In northwestern Turkey's Edirne, in the small district of Kemalköy, three brothers are keeping a tradition passed down from their grandfather alive as they continue to use their ancestral recipe to bake bread, and it's a hit with customers.
The brothers, Cihan, Ishak and Hamdi Çakıcı, who use the recipe they learned from their grandfather, the late Ahmet Çakıcı, continue to bake the bread known as "Kemalköy bread" in the traditional fashion.
The bread, made with flour, water and a sourdough starter that has been kept alive for 40 years, is baked in a wood fire and is popular with both the villagers and those living in Thrace.
Taking days to prepare and bake, the dough is baked in pans and then rests for 10 hours, is sliced and put in bags ready for consumption.
The 1-kilogram (2.2-pound) loaf of bread can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month without spoiling.
Hamdi Çakıcı told Anadolu Agency (AA) that they are continuing the baking profession that their grandfather started.
Çakıcı stated that the bakery in the village has been operating for almost half a century.
"Our grandfather opened this place in his time. We continue as the third generation. We make our bread with our own sourdough, which is an heirloom. We have been using the ancestral yeast for 40 years by multiplying the yeast and transferring the yeast to the next day's dough. We do many things by hand. Other bakeries have machines and tools, but we continue this business with traditional, old-fashioned methods."
Çakıcı said that his late grandfather Ahmet Çakıcı left a beautiful legacy by teaching them this craft.
"We make a popular and sought-after bread. We have many customers. Our customers are also very satisfied with it. We have traditional village bread service from our village to the inner city, to factories and to many businesses."
Cihan Çakıcı also said that when his grandfather decided to open a bakery in the village, he was criticized as the locals thought there was no need since everyone made bread at home.
Çakıcı stated that with the courage of his grandfather, they reached a good point in bread production.
"Despite this idea, my grandfather built the bakery with great courage. He continued in this way and made the bread with natural yeast he made himself. Village residents are used to Kemalköy bread. They like its taste so much that the villagers get their bread from the bakery and no longer make it at home. Over the years, our bread has become famous. We continue to make bread, which we learned from our grandfather. We send our bread to many places."
Ishak Çakıcı also stated that Kemalköy bread is completely natural and additive-free.
