Hello good people,
Happy Spring! I hope you’re able to get outside and enjoy these first lengthening days of the season. I’m taking some time this week to plant seeds of emmer wheat. I’m pretty excited to get low and dirty and just be with the grain and watch it grow. I’ll keep you posted, of course.
I just finished reading Restoring Heritage Grain by Eli Rososa, and wow did it get me excited to double-down on using heritage varieties of wheat! Also, she’s an Einkorn aficionado and after reading her work, which included a lot of einkorn recipes, I’m excited to get elbow-deep in flour and start trying out some new stuff. Einkorn is one of the earliest relatives of wheat, and not to get too nerdy, but it’s genetically closer to wild wheat grasses. Keep on the lookout for some of the loaves I plan on testing, and if you’re so inclined, you can be a taster. Say the word.
And now for the bread on offer:
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 twenty-four 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 purple Egyptian malted barley that I milled from Palouse Heritage. They’re an innovative farm in Eastern Washington that preserves regional heritage wheat varieties.
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.
Frozen Plain Bagels
As you know, I developed a bagel recipe with bagel baker Jenna Legge, and my family has been eating these naturally-leavened fresh flour treats like crazy. We slice them fresh and put them in the freezer to toast quick on busy mornings. These are bagels I feel truly good about feeding my family on a daily basis. They are made with the highest quality fresh, sifted flour from Camas Country Mill in Junction City, Oregon. Jenna and I have even talked about developing a 100% whole grain version, so stay tuned. In the meantime, you can order packs of frozen bagels through me and I can deliver with your order. They are $8 for a pack of six frozen, pre-sliced bagels. If you’d prefer to get them fresh or want more variety of flavors, visit her website and store here.
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,
