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Lemon Cherry Bread

Lemon Cherry Bread

Kneading Conference West

“You couldn’t buy flour, white flour, any more without taking four times the quantity of brown flour. Those who could afford it ate bread and biscuits with white flour and made mash for the chickens with the brown.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Bakers of bread, owners of bakeries, farmers of grain and millers of flour gathered in Burlington, Washington at the WSU-Mount Vernon Research Center in September to share all things that make a better bread. Kneading Conference West was a dough filled weekend stuffed with learning and floury experiences in whole grain breads. Workshops, panels and presentations, field trips, networking and bread fresh from the oven are few of the highlights of the conference. Wood-fired bagels for breakfast, challah warm from the oven, tangy sourdough fruity and sweet with raisins and apples and a thrilling heritage wheat puff pastry all were part of the experience. READ MORE . . .

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Corn Bread with Hatch Chiles

Hatch Chile Corn Bread

Dreaming of New Mexico

“There is so much to tell about the western country in that day that it is hard to know where to start. One thing sets off a hundred others. The problem is to decide which one to tell first.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Hatch chiles are a once a year treat not unlike the fleeting delights of cherries or apricots. An authentic Hatch chile must be grown in the Hatch Valley in southern New Mexico. The Hatch Valley blazes with sun 350 days a year and yet has cool nights. This unique terroir or climate and geography encourages the flavor development in all the chile varieties grown in that region. Hatch chiles are of many varieties and can be mild, medium and hot. READ MORE . . .

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Peasant Black Bread for Father’s Day

Peasant Black Bread

Remembrance

“ Lee went in to Adam and found him trying to open the box that held clippings about his father.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

You may wonder why a dessert lover is posting Peasant Black Bread instead of cake for Father’s Day. My father preferred bread to cake. And he especially liked rye bread, crusty, black and deep with whole grain flavor. I never baked this bread for him. I was always “too” busy. He would have loved it. I lost my dad in 2006. He was 84 and had lived a long and full life. The last five years with Alzheimer’s were a misery for him and our family. Even with the cushion of seven years I find myself filled with emotion and unsure of what words to use to describe my father. I open my box of clippings and reveal too little and too much all at the same time. READ MORE . . .

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Irresistible Wheat Berry Bread

Irresistible Wheat Berry Bread

Baking Irresistible Wheat Berry Bread

She heard the air whooshing into the big bellows in the forge and the practice tap for range of hammer and anvil. She heard Liza open the oven door and the thump of a kneaded loaf on the floury board.
East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

At the grocery store there is a brand of wheat berry bread I adore. I wanted to create a stellar whole grain bread with wheat berries that has the nutty taste I love and ingredients I understand. A splash of cocoa and sprinkle of nutmeg work in harmony to deepen the warm whole grain flavors in this Irresistible Wheat Berry Bread.

I entered this recipe in the National Festival of Breads and received an Honorable Mention in the Whole Grain category. The contest specified that the recipe yield two loaves. If that is to much bread, the recipe can easily be cut in half with excellent results. READ MORE . . .

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Better Breakfast Bread

Better Breakfast Bread

Change and Gratitude

“Charles buttered a slice of bread, gouged out a knifeful of jam, and spread it over the butter. He dug butter for his second slice and left a slop of jam on the butter roll.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

The horrific events of this past week have humbled me. As much as we American’s like to grumble our lives are relatively easy, and safe. Until events shake us to our core. I practice a ritual of gratitude; you might call it prayer. Every day I spend a few moments focusing my thoughts on what I am grateful for in my life. Some days are easier than others. But it is on those challenging days that being grateful becomes the most important. A reminder of each days grace and beauty centers me. I regain my balance in a world that is a spinning top in a vast unknown universe. READ MORE . . .