About an hour bus ride from Kyoto station led us to the village of Shizuhara 静原, which literally  stands for "silent fields". In the shuraku (hamlet), large part of the lands are rice and vegetable farms dotted with human habitations.

Surrounded by the organic vegetable fields, a family-run Cafe Millet constantly attracts foodies. 

The cafe has its own organic farm and kiln to bake breads.

Mr.Takashita, a 90 years old skilled designer of stone kilns, teaches how to make stone kilns for the people who would like to make their own in their house. He is also a keen practitioner of baking whole wheat organic breads, suggesting the methods without kneading the dough.

 

This kiln is also designed by Mr. Takeshita.

while we are waiting for the dough to be fermented, Sumioka-san, the owner of the cafe showed us around their farms.

In the cafe, firstly we have to make powder from wheat grain by the stone grinder.

Waiting the dough to be fermented for a while...

After a while...

The dough was changed. It is alive indeed!

We did not knead the dough, and just rounded into ball shaped.

Next step is just to put the dough in the kiln.

There are a cooking class once a month. It is almost 100 times they have a class in this year.

Sometimes, the cafe also help new couple to organize wedding ceremony in the village of Shizuhara.

It may be really good to have ceremony out side the garden with the bounty of organically grown delicacies.

Website of Ishigama bread workshop at Cafe Millet

http://ishigama.blogspot.jp

Access

〒601-1121 京都府京都市左京区静市静原町１１１８