Hello bread and grain lovers,
Wow! I’m still in the inspired afterglow of my short trip to Los Angeles to attend the Breadwinners symposium. The whole evening was about women in the bread and grain world, and many of my heroines (heras?) who have been nearly overlooked were honored by some of my favorite women doing work in the field (literally!) In a particularly electrifying speech, farmer Mai Nguyen encouraged us all to take our phones out on the spot to write a thank you to Monica Spiller, a scientist who preserved heritage seeds from the germ plasm and gave them to California farmers to grow out. She is the person we have to thank, Mai insisted, for grains that we so enjoy today like Sonora wheat and Purple Prairie barley.
Nan Kohler took the stage next and called out the handful of fellow female grain millers who made decisions to support sustainable farmers long before this became part of the eco-farming conversation.
I learned so much at the conference eand I’m sure much of this knowledge will slowly seep forth over the next few months.
For now, I’ll leave you with what’s on the menu this week:
Mama Bread
This week’s Mama bread is made with a combination of organic spelt and red wheat. Spelt is a close relative of wheat in the Triticum family, and first appeared in recorded use by the Greeks, who considered it a gift from the goddess Demeter. People who have a hard time digesting common wheat (Triticum aestivum) sometimes report better results with Spelt (Triticum spelta). It adds extensibility to dough and I love the way the loaves turn out. To the spelt, I’m adding a bit of organic red wheat, a workhorse in my kitchen.
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.
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. I stand behind these as some of the best quality bagels you’ll find. She’s offering great rewards on her Go Fund Me, or you can just go straight to her website and order bagels.
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,
