Greetings grain lovers,
Wow, this sunshine! I’ve been out walking everyday and I often have a destination in mind to give me a place to land. Often, my walks lead me to the various farmer’s markets in town to visit fellow bakers. Here are a few of the spots I recommend:
Tuesdays 10am to 2pm- Lloyd Farmer’s Market to visit Jen’s Bagels
Wednesday 2pm to 7pm- People’s Food Coop (my favorite!) to visit Wyld Bread
Sundays 10am to 2pm- King Farmer’s Market to visit Wildflower Baking Co. *starts in late May
This week’s bread offer:
Mama Bread
This week’s Mama bread is made with organic red wheat from Lonesome Whistle Farm, a small farm in Junction City, Oregon. They primarily sell wholesale and at a few of the farmer’s markets in Eugene and Portland. If you’re ever at the market, don’t miss their heritage kettle corn as a treat. Oh my, this stuff is good. I even suspect it could double as cereal if you poured milk over it…but I digress. They grow a wonderfully versatile red wheat that makes a solid, flavorful workhorse of a loaf.
Organic Sandwich Loaves
The sandwich bread this week is made with White Lightening 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 malted barley flour from Carolina Ground.
Organic Jewish Deli Rye
This is one of the breads of my youth that sat beside the challah on the appetizing platter. My grandmother used to send my dad to the bakery in the Jewish quarter of Montreal where they lived with money for a loaf of this flavorful “kimmel” bread. She eventually had to start sending him with enough money for two loaves, as he always ate half a loaf on the walk home. 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 White Lightening 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.
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 or Marbled-Pumpernickel 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,
