Hello bread lovers,
Welcome to 2021. I’m thankful to have a warm & cozy baking routine to keep me happy indoors for the next few months. I’m tackling my stack of books, too, and trying to outdo my own high score on Duolingo. What are you up to?
Here’s what’s on the menu this month:
Mama Bread
This month’s Mama bread is made with organic spelt flour from Fairhaven Mill in Washington. Spelt is a close relative of wheat, and was first used by the Greeks. They considered it a gift from the goddess Demeter. People who have a hard time digesting common wheat (Triticum aestivum) report better results with Spelt (Triticum spelta). It bakes like a dream and I love the way the loaves turn out with this grain.
Naturally Leavened Challah
One of my favorite weekly rituals is making challah bread on Friday for my family’s Shabbat dinner. I always use stone-ground flour, usually a little sifted, and source a special honey for the week’s treat. This bread also has an abundance of local eggs, and is either swirled with cinnamon & currants or topped with honey & sesame seeds. These are rich loaves packed with beloved ingredients to make a sacred place of the table.
Organic Sandwich Loaves
The sandwich bread this month is made with T85 Sequoia wheat from Cairnspring Mills. This type of flour basically means that 85% of the ash content is still in place after processing, while 15% of the larger particles were sieved out after milling. Sequoia is grown by a Washington farmer who dry farms his land and helps regenerate soil through as few inputs as he can manage. While not certified organic, I vouch for this flour as a sustainable option when needing something that acts very much like white, all-purpose flour. To these loaves, I’m adding a bit of malted barley flour from Tuality Plains in Forest Grove, Oregon. The barley adds a hint of cereal sweetness and boosts the browning capabilities.
Shokupan
My kids are teens now, and as such, their tastes are growing and changing. One thing they’ve always asked for is soft white sandwich bread, and after a stint of watching Midnight Diner my penchant for wanting this kind of bread is strong now, too. Back in the early aughts, I worked on the Saveur 100 issue and fact checked a story about Shokupan, Japan’s version of Wonder Bread, but better. I decided to try my hand at this soft & fluffy Japanese milk bread and see what happens. I’ll keep you posted.
Seedy Einkorn & Rye
This bread is the newest in my repertoire. It dawned on me that I could use my einkorn starter to make a mostly-rye bread and I decided to give it a go. Wow, am I glad that I did. This is a labor intensive bread, as I grind all of the grains myself and diligently toast and soak the seeds, but it’s worth it! The rye comes from Tuality Plains and the organic einkorn, from Bluebird Grain Farms. I pack it with organic flax seeds and Anson Mills Sea Island benne seeds. I also include sprouted pumpkin seeds. As one friend put it, a slice of this bread is a meal unto itself.
Roasted Garlic Focaccia
I roast a lot of vegetables around here, and while I’m at it, I’ve taken to throwing in a packet of garlic to roast, too. I cut the top off a whole head of garlic, drizzle the whole thing with olive oil, and wrap it in foil. It makes a tight little package that roasts in about 45 minutes. I’m adding it to focaccia dough and topping with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. A comforting meal unto itself!
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:
-I love this article by Katie Gourley so much. By the way, have you seen her zine Baking for Biodiversity? It’s a gem for descriptions of various grain types, and I think it belongs on the cookbook shelf of any baker who wants to go deeper.
-I recently took a class with Lenka of the Wandering Senses blog on Airbnb, a class I highly recommend for the home baker who wants to up their sweet bread repertoire. She has many recipes on her blog, and I can’t wait to try this one for Grandma’s Doughnuts.
-For information about the Flour Hour experience on Airbnb, go here.