Hello bread and grain lovers,
Wow—what a robust few weeks it has been! In my travels, I was able to meet up with some of my longtime friends from the grain world, some of whom I’d never met in person.
I’ve been eagerly awaiting the opening of Jonathan Bethany’s bakery in Washington DC, Seylou, and I made a special stop between Florida and NYC just to visit. Omg, I’m so glad I did! I was inspired at every turn. Not only is he pushing his excellence in whole grain baking, but he’s also holding his pastry chef to the same fire he was once held to. He often tells of how his time at the Bread Lab taught him whole grain baking because he wasn’t allowed to cheat by adding sifted flours to any of his bread. “Figure it out,” was all he was told, and with that, he taught himself how to make the best 100% whole grain breads around. Now he’s saying the same to his wonderfully inventive pastry chef Charbel Abrache about using refined sugars. Because of this Seylou is creating some of the most alluring pastry with cover crop grains such as millet and sorghum, and they’re also using a diverse range of sweeteners, but no refined sugar. If you’d like to hear more about Seylou, I recommend their interview on Eat This Podcast.
Another fellow grain nerd I got to connect with in New York was Sarah Owens of BK17 Bakery. She’s written some of my favorite bread books, which you’ll find here on her website. We’ve been friendly on social media for years, and it was more than a pleasure to meet her in person. So warm and welcoming, I loved nestling into her bakery and hanging for the afternoon. Right before she drove me to the ferry in Rockaway to head back to the city, she placed this enticing cookie plate of my dreams in front of me. All I can say is, go see for yourself. She’s offering cookie boxes in her shop and they’re not only whole grain, but some of the tastiest little treats to be found. I can’t wait for mine to come in the mail!
Finally, one other thing I’d like to call your attention to is bagel baker Jenna Legge’s Go Fund Me. You might remember that she and I developed a sourdough bagel recipe together using local flour. She’s been working hard to perfect them, and let me tell you—they’re as good, if not better, than most bagels I just had a sampling of in NYC for the past week. I stand behind these as some of the best quality bagels you’ll find. She’s offering some really good rewards if you contribute to the Go Fund Me. Because of it, she was able to move into a kitchen space (along with another of my favorite local bakers Courtney of Wyld Bread). If contributing to Go Fund Me isn’t your thing, you can just go straight to her website and order bagels.
So with that, I leave you with my bread menu this week:
Mama Bread
This week’s Mama bread is made with Red Russian Wheat from Palouse Heritage in eastern Washington. I don’t know much about this heritage variety, but I love the farmers who grow it and the resulting springy whole grain loaves.
Organic Sandwich Loaves
The sandwich bread this week is made with Trailblazer from Cairnspring Mill in Skagit Valley, Washington. The aim of this mid-sized mill is to source local grains and make flour that is fresh and nutritious. The head miller, Kevin Morse, explained to me how a conglomerate industrial-sized mill turns a single batch of grain into 24 different products. At his mill, he employs four of these processes to make fresh, consistent flour that bakers love to use. His flour, which bakes something like all purpose, retains far more inherent flavor and nourishment, plus this mill helps our local economy in the Pacific Northwest by supporting nearby farmers. To this bread, I added a bit of malted barley from Carolina Ground, an innovative small mill that collaborates with farmers and uses regional grains in North Carolina.
Organic Jewish Deli Rye
This is the other bread of my youth that sat beside the challah on the appetizing platter. I woke up a few weeks back with an intense desire for it, so I rolled up my sleeves and got to work pulling it out of my taste memory. I can’t get enough of this light bread with a touch of rye and a plethora of caraway seeds—Jewish deli rye. This bread uses Trailblazer flour from Cairnspring Mill (discussed above.) I add a bit of organic barely malt flour from local grain maven Charlene Murdock, and some organic rye.
Whole Wheat & Oat Sandwich bread
I tested and retested to find my favorite 100% whole grain sandwich bread, and here it is. It has a soft, tender crumb and slightly sweet undernotes. This loaf is made with whole milk, as well as milky oats, and organic red wheat. As usual, all the flours and grains are local and freshly milled.
Levain Crackers
The goal is to waste nothing in the kitchen, and that’s how these crackers were born. These are made with the spent levain that I save from feeding my starter each day. To the mix, I always add a little bran back, which I purchase from millers whenever I buy high-extraction flour. This is my way of keeping the whole grain in my family’s diet even though we have bits of high extraction breads here and there.
To place an order, email me to let me know what you want and what day in the coming week you would prefer to get it. You are always welcome to drop by for espresso & morning toast, or we can work out delivery or pick-up via email. I have a limited amount of each item, so the earlier in the week you let me know, the better your chances of getting what you want. For the more spontaneously-minded types, drop me a line whenever and I’ll let you know what I have on hand. Oh, and if you want to pay for the bread on-line, here is the link. Of course, I’m always open to trade…
Savor your week with madcap delight and untamed gratitude,
