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If you’ve had any of my chocolate breads in the past, I think you’re going to like this week’s bake of the week. Chocolate chip sourdough has a flavorful base with freshly milled flour, then a mix of dark and milk chocolate chips are swirled throughout so that there is chocolate in every bite! The dough itself does not have any added sugar, making it just a little sweet but not over the top. This is such a wonderful way to start the day, topped with some good butter and maybe a bit of strawberry or raspberry jam. 

We are finishing up the huge porch project that has taken us a long time. It’s functional, with a few things left to do, and we’re so pleased with how it has turned out! It has been a bit of a challenge to bake in that space under construction, but the finish line is in sight. What started as the saddest room in the house has become a beautiful place that I hope we’ll all enjoy! 

I’m undertaking a new baking project next week: gluten free sourdough. The supplies have been ordered and I’m planning to experiment next week. Sourdough, properly made, works well for many people who are sensitive to gluten, but some are truly gluten free and miss eating bread. It will be my first attempt at this, and I’m looking forward to learning a new skill!

As of Sunday we will have a new 12-year-old in the house! Birthdays are always a big deal around here, and do I ever have a surprise for Liza. I’ll fill you all in on it after the fact but I think it’s going to be a great day. She has had the same birthday dinner request since she was about 6: BBQ ribs, corn on the cob, macaroni salad, and an apple pie for dessert. Everyone likes it when Liza’s birthday comes around!

House sourdough loaves are available each week. I’ve had to change the bake schedule a bit with the warmer weather, but they still take 24 hours from start to finish, making all the best parts of wheat accessible when you eat it. From freshly-milled flour to long, cold fermentation, this is a wonderful bread for every day!

It’s a rare quiet morning here. The kids are (mostly) still sleeping, Jonathan is off at work, and I’m enjoying a few moments to myself. Summer has a different pace than the school year. I don’t know that it’s less full, it’s simply less scheduled. There are jobs to be done, projects to work on, instruments to practice, books to be read, but all with less structured time. I think we all look forward to this different pace, but eventually long for the routine that comes with a new academic year. Everything in its season!

This week, I’m making sourdough whole grain baguettes with about 40% freshly milled flour. I opted for an organic Khorasan grain, which is higher in protein than regular wheat, as well as in magnesium, potassium, zinc, and vitamin E. This ancient grain is a relative of durum flour, which is what is often used to make pasta. Our youngest, Silas, says that the baguettes are soft on the inside and taste really good with butter and honey on them. That’s the important part!

I’m also making house sourdough loaves this week, as usual, and have been playing around a bit with the grains I use. There are so many interesting grains to choose from, but not all are easily accessible. I’m spending some time this summer looking for sources for local grains. I have a few options that may require a field trip!

You are in for a real treat this week. After our beach vacation and the massive amounts of shells that came home with us, I was inspired to make something that gave a nod to the beauty of the ocean. Enter conchas. This Mexican pastry is a rich dough, a bit like brioche, and topped with a thin, crunchy, sugar cookie-like topping that is designed like a shell. They are just sweet enough, and the different textures make for such a wonderful eating experience! I’m making a naturally-leavened version, which adds complexity without sourness. Here’s a fun article on the rise of conchas in the United States, and some fascinating flavor combinations that bakers are using. I’m sticking to the original this week with vanilla, but if these are popular, who knows what flavors might be next?!​

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My garden is doing well despite our heatwave this past week! I typically have loads of spinach and arugula, and my little entrepreneurs are always looking to sell some. If you’re interested in a bag of fresh lettuce for $5, let me know and I can have one ready with your order.

It has been so nice to be home again and settling back into home routines. We always seem to have projects on the docket, and I’m grateful for the chance to set our hands to some work at home. I’ve been baking up a storm this past week, both for get-togethers and because I just missed it while we were gone. This week I made sourdough khorasan baguettes, a sourdough loaf with white Sonora flour, Jerusalem bagels, conchas, burger buns, and sourdough house loaves! I’m sure glad to have an oven on the porch that doesn’t heat up the house!

Sourdough house loaves are available every week, and can be ordered sliced or unsliced. I suspect that most of us are looking for ways to incorporate whole grains, and this bread is a great start. Freshly milled flour retains most of the vitamins and minerals that are sifted out of white flour, making this a bread to feel good about eating! All my sourdough gets a long, cold rest in the fridge, making it easier to tolerate even for those who are sensitive to gluten.

First, a change to next week’s pickup. I have an out-of-town funeral early in the week and need to push bread back a day. Pickups will be on Friday, April 17 at the normal places and times. I am sorry for the change and inconvenience! If you are a subscriber and you’re not able to pick up on Friday, please let me know and I’ll work with you to find a good solution.

On to the bread! This week’s bake of the week is one of the most decadent breads I make. Triple chocolate sourdough focaccia is every bit as delicious as it sounds. I start with a sourdough focaccia base, and to it add bloomed cocoa powder and three kinds of chocolate chips. In spite of all of the chocolate, it’s not overly sweet and the chocolate flavors really shine in this bread. When it’s warm, chocolate focaccia elicits sighs of contentment and delight! My kids will stop mid-mouthful to sing its praises before going on to devour their entire piece 

Three of our kids are running track this year. It’s been so much fun to watch them really get into it, and practice at home on their off days. We figured out a half-mile loop that they can run from home, and I love that they can do so on their own. It’s a great way to get strong and burn off a bit of their overflowing energy! Now that they are running so much, I’m thinking more about fueling them for their workouts. Great bread is a big part of that strategy!

Sourdough house loaves with freshly-milled flour are available as always. These loaves can be ordered sliced or unsliced. If you’re going to freeze it, or some of it, sliced has its advantages, like pulling out as many slices at a time as you need. However you prefer it, this is a great bread to stock up on for anything from impromptu picnics in the warm weather, to an easy side for a big salad. 

March is nearly here and I’m looking forward to the warm day forecast for today! I’ve started some seeds for the garden, and the rest are on their way. It’s still quite a while before we can plant outside, but those days no longer feel so far off.

I have a great lineup of breads for you this month, and an introduction to a special organization. Here you go!

March 5: Oat porridge sourdough loaf. Rolled oats are soaked and mixed into a hearty sourdough loaf that might just cure your winter blues. A slice of this bread, toasted, will bring a smile to your face!

March 12: Orange vanilla scones. I love a good scone, and this week I’m baking for a cause. House of Hope is a Christian orphanage and school in Madagascar, run by a friend we got to know while living in England. I’ll be using fresh oranges and homemade vanilla in these, and all the profits will go to House of Hope. My kids have a goal of raising enough money to sponsor a child for a year: $504. They will be helping with the scones this week! The pastor there, Rev. Jean Rajaonasy, will be visiting us in March, and speaking at St. Paul’s Lutheran about his work. 4 scones per order.

March 19: Maple Spelt sourdough loaf. This bread has become a tradition! I collaborate with Rebel Farms in Osseo for this loaf – their syrup is so rich and flavorful. Freshly milled spelt is the only flour in this bread. We look forward to this every year!

March 26: Sourdough banana bread muffins. Our family loves a loaf of banana bread, but muffins are more portable. These are great for on-the-go days, or a quick breakfast that I feel good about giving my family. I’ll use a mix of flours, and walnuts, to up the nutritional content in these. 4 muffins per order.

House sourdough loaves are also available to order, either for the month or on a weekly as-needed basis. We eat this bread with most everything, and it’s the fastest way to an easy meal. Sandwiches, grilled cheese, croutons, garlic bread, toast – it’s so versatile and we love it!

I don’t know about you but I’m feeling the slog of mid-winter. The sunshine sure has helped, but those long gray days seem to put us all in a funk. We’re getting outside when we can, and the kids are having fun building Calvin and Hobbes-esque snow creations in the backyard! I’m grateful for this time that they can be free and play.

For this week’s bake I polled my family. I had the other weeks of February planned out, and it was my daughter Miranda who vied for her choice to be on the list. She wanted to try the flavor combination of lemon and white chocolate in cookie form, and I have to say I was a bit skeptical. Turns out, the perpetually hungry teenager was on to something! I made a test batch and knew she was on to something. We don’t eat a lot of cookies here, but when we do we really try to do something special. I’m still tweaking the recipe, but the flavors are outstanding. They’re refreshing and cozy all at the same time, perfect for bright wintery days. I hope you’ll give them a try this coming week!

I’ve been thinking about the idea of success with the Winter Olympics in full swing. These elite athletes train a lifetime for a moment on the world stage. All of their preparation cannot guarantee a gold medal, or even a personal best. It’s been encouraging to hear athletes talk about success not only in terms of winning but of the pursuit of excellence. That idea seems fitting for long days where the routines of life can feel heavy. What does it mean to pursue excellence in the Christian life? How do we best think about success and shortcomings within that pursuit? Heavy questions for a bread email, I know!

Sourdough loaves with freshly-milled flour are available this and every week. If you’re looking for an introduction to sourdough bread, this is the one to try. Not overly sour, but full of flavor and nutrients from the grains, this is the bread I make most often, and the one my family eats most often!

What a week of snow! It’s beautiful outside, and I’m glad to have had some days this week to admire the weather from the inside. The kids are outside playing, making snowmen and snow angels. I can see the neighbors having a snowball fight and having a great time! This is the first winter we’ve had in Michigan with so much snow!

The hard work of shoveling and carrying in wood boxes has had me leaning into heartier meals. Tacos with homemade tortillas, pork tenderloin with roasted veg, baked potatoes with all the toppings. It’s always a balance to find meals that are satisfying but not heavy. 

I follow a similar concept with breads. I like to have something sweet, but I don’t want to have so much sugar that I feel terrible afterward. I’d like to enjoy my bread, and my day! This week’s bake of the week is the perfect bread for me in that regard. It has pockets of sweetness from the dark chocolate and the dried cherries, but without any additional sugar it’s not overwhelmingly sweet. Half of the flour is freshly milled rye, which comes from our friends on their Colorado farm. This loaf is naturally leavened, and that extra time really amps up the flavors. I think you’re going to love this one!

Baking sourdough in winter is a big adjustment from the summer. As long as there is no rush, it’s wonderful! The dough takes much longer to rise, leaving the day with larger windows of time for other pursuits. My house sourdough loaves typically get mixed in the evening and baked the following evening, or the morning after that. It’s more difficult to follow that schedule in the summer when the house is warmer and more humid! I’m enjoying the slower pace in this season.

We’ve made it through the 10 darkest weeks of the year, and the days are getting longer. I don’t know about you, but the cold always seems easier to bear when there is sunshine. We’ll see if I still feel that way after the cold stretch of days headed this way! A number of years ago, when the temps were well below zero, we tried a few outdoor experiments that the kids still talk about! One of them was tossing hot water into the air and watching it turn to vapor. I don’t know if this weekend will be cold enough for that, but it might be worth a try!

In these days of deep winter, we tend to lean into the cozy. The amount of tea made in our home is a bit ridiculous! I also like to thumb my nose a bit at winter with summery flavors. This week: lemon blueberry scones. Two flavors that are the epitome of summer. These are so bright and cheerful, and they’re a good mix of sweet and tart. Scones freeze well, and are a wonderful way to start a gray day – or any other kind!

I recently ordered a few new kinds of wheat berries and am making lists of all the breads I’d like to bake with them. Each kind of wheat has its own unique flavor and character. I’m not an expert, but I do enjoy experimenting with all kinds of flavors. The next few months of bakes should feature a few new grains, so keep an eye out for those!

For my house sourdough loaves, I’m sticking with the tried and true combination of red wheat, white wheat, and spelt. Those freshly milled grains make up 25% of the flour in each loaf, giving you a great portion of all of the nutrients that whole grains bring. If you’ve thought of whole grains as eating cardboard, give this loaf a try!

We’re getting a bit of a spring reprieve this weekend. Hopefully the sun comes out to match the warm temps! It has me thinking already about garden planning and what I’d like to grow this year. Do any of you gardeners have something new you’re looking forward to planting? 

This week’s bake is such a versatile bread that we enjoy year round. Focaccia is a flatbread that’s just thick enough to slice through for an epic sandwich or for garlic bread. It’s also excellent cut into smaller pieces to accompany meals like salads or pastas. We often eat it just as it is for a snack, or dipped in good olive oil. 

This week’s focaccia is naturally leavened and topped with freshly grated parmesan and black pepper. It’s a riff on the classic pasta dish ‘cacio e pepe’. These flavors are so good together, and especially on the sourdough focaccia. I mill white whole wheat for a good part of this bread, adding in all those good nutrients while keeping the flavor light. I think you’ll love this one!

We’re back to school this week after a nice long break. The routine has been a welcome change, though it does take some getting used to again! I’ve been glad to have this week to step back into normal life again before the college schedule picks up with music lessons and other campus-related activities. 

In the fall, I offered a semester subscription, primarily designed for students but also for anyone who keeps closely to the semester schedule. I’m doing the same now for the spring semester, and those subscriptions are open now! It’s a great way to support a student with some homemade baked goods. Not everything that I make is healthy per se, but a good deal of what comes out of my oven is nutritious! This subscription will follow the semester, taking off during spring break with the final bake at the beginning of finals week. If you or someone you know would enjoy a semester of sourdough loaves and/or the bakes of the week, those subscriptions are available now through Tuesday, with the first orders delivered on Thursday, January 15th!

I hope these past few weeks have been those of rest and refreshment, as well as happy celebrations with friends and family. We are back from a week of travel, and it feels so good to be home again!

January subscriptions are open now, and I have a great month of breads for you. Here’s the menu!

January 8: sourdough bagels (each order is for 3 bagels)

January 15: parmesan and pepper sourdough focaccia

January 22: whole wheat sandwich loaf

January 29: lemon blueberry scones (each order is for 4 scones)

Subscribers for the bake of the week will save a few dollars over the regular price of ordering weekly!

My new mixer handles all kinds of dough easily, and I’m excited to put it to work with this week’s sourdough bagels. I’ve always made those completely by hand, since most stand mixers aren’t powerful enough for bagel dough. While I’m grateful for the arm workout, I’m also looking forward to letting the motor do the heavy lifting so I can focus on all of the other important details! These bagels are quite different to what you might find in the grocery store. They are chewy with just a thin crust, they are a tiny bit sweet – just a hint. And the flavor is so full and interesting. We just love these at our house!

House sourdough loaves are also available to order, both as a subscription and on a weekly basis. If you’re making soups and stews in these cold months, this is the bread for you. A hearty stew and a slice of sourdough will keep you warm and satisfied! One of our winter favorites is this one – the kids ask for it all the time. Sourdough loaves can be ordered either sliced or unsliced, depending on your preference.

Early next week I will also make semester subscriptions available. The spring semester has more weeks available for bread delivery, which means more opportunity for delicious food! Watch your email to get in on the subscription for a whole semester of homemade breads 🙂