Hello Bread and Grain friends,
As these months of darkness slowly gather light, I am enjoying my time in the kitchen more than ever. Today is the start of a new lunar month; Adar, a month where joy is purported to return in the Hebrew calendar.
Today is also Lunar New Year in many traditions, and it does bring me joy to know that my friends are celebrating and eating the foods of their ancestors and attuning to the delights we share in community.
Whatever your February traditions, I hope that gather yourself in the luscious darkness to know what you want to bring back into the light.
Here’s what’s on the menu this month
Mama Bread
This month’s Mama bread is anadama bread inspired by Elmore Mountain Bread in Vermont. I got some Red Flint Corn flour from Camas Country Mill in Eugene, Oregon. What I love about Elmore’s anadama is that they use maple syrup. I happen to have some special Vermont maple syrup, so voila! I’m loving this bread so much, and even though I can’t visit one of my favorite bakeries in the country right now, with each bite, I can connect to that desire to see friends and travel.
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.
Whole Wheat & Oat Sandwich bread
This bread calls to mind the bread they served in my grade school cafeteria, with its soft, tender crumb that makes for good sandwiches. It’s 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. I’ve also been using my oat flaker to roll these Hayden oats fresh. I think it adds a sweet, cerealy note that’s hard to beat.
Seedy Einkorn & Rye
100% whole grain hearty goodness. I grind all of the grains myself and diligently toast and soak the seeds, and it’s so 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.
Other news from the world of grain
-Have you seen Grist & Toll’s blog? Each time I visit, I find a treasure of information, and I’m loving the series of various grains and their flavor notes. Check it out here. Recently, there’s been a post about einkorn and one about Sonora; I loved the chance to deepen my knowledge about two of my favorites.
-While you’re there, check out the Chiddam Blanc de Mars flour, grown by Farmer Mai Nguyen and milled by Grist & Toll. I had the honor of teaching a simple bread recipe made with 100% Chiddam this weekend, and I’m always reminded of how much I love this flour. If you want whole grain bread that offers ultimate taste and nutrition, don’t miss this one.
– I am hosting a monthly Zoom meeting as a free resource for all bakers who want to ask questions and share ideas. It will be the first Sunday of each month, and you can join the first one on Sunday November 7th from 10am to 11:30am PST by going to this link. Hope to see you there!
-For information about the Flour Hour experience on Airbnb, go here.