Category: Uncategorized

I woke up to a heavy rain this morning. We have had such a warm, dry fall that it was surprising to hear it crashing down on the roof! It made me think of the animals outside, and how it must sound to them on a tin roof. Today we’ll say goodbye to the last two puppies. They all have wonderful homes! We have all learned so much through this chance to have puppies at home, and we’ll sure miss seeing them every day. The kids don’t know it yet, but we’re planning a fun night together tonight to celebrate all of their hard work these last 9 weeks!

This coming week I’m making a sweet bread that looks as impressive as it tastes. Babka has Jewish origins and is a sweet bread (mine’s sourdough!) twisted together with cinnamon and dark brown sugar. It’s almost like a cinnamon roll in bread form, but better! I make these in small bread pans, about 3″x5″. They’re fun to make, and even more fun to eat. Babka also freeze well, and we’ll be putting a few in the freezer for all of our November guests.

Always available is my house sourdough with freshly milled grains. I played around with a number of different combinations and grains before I came up with the one I use now. Among the grains I mill is spelt, which just might be my favorite grain. It’s a little bit nutty tasting and really just lovely. It’s high in protein, fiber, B vitamins, and magnesium, adding health benefits to the great taste.

I can’t remember an end to October quite like this one. The warm, dry weather, the spectacular colors, the leaves still mostly on the trees – it has been so delightful to be outside without all of the layers this far into the fall! I’ve slowly been putting away all of the summer clothes and bringing out the winter ones. It’s always astonishing to see how short last year’s pants are on all of the kids! I’m grateful for hand-me-downs from friends and family, and for children who think it’s a treasure hunt to go through the next bin of clothing from the basement.

This month, a young man from our homeschool co-op asked if he might make eggs from the ducks he raises available to all of you. We’ve had them, and they’re delicious! Here’s a word from him: “Hi, my name is Evan, I’m 15, and a couple years ago I started a duck egg business. My ducks are free range, and I give them non-GMO feed. The price is $5 a dozen. There will be a cooler full of eggs at bread pickup during November, so you can take what you would like and leave money in the envelope. You can also contact me at [email protected].” These will just be at my home, and not at the college 🙂

November is nearly upon us and I have a wonderfully autumnal lineup for you! Please note that I will not be making house sourdough during Thanksgiving week. All subscriptions will just be for the first three weeks of November, with sourdough dinner rolls available to order for pickup on the Wednesday of Thanksgiving week. Here’s the lineup with pickup dates!

November 6: Lemon buttermilk apricot scones

November 13: Mini cinnamon sugar sourdough babka

November 20: Pumpkin cinnamon sourdough with golden raisins

November 26 (Wednesday): sourdough dinner rolls (not part of the November subscription)

All of these will freeze well, and would be wonderful additions to whatever Thanksgiving feasting you’re planning! I love the scones for something light and fresh on the day after Thanksgiving. Sourdough babka is a decadent bake – if you visited me at The Source on Hillsdale’s campus this year, you might have tried that one! 

Pumpkin cinnamon sourdough is a far cry from traditional dense pumpkin bread. This has more of a sandwich loaf texture, with just a hint of sweetness, and beautiful plump golden raisins. Finally, sourdough dinner rolls are a non-negotiable part of our Thanksgiving dinner, and I hope they’ll grace your table, as well!

I will be making house sourdough loaves for the first three weeks of November. These loaves also freeze very well, so stock up for the rest of the month! 

Three-week subscriptions for the bake of the week and for house sourdough are open now through Tuesday, as well as individual orders for lemon buttermilk scones and house sourdough loaves. 

Hi all,

Fall weather has finally arrived and I can hardly wait for the first wood fire of the season. There is something so special about lighting the hearth to mark the start of the season. Sure, it’s work to heat with wood, but we all so enjoy the coziness and warmth of the fire!

I’m leaning into the flavors of the fall in this week’s bake: pumpkin cookies. Mind you, I’ve tried many a version of pumpkin cookies, most tasting more of sugar than of pumpkin and spices. These, though, hit the mark. I start with browning a good deal of butter, then adding in the pumpkin and cooking it all down until it’s thick and fudgy. Then come the spices and flour. If you could step into my kitchen when these are baking, I can almost guarantee a smile on your face 🙂

We’ve pulled out most of the garden by now, save some weeds and the sweet potatoes. It’s another sign of a changing season, moving more of our work inside instead of out. The puppies outside almost all have homes, and the chickens will be glad to move to their winter home soon. We’ll hope to address some indoor projects in the coming months, settling into some new routines in the new season.

Bread becomes even more of a staple for us in the colder months – it’s always the right fit with the soups and stews of the cold weather months. We made and froze quite a bit of tomato soup, and we’ll look forward to that all winter long, with sourdough grilled cheese sandwiches, of course! My house sourdough with freshly milled flour goes quickly at home these days, so I’m making it in extra large batches!

Next week, the November menu and subscriptions will be available. If you’ve been thinking about a monthly subscription, now is a great time to start! Subscribers are sure to get the breads they want each week, without having to remember to order weekly or face a sold-out week. 

Orders are open now through Tuesday, or until sold out. Breads can be picked up on Thursday afternoons either from Hillsdale College (Kendall 413) or from my home in Hillsdale. 

Payment is by cash, check, or cashapp on pickup, or by credit card/Apple Pay when you order.

Please reach out with any questions or special requests!

Warmly, 

Rachel

A few times a year I make sourdough soft pretzels. We lived in Germany for 5 years, and I still think of the aromas from the bakeries making these daily. Pretzels were a staple of our diet, and smeared with good butter they were absolutely perfect. When we returned to the United States, I knew I wanted to figure out how to make pretzels. I used a German recipe for a time, but once we switched (nearly) all of our baked goods to sourdough, I think these are close to the German bakeries!

We’re still working on finding homes for a few sweet puppies. If you know of anyone looking for a great dog, do let me know! They’re so friendly, and their mama is teaching them well. They get all sorts of play time with children and with kittens!

The changing weather means that sourdough needs a bit more attention than usual. Cooler temperatures and drier air mean some changes in the dough. I enjoy the challenge of the seasons but it still sometimes catches me off guard! I love these sourdough loaves – the whole process still feels magical and the warm, crusty bread that I know is good for my family is on our table daily.

If you’re looking for a gift, I offer gift subscriptions on the website for a month of sourdough loaves! If you’d like to gift something else, just reach out to me!

As I sip my tea this morning and take in the quiet morning, the sky has been changing before my eyes. Inky black, dusky blue, paler blue, then streaks of pink and purple make it come alive! The whole landscape wakes up with the sky. What a sight!

We’ve all been loving the puppies this past week! If you or someone you know is looking for a sweet family dog, these little guys and girls will make great additions to any family. Medium sized, two parents with wonderful temperaments, and so much love and play time from kids and families. ​We’re not looking to make money on these, just recoup at least some of our costs. $100 each!

This coming week I’m baking sourdough focaccia made with white whole wheat and topped with fresh rosemary, garlic, and sea salt. ​​I bake it in a big pan and cut it into rectangles, about 5″x6″. This is delicious on its own, or as a side to a hearty soup, salad, or big bowl of pasta. We also often slice focaccia through the middle to make two large, thinner pieces, then make a killer sandwich!

Always available is my house sourdough loaf. As the weather turns colder, this is such a good bread to have on hand to round out any meal, or for an easy dinner of grilled cheese and a salad! These loaves have 25% freshly milled whole grains, and can be ordered sliced or unsliced. 

It might not feel like autumn yet, but it sure seems like it should! The kids are getting out their cool-weather clothes, all the stores have apple cider and pumpkin spice, and the leaves are starting to reveal their true colors. What a great time of year!

The bake of the week is a sourdough loaf that tastes like fall. It’s a loaf that’s full of good things – freshly milled wheat, dark chocolate, toasted walnuts, and flax seeds. I just love this bread. There’s no sugar except for what’s in the chocolate, and yet it tastes decadent! I could eat this one on repeat until spring comes around 🙂

Our school year is in full swing, and we’ll follow the college schedule by taking a long weekend next week. Sometimes it’s challenging to come back from breaks, but it does us all good to change up our routine for a few days. We don’t have much on our agenda – a little fall shopping for our eldest, cross country practice for the second, and lots of play time with the puppies for all of us! It’s been so sweet to watch the kids with these puppies, and to see how quickly they grow.

We’re hoping to put some venison in the freezer this fall, and my house sourdough is such a great accompaniment for so many meals! We had it with beef stew this past week, and with venison tenderloin a few weeks back. Tomorrow, we’ll have it toasted and topped with fresh tomatoes and basil as bruschetta! It’s a bread that I feel good about feeding my family, and I’m grateful that so many of you do, too.

October is right around the corner and all of the best fall things come with the change of seasons. Pumpkins, apples, fall colors, crisp mornings, cozy sweaters. It is a wonderful time of year.

This month, I’m leaning into the cozy vibes for each week’s bake. Here’s the lineup:

 October 2: Caramel apple scones. These lovely scones hit all of the right fall notes. Sweet, but not too sweet. Both these scones and the pumpkin cookies later in the month feature local homemade vanilla extract from Homemade by Halcyon Plains! I hope you’ll enjoy these as much as we do. (4 scones/order)

October 9: Whole grain chocolate-walnut-flax sourdough loaf. This bread just feels like fall: sweet chocolate, toasty nuts, and hearty flax all make for the ideal slice of toast on a cool morning.

October 16: Rosemary & garlic focaccia. Sourdough focaccia is superb on its own – a thick slab of flavorful sourdough goodness. But topped with rosemary and garlic, it is superb.

October 23: Sourdough soft pretzels. These are the perfect way to send off October and are as close to an authentic German pretzel as I’ve had. Guten Appetit! (3 pretzels/order)

October 30: Browned butter pumpkin cookies. What fall lineup would be complete without something pumpkin flavored? These cookies are fudgy in texture, thanks to the browned butter and reduced pumpkin. (6 cookies/order)

House sourdough loaves are available each week, now also offered sliced (courtesy of a bread slicer and my oldest daughter!). These loaves pack a nutritional punch with freshly milled grains and a long, cold rest in the refrigerator.

Great vanilla extract adds so much flavor to sweet baked goods. I met Emily Hill, owner of Homemade by Halcyon Plains, at church a few weeks ago and was delighted to hear of her small business making vanilla extract and nut butters. I’m excited to partner with her this month on the scones and cookies!

Here’s a little about her: “Hello, sourdough lovers! My name is Emily, I’ve recently moved to Hillsdale from Wyoming with my husband and 1-yr-old son. We started Homemade by Halcyon Plains this fall as a way to serve our family and community through creating and selling top-quality, locally-made food products from home. 

Our current specialities are homemade vanilla extract and homemade nut butters! All from scratch, with no additives, fillers, or preservatives. We currently have a booth at the Hillsdale County Farmer’s Market, and our website provides details about our online ordering system & contact info. Check us out on Facebook here!

Send us a message to let us know that you found out about us through Hillsdale Hearth and receive 10% OFF on your first order!”

Wonderful business, wonderful people, and wonderful pairing with sourdough baked goods!

We’ve had a special week with a dear friend from Scotland visiting us. He is the godfather of our oldest boy and it has been so sweet to see them get to spend so much time together. What a gift to have godly adults in our lives who are kind and interested in our children!

We had *just* started to get out all of the fall clothes when this hot weather hit. The kids are loving it, though, and soaking up the last of summer. We’ll likely make one last big batch of tomato soup and sauce before pulling those plants out of the garden. And we still have potatoes and sweet potatoes to harvest. But if anyone would like tomatoes, please let me know!

This week I’m baking morning glory muffins. These muffins are filled with all sorts of goodness: dried cherries, pepitas, whole wheat flour, apple, coconut, walnuts, and a few other delights as well (like sourdough starter!). Sure, they have some sugar (but no dairy!), but it’s not the first flavor you’ll taste nor will they give you the high and low of a breakfast cupcake. These have everything you need to get your day off to a great start! Each order contains four muffins.

My house sourdough is available both sliced and unsliced. It freezes well both ways and should keep for several days at least without getting stale. If you’re thawing from frozen, or even if it feels a bit dried out, run your loaf under running water for 5-10 seconds, then place the loaf in a warm oven around 300 degrees for 15 min (if dried out) or 30 min (if frozen). Voila! Fresh bread!

This past weekend we witnessed the births of 7 puppies to our sweet dog! The kids were able to witness the births and be a part of the quietly miraculous evening. Puppies and mama are all well. It is a delight to watch them grow and to watch our children grow as they learn about the responsibility of caring for tiny living creatures.

This week I’m baking a wholesome sandwich bread made with only freshly milled flours. I’ll use a mix of white whole wheat and spelt. Nutritionally, this bread is hard to beat. Milling the grains means that all parts of the grain make their way into the bread, which is different than whole wheat flour from the store. That flour must be sifted and processed, otherwise the oils in the grain would turn the flour rancid. Spelt is high in fiber, protein, magnesium, and B vitamins making this a loaf you can enjoy on many levels!

House sourdough loaves are available weekly to order, both sliced and unsliced. I also use freshly milled flour in these loaves in addition to bread flour from King Arthur Baking. I’ve tried a lot of flours and this is the one I keep coming back to. These loaves are a staple at our house. In this season, we’re especially enjoying them as the vehicle for BLT sandwiches with garden tomatoes!

We are anxiously awaiting a litter of puppies from our sweet dog, Sadie. She has been showing all the signs of getting ready for whelping and we’re watching closely, ready to help. The kids are beyond excited to watch this all unfold and to meet the puppies! Sadie is a wonderful family dog, and we’re looking forward to watching her be a mama, as well. Not all of the puppies are spoken for; if you’re looking for a pup with friendly and good tempered parents, do let me know!

Speaking of sweet, this week’s bake is always a hit. Babka originated as a Jewish bread made mostly in Poland. It was often made with leftover challah dough and twisted up with different fillings. I’m making this version naturally leavened (aka sourdough) without the sour! Instead of the traditional chocolate or cinnamon sugar fillings, I’ll be sauteeing apples with butter, brown sugar, and spices and using that to twist into these babkas. This treat is a perfect way to welcome fall!

Always available is my house sourdough, both sliced and unsliced. These crusty loaves with freshly milled grains are the perfect addition to just about any meal. As we get into soup season here, these loaves go quickly at our table! 

Orders are open every week from Friday through Tuesday. They close mid-week to give me time to bake and deliver all the orders. Sourdough babka and sourdough loaves are available to order now through Tuesday, September 9th for pickup on the 11th.