Hello bread friends,
I don’t even know where to start. Desperate for connection, I reach out to friends to ask how they are. They answer with the same question: “How are you doing?!?” And then I sit there, stumped, trying to figure out how I can authentically answer this question. There is so much cognitive dissonance in the pandemic. My heart is constantly breaking, over and over, listening to stories of people losing jobs, or worse, losing people. And then I sit down to dinner with my little family and I enjoy the time, even more so for knowledge that, for all we know, it could be our last few weeks of doing this. But then in the turn of a head, I know how deep my introversion runs and I feel like I need some time to myself to recharge. And then in horror, I realize how many people are dying alone.
Here’s what’s on the menu this month:
Mama Bread
This month’s Mama bread is made with Chiddam Blanc de Mars grown by farmer Mai and milled by Grist & Toll. This is the dynamic duo of women who both pay so much respect to their craft that they’re willing to go out on a few limbs to bring us the best. When I saw this limited run of flour, I hopped right on it.
Buttermilk Triticale Loaves
One of my favorite weekly rituals is getting milk and cream from a local farm. I churn the cream into butter (this sounds much fancier than it actually is since I use the Cuisinart to basically zap it), which leaves me with a batch of true buttermilk. The next day, I’ve been taking to the habit of making bread with this delightful ingredient. I love the pairing of buttermilk and rye, but I just got a little triticale, so I’m going to try that instead. If you don’t know what triticale is, I’ve often heard it referred to as a cross between rye and wheat. In these loaves, I use a backbone of white wheat grown by Bluebird Grain Farms and add a bit of triticale from Moon Family Farms in Washington.
Seedy Sandwich Loaves
The sandwich bread this month is made with a mixture of organic sifted Edison and sifted Rouge de Bordeaux, both from Camas Country Mill. To these loaves, I’m adding a bit of malted barley flour from Carolina Ground in North Carolina. The barley adds a hint of cereal sweetness and boosts the browning capabilities. For a twist, I decided to add seeds to the mixture this month: organic flax, organic poppy, and a hint of fennel.
100% Einkorn Loaf
Einkorn is the most ancient wheat that we still cultivate. It’s genetically different than modern wheat because it reflects the time when wheat had a simpler DNA profile. It has a buttery color and a savory flavor with mineral overtones. I’m using grains from Bluebird and milling them at home on my Komo. This bread is a pan loaf and it’s superb as toast dripping with butter and a shaving of parmesan cheese.
I am happy to share any of my formulas with you if you reach out. I hope whatever you are baking is inspiring your day!
With delight and gratitude,
Other news from the world of grain:
-Understanding the history of wheat and how it relates to current science can be confusing. Here is an article that explains how scientists have cracked more of wheat’s genome (pardon the pun), and it also gives a clear account of how to understand it all in layman’s terms. I found it quite useful and if you want to nerd out on this stuff
-Have you seen Michael Kealty’s work about how to taste bread? If not, check it out here. I really enjoy how he outlines the ways we taste the flavor and aroma components of bread.
-A friend and fellow baker Emily Squadra of Wildflower Baking is offering a whole grain croissant class through Airbnb Experiences. I’m taking the class soon, and you should, too! It’s an insanely good price, so don’t miss it. Sign up here.
For information about taking my class through AirBnB, go here.