Hello bread and grain friends,
Today is snowing here in Portland, and it feels so cozy. I actually love the dark months and find this time very nourishing. I hope you are settling in for winter and also getting a little time to celebrate. What are you reading?
Here’s what’s on the menu this month:
Mama Bread
This month’s Mama bread is made with whole organic spelt flour, purple barley, and red floriani corn. I like keeping a diversity of grains in rotation, and these three pair well together. All the grains for this bread come from Camas Country Mill.
Fennel & Currant Loaves
I just had a hankering for this flavor combo. I have a stash of wild fennel seeds, and I roasted them a bit and added them, along with a hearty handful of currants, to my basic mama bread loaves, and baked them in pans.
Cacio e Pepe Focaccia
My friend Charlene brought me a huge, and I mean huuuuge, block of pecorino romano cheese. I watched a movie and grated it all up and shared it around. I’m making a few batches of focaccia with T65 Glacier Peak flour from Cairnspring Mill and topping it with a generous shower of pecorino cheese and fresh ground pepper. This will make for an easy weeknight meal served alongside a batch of Lentil soup or cold gazpacho.
Sesame Einkorn
I got a new batch of Einkorn grain and I’ve been playing with it to figure out the hydration of the new harvest. In the meantime, I’m craving that alluring sesame crunch. I grind the grains and toast and soak the seeds the night before, and it’s so worth it! The einkorn comes from Bluebird Grain Farms and the sesame is Anson Mills Sea Island benne seeds.
With delight and gratitude,
Other news from the world of grain:
–Asheville Bread Festival will be back in April!
-Have you seen Maurizio’s gift guide? His new Perfect Loaf book is at the top of my list, but check out what he’s recommending.
– 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.