Hello bread and grain friends,
I don’t have much to say these days. I’m deep in grief about the state of the world. I have feelings being dredged up from a deep well inside me, and yet there are no words to make sense of it right now. These are the times I find myself in the kitchen the most.
Of course, I’m constantly thinking of my family in Israel, and also my friends, especially the bakers I’ve visited. I went to visit Hagay Ben Yahuda when I was there in 2018 and he invited me to spend time with him at his bakery on a kibbutz. I once lived on a kibbutz, and this day lives in my heart as bringing things I love together into one place. If you want to see a video of Hagay baking, go to the link above and scroll down.
Maybe it seems a little frivolous these days to watch a baker engaged in his craft, but there’s something reassuring about breaking bread. Maybe better days are ahead.
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.
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. The einkorn comes from Bluebird Grain Farm and the sesame is Anson Mills Sea Island benne seeds.
Ancient Grain Pita
I’ve always loved making pita, but I learned something new recently. The word pita mean bread in Aramaic! I’ve always wondered and researched about the origins of what we know as pita bread, those puffy pockets of goodness. When I learned that the word simply means bread, I was resolved to try it with the grains that were around when Aramaic ruled the world. I love the emmer pita a lot, but spelt and portions of einkorn and barley are wonderful, too! These grains come from Camas Country Mill and Lonesome Whistle.
Other news from the world of grain:
– Serious Eats does it again with this article about refrigeration and bread staling process. After reading this, I really feel like I understand what stale bread is. The things you never thought you’d contemplate…
–This video by Oldways PT presented by cereal scientist Andrew Ross is excellent! It discusses in depth the reasons to add a diversity of whole grains to the diet.
– 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 by going to this link. Hope to see you there!
-For information about the Flour Hour experience on Airbnb, go here.