational story. I like the description of the characters in the local community and the support and kindness they provide as well as Kitty's gradual increase in confidence. I enjoyed hearing about the encounters with other bakers both in the UK and overseas. For me, having also suffered from depression and anxiety as a teen (and adult), it's a pretty emotive book, and there were many tears as I read. It also spoke to me as a baker and I was able to get really excited for Kitty as her journey unfolded. I will definitely be trying some of the recipes and I wish Kitty the best of luck for the future. I recommend this book to anyone who likes autobiography or memoirs, real life stories, triumph over adversity, community spirit and of course baking or consuming baked goods. Many thanks to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this advance ecopy in exchange for an honest review.

Breadsong
By Kitty & Al Tait

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“For the first time ever, I experienced a world I could be totally part of. This was a world in which my anxiety played no part.”

One part inspirational memoir, one part delicious and rustic recipes, combined to make a wholesome and inspirational cookbook that I’m proud to display on my shelves. This book could not have arrived at a better time than in today’s post pandemic society - as we’ve all dragged ourselves through the traumatic, unexpected and frankly hard to fathom period of time that was lockdowns, restrictions and banana bread a plenty, this book feels like a cosy cuddle.

It’s recipes are easy to follow and adapt to suit your own tastes - it is filled with bakes you want to make (and eat) and Kitty’s casual and chatty narration is the perfect accompaniment to the recipes. The memoir element is a beautiful insight into a sadly very relatable theme - tackling mental health issues as a family while finding creative outlets for tension is one that I feel will strike a chord with a lot of us.

5 stars
This to me is the journey a father made with his daughter and how baking really helped her. Kitty and Al start baking for themselves and gradually that grows till they open the Orange Bakery and with this book we follow that journey.
Kitty was the funny and chatty daughter so when that gradual change happened she starts to loose her bounce. To me that part stood out as when my depression kicked in I found myself having less energy. Her dad Al reached out by making one loaf of bread Kitty saw the dough become alive sparking an interest in her. Within this book we see this grow and whole their community came together to build a bakery. At the back are loads of great recipes from bread to cakes to cookies so people of different ability’s can join in and bake.

probably the only cookbook I've actually read and finished LMFAO. mostly because it's half memoir half cookbook.

honestly I picked up this book from the bookstore because 1) it was on sale which will always get me and 2) the layout and design of the book is beautiful and stunning as it swaps between father and daughter in sans and serif.

breadsong follows the lives of kitty and her father who work through her younger anxiety and depression as a child. it's the kind of story that feels a bit capitalized in modern day (cooking changed me!) but honestly it's really really touching and beautiful. There's so much heart to the story and they go through a lot, which I love in any memoir.

the recipes are also great but theyre flopping a bit for me (maybe because Im doing it wrong)

This book is cozy and warm. The first half tells the story of Kitty and her struggle with mental health, and how baking (introduced by her dad) lifted her out of that dark place. Kitty and her dad are both open and vulnerable, but ultimately their story is so heartwarming. Family, community, generosity, and kindness are all on display throughout the whole story and it’s beautiful!
The second half is a recipe book, full of classic and new recipes! I’ve tried a couple already and look forward to trying many more!

This part-cookbook, part-memoir from a father and daughter was surprisingly moving and poignant.
Young Kitty’s sudden struggles with anxiety and depressive thoughts take a backseat to her newly-discovered enthusiasm and knack for bread baking, a talent that ends up becoming a business run by her and her dad.
Their story brought tears to my eyes at times and also swellings of joy for how Kitty is finding her way in this life with her family and actual village and sourdough starters by her side. Oh and there is a Corgi too!

It has been so lovely reading about Kitty’s journey through her mental health and seeing how much the family supported each other. The story of how the Orange Bakery came to be is so heartwarming and I’m so glad to know that there are communities out there who will support each other so fervently and are always there to boost each other up.
Not only that but I’m glad to see how Instagram played a part as well allowing Kitty to connect with bakers all over the world and further her passion and skills through the community. Something as a bookstagrammer I experience every time I open the app.
I have tried some of these recipes and they are so delicious I cannot wait to work my way through some more!

The narrative half of this daughter-father bakery's cookbook is a positive story of a family and small town community focusing on whatever and however helps get the kid through a depressive period in her teens, and it turns out baking bread and sharing that passion with neighbors and on social media and no pressure to return to school or work for a couple years let's them follow this passion energetically. Love to see it.

Tied with my favourite cookbook of all time. I haven't read anything that has made me cry, laugh, yearn and feel so brimming with potential for a long, long time. The soda bread is the only recipe I've tried so far (whilst reading the book!) and it was out of this world good.

This is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever held. From the texture and colors of the cover to the texture and colors on the pages, it was clearly made with so much love. The first half is the most beautiful story about a daughter and her father and how baking bread taught them so much much about life and the second half is like a beautiful artisan scrapbook of recipes. I will never forget how this book made me feel. I will never look at bread the same and have a much deeper appreciation for the ways in which we can connect to our food because of this book. Kitty was such a joy to read about!

Such an inspiring account on how a father and daughter achieved something extraordinary by chance and in the process were able to find a way of therapy/healing for mental illness.

I loved it - I haven’t cooked through it yet, but I did finish the memoir portion so I’m calling it complete for Goodreads. I liked the different perspectives telling their experience of this story. It felt honest and brave. Personal growth, community, self care and the very important bread - what more could you want? Now where can I find more love stories like this: person + bread = 🫶🏼. A glorious romance. Now to try the recipes.

Loved this. The story of a teenaged daughter and her dad setting up a bakery in England. Kitty discovered a passion for baking as a coping mechanism for her crippling anxiety. Written by both by Kitty and her dad. Also features a lot of their recipes which I’ll be enjoying over time.

if you wanna cry about a girl finding her passion in baking + have great recipes

Completely inspirational, real and unique