Why does a Butter Bell need water?

Why does a Butter Bell need water? The answer remains in whether you keep your butter on the bench or in the fridge? The butter bell and it's butter keeping technique was developed before refrigeration as a way to keep butter fresh.  Back then (and what is becoming more and more common today with home cooks)  butter was made from fresh cream and salt. Without a fridge to keep the butter fresh, the water in the bottom of the butter bell as a 'seal' to keep bacteria out. 

How to Set a Beautiful Farmhouse Breakfast Table

In farmhouse homes, the breakfast table is often the heart of the morning;  where warm toast is shared, homemade jam is passed around, children chat about the day ahead and weekends begin a little more slowly.  The good news is that creating a farmhouse breakfast feeling can be done with the addition of a few simple pieces to transfer even an ordinary weekday breakfast into something special. Farmhouse style is built around authenticity and personal style. Choose pieces that feel warm and timeless rather than perfectly matching. Think:

Why The Farmhouse Breakfast is having a Comeback:

Why Farmhouse Breakfasts Are Making a Comeback in Australian Homes A farmhouse breakfast takes of different meanings for everyone but for me, it reminds me of the smells I woke up to on a Sunday morning as a teenager. The smell of Mum's home-cooked breakfasts; it could be bacon and eggs, pikelets, steak, egg and chips, you name it, Mum would fry it on a Sunday. Bubble and squeak anyone?  There was a time when breakfast was more than grabbing a piece of toast on the way out the door or Avocado on Toast in a cafe.  It was fresh bread still warm from the oven, homemade jam shared across the table, pancakes, butter softened in a crock, steaming mugs of tea and conversations that lingered long after the plates had been cleared. Today, as more Australians embrace ways to reduce the cost of living and to enjoy a slower pace of living, the farmhouse breakfast is making a welcome return. Slowing down just enough to enjoy simple food, prepared at home with beautiful kitchenware and time spent together creating memories.  Whether you live on acreage, in suburbia or in an apartment overlooking the city, you can bring the warmth and charm of a farmhouse breakfast into your own home.

Why Does My Sourdough Keep Failing? The Most Common Beginner Mistakes

Sourdough has a reputation for being difficult. In our experience, it is not difficult — but it can be confusing and is unforgiving of a handful of specific mistakes that nobody tells you about until after your third flat, gummy loaf. If your sourdough keeps failing, the problem is almost certainly one of the issues on this list and most of them have happened to me over the course of the last year! Most of them are simple to fix once you know what to look for. This guide covers the twelve most common sourdough mistakes beginners make, why each one matters, and exactly what to do differently. By the end, you will understand not just what went wrong but why — and that understanding is what turns a frustrated beginner into a confident, consistent baker.