I need your help!
The Dilemma
The Solution
The Solution
I really enjoy baking breads. The more I learn about the science of baking, the more I want to bake. The more I bake, the more bread there is to share. I'd bake every day if I could. Like I said, we simply can't eat everything I bake. It just doesn't seem right to store fresh baked bread in the freezer!
The Solution
The Solution
The Solution
The simple solution is to give it away! So, neighbors, if you are interested in becoming a part of the solution, and want to enjoy some homemade breads, just let me know. And please, don't be bashful about inquiring! Also, if you are currently making bread, we should get together and compare notes and methods.
You can Contact Me Below
If you're curious, just send me a note.
I Bake Naturally Leavened, Rustic, Artisan Breads and More
Rye Sticks (Spitzkornlinge)
Rye Sticks (Spitzkornlinge)
Rye Sticks (Spitzkornlinge)
Coarse Rye Flour. Cracked Wheat, Flax Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Toasted Sunflower Seeds. and 21 - 24 hours mixing and fermentation time, produce a hearty, rustic, handful of flavors. This recipe is German and from Stanley Ginsberg's wonderful book, The Rye Baker. With soups or stews, these rolls are great.
Ciabatta
Rye Sticks (Spitzkornlinge)
Rye Sticks (Spitzkornlinge)
The ciabatta is usually at 95% hydration, with varieties of flour and a ripe leavain (sourdough starter) that is now well over 8 years old. These come out with a light and airy crumb, a crispy, thin crust, and mild tang. There are many recipes available online, but mine is an ever evolving one that pays attention to the flour type.
What Else?
Freshly Baked Dinner Rolls
Freshly Baked Dinner Rolls
Freshly Baked Dinner Rolls
I'm learning that just about any dough can be made into dinner rolls. These happen to be Semolina Sesame Seed rolls, one of my favorites. The dozen that I usually make quickly turns into 9 or 10 before they cool. Getting the timing right so they come out of the oven 10 minutes before dinner is on the table, fills the house with that memory inducing aroma and increases the appetite!
Bagels
Freshly Baked Dinner Rolls
Freshly Baked Dinner Rolls
These little gems can be tricky but the more often you make them the better you get at it. Slathered with cream cheese and vine ripened blueberries from the garden, they become irresistible. Like most of my breads, they freeze quite well. The dough has to be "babysat" a little, as it tends to proof unpredictably. So far, the extra effort has been worth it.
Some of my Favorites
Organic, Locally Sourced Flours
Organic, Locally Sourced Flours
Organic, Locally Sourced Flours
From the 100% Spelt Flour loaves on the left, to the 20% Wheat rounds (boules) pictured, each loaf gets special attention. Using a variety of hand kneading techniques, fermentation time and temperature, I try to coax the maximum flavors from the flours. So every bake is an experiment of sorts!
Long, Bulk Fermentations
Organic, Locally Sourced Flours
Organic, Locally Sourced Flours
These breads are 50% Wheat and shaped into loaves, or torpedos. After a three-hour room temperature bulk ferment, the dough goes into the refrigerator overnight for another 12 -14 hour cold ferment. The loaves are then shaped in the morning and proofed till ready for baking.
Some Specialty Breads
Pane Bianco
Pane Bianco
Pane Bianco
Pane Bianco, translated from the Italian, literally means "white bread." It is a little more complicated than that! After flattening out the dough, it is spread with fresh basil, garlic, tomatoes (can be sun dried), and shredded cheese of your choice. It is then rolled into a long log and ready for step two.
Step Two
Pane Bianco
Pane Bianco
Place the log, seam side down, on a piece of parchment paper. It is now ready to be cut open. Truly a "take it on faith moment of truth." I use a lame for this which is basically a razor blade. Start from 1/2 inch in and cut down the center of the log to within 1/2 inch of the end. Now carefully tuck the two ends under the center.
Finished
Pane Bianco
100% Spelt
This loaf needs to be covered and proofed for about an hour. It only takes about 35 - 40 minutes to bake in a 350 degree oven. I usually cover it with aluminum foil about 25 ' in to prevent over browning. Fun to make, and fun to eat, especially in the summer with ingredients right out of the garden!
100% Spelt
Sandwich Loaves
100% Spelt
Spelt is fast becoming one of my favorite flours. It has high levels of vitamins, protein, and minerals and is low in gluten. It is an "ancient grain" used 5,000 years ago in the Middle East. This bread has turned into our "go to" sandwich bread and makes the best toast.
Croisants
Sandwich Loaves
Sandwich Loaves
Ready for the oven and soon after, they will disappear! They took three days to make and gone in 3 minutes! The dough has an overnight ferment, then laminating the butter into the dough another overnighter. Then shaping and rising on the 3rd day. 20' in the oven at 400F.
Sandwich Loaves
Sandwich Loaves
Sandwich Loaves
This is an Oatmeal Bread made with regular yeast. Takes about three hours to mix, rise, and come out of the oven. It is an "enhanced" dough because of the added butter and real maple syrup. Great texture and aroma really adds to sandwiches and toast.