Fall has set in with its crisp mornings and drizzly weather. Not the best week for the fair but fun to see the bustle and lights even through the mist! I went for a walk with my eldest daughter this morning and she was enchanted by the mystery of a cloudy misty morning. 

October begins already on Sunday and while Oktoberfest for the Germans is wrapping up it still seems a good time to offer one of my favorite things to make: sourdough soft pretzels. I’ve eaten a lot of pretzels – we lived in southern Germany for nearly three years, where pretzels reign supreme. They’re different than their northern counterparts; chewier and less dry. When I set out to make them the first time, I was drawing on memories of tender, chewy pretzels with just the slightest crunch as you bite into them. I make them the traditional German way with a dip in a food-safe lye solution before baking, and sprinkling with coarse salt. These are the closest I have had to southern German pretzels (Brezeln) since we lived there! While best on the day they’re baked, they will also freeze well. 

This month I am offering a new option: a monthly subscription! If you enjoy getting fresh bread but have a hard time remembering to order, this will allow you to order once and be set up all month. I’ve laid out the bakes of the week for October, and you can choose to order the bake of the week, or a weekly loaf of sourdough, or any combination of those. If you’re interested in a combination you don’t see (like a bake of the week for two weeks and sourdough for the other two), just reach out and I’ll be glad to make a custom order. Choose your preferred pickup day when you order, but also know that I can adjust that for you if you need to adjust for a week. 

Other bakes this month will include pumpkin cinnamon scones, a hearty sourdough loaf with spelt, rye, and whole wheat, and a sourdough pumpkin loaf that is light, airy, and lightly spiced – a change from the dense pumpkin loaf we all know. As always, my crusty loaf of house sourdough will be available each week. You can also continue to order weekly; that process will continue to work the same way.

Please order and subscribe by Tuesday – that gives me enough time to have orders ready by Thursday. Most sourdough items take 2-3 days! The website should be up and running well with credit card payments if you prefer that option. Otherwise cash, check, and cashapp are all available. If you run into any trouble or frustration in the ordering process, just shoot me an email with what you’d like and I’ll take care of it! 

Growing up, every fall found my family at the local orchard picking apples. Almost without fail we would spend a gorgeous Saturday picking and eating until we couldn’t fit one more apple! It’s a tradition that I’ve carried on with my own family, and we all look forward to trying different varieties and especially enjoying everything that comes out of the oven once we get home.

This week I’m making scones with apples from a friend’s tree. But what is a tart apple without a bit of caramel?! A healthy scoop of caramel chips elevates these scones to something that can easily be dessert as well as breakfast. If you want to get extra fancy, drizzle a bit of caramel sauce over the top before you serve them! These scones are the perfect way to usher in fall, even if our weather this weekend is more akin to summer.

As always, I will be making my house sourdough bread. It ferments for just over 24 hours before going in the oven, making it easier on your gut and bringing out all the good flavors in wheat. I mill some of the flour for my house sourdough, giving you all the nutrition of those whole grains. This is a mild-tasting sourdough; it won’t set your teeth on edge like some kinds and it doesn’t have any preservatives – just flours, water, and salt. That being said, it will keep well on your countertop (not in the fridge!) for up to a week, and will also freeze well.

I will be baking on Thursday and Friday next week, September 28th and 29th, for pickup at my home both days and at Hillsdale College on Thursday. You can order here on the website – baked goods are generally available to order from Friday through Tuesday. I turn the ordering off while I prepare that week’s orders, then load the new products for the next week. If you have something you’d like to order in the meantime, or if you have any questions, please reach out to me! 

This week I ‘m swinging in the opposite direction from last week’s cookies with a bread that is *maybe* as healthy as bread gets. This week’s special is a freshly-milled whole wheat sourdough loaf. Now, before you cast off all whole wheat bread as cardboard (to be fair, most of it is), this bread is not that. Really! Its crusty exterior opens up to a soft and tender inside, and the flavor is nutty with just a hint of sour. I’d say it’s less sour than my house sourdough.

 Milling the flour shortly before baking preserves all of its nutrients and vitamins, giving you all the benefits of wheat. Making it sourdough takes the edge off, letting your body use those nutrients more easily. The fiber helps you to feel full; pair it with some protein and you have a solid meal any time of day. We enjoyed it at dinner with pan-fried chicken and sauteed apples, pears, and cranberries.

I’ll also be making my house sourdough this week, which has a smaller percentage of freshly-milled flour. It’s a lighter loaf  than the whole wheat loaf and adaptable to just about anything. This is the bread we eat most often and the one that usually stocks my freezer. It makes a great hostess gift or rounds out a meal for a friend.

I will be baking on Thursday and Friday of this coming week, September 21st and 22nd. Orders can be picked up at my home on both days, or at Hillsdale College on Thursday, September 21st, from my husband’s office (Jonathan Mumme, Kendall Hall 413). Please place your order by Tuesday morning, September 19th, so that I can have it ready for you. Payment is by cash, check, cashapp, or with credit card on the website.

This week, in addition to my sourdough house loaf with freshly-milled flour, I am baking my favorite chocolate chip cookies. Everyone has their own favorite: some like crispy cookies, some prefer chewy. Some like to add oatmeal or nuts, others just want the chocolate. I’ve made a lot of chocolate chip cookies over the years, but once I found this recipe I ceased looking for another version. These cookies are chewy with crispy edges and the flavor is outstanding thanks to a little secret: browned butter. Browning the butter before mixing it creates a nutty, butterscotch-y flavor that sets these cookies apart. 

There is something about homemade cookies – really homemade anything, I think – that feels like a hug. If you know someone who could use a hug, why not gift them homemade cookies? These will also freeze well (as does bread), so if you’re looking to have a quick dessert on hand for another time, pick up a few sets to save for later!

As the weather is turning this week I’m starting to think more about soups and stews. A great loaf of sourdough bread is the perfect way to round out a delicious soup on a cool evening. One of the students gifted us some Minnesota wild rice and her grandmother’s recipe for chicken and wild rice soup! That’s what we’ll be having with our sourdough this week.

I will be baking on Thursday, September 14th and Friday, September 15th for pickup at my home both afternoons and at Hillsdale College on Thursday the 14th. Please order before Tuesday morning, September 12th, so that I can get your order ready in time! Payment is with cash, check, CashApp, or by credit card on my website, hillsdalehearth.com. If you have questions or special requests do let me know. I’m always happy to bake something special for meals or events!

This past week we celebrated two birthdays: my husband’s and my eldest daughter’s. The lack of special birthday requests from my husband was more than countered by those of my daughter! The meal started out easy – BLTs and other summer fare. But, with a blue theme for the day, white sandwich bread fell short. I did not want to add blue food coloring so I researched and found a dried flower that can be steeped like a tea and results in a deep, gorgeous, natural blue color. After a bit of trial and error, the results were both delicious and stunning. Blue birthday bread was a big hit! The blue tea does not impart much if anything in the way of flavor but lets the sourdough shine. I made this as a sandwich loaf for ease in slicing and making sure the sandwiches were equally sized. Local bacon and tomatoes made these special sandwiches indeed.

Over the next few weeks I will be offering different kinds of treats in addition to breads. I am planning to make a few favorite cookies and scones available to order weekly along with house bread and the bread of the week. They can also be ordered on their own, or gifted to a colleague, student, or friend! Pickup will continue to be at my home and at Hillsdale College on the 4th floor of Kendall Hall.

This week both birthday bread and my house sourdough will be available. Both will freeze well and I recommend slicing before freezing to make thawing easier. Birthday bread is made with all purpose flour and house sourdough is a mix of bread flour, whole wheat, and spelt. Both loaves are naturally fermented without any added commercial yeast. Try them both and see which flavor you prefer!

I will be baking on Thursday, September 7th and Friday, September 8th with pickup at my home both days and the college on Thursday, September 7th. Order by Tuesday, September 5th to ensure availability of the bread you would like! Payment is by cash, check, CashApp, and by credit card through the website, hillsdalehearth.com. If you have any questions or special requests please let me know!

School is back in session both at home and at the college and our daily routine is starting to settle into a good rhythm again. We all love the summer for the change of pace, the shifting of gears into different activities and spontaneity. Yet come this time of year it seems that we are all craving a steady routine and some predictability. I’ve been thinking a good deal about how to feed my family with nutritious, filling foods that can be made ahead and especially some easy breakfasts and snacks. 

That’s where this week’s bake comes in: muffins. Muffins are always a great option to eat on the go, or for a quick breakfast alongside some fruit! But some muffins are so sugary that they’re more like cupcakes and less like the satisfying breakfast or snack I’m looking to have. These muffins, though, these are not cupcakes and are filled with all sorts of goodness: dried cherries, pepitas, whole wheat flour, apple, coconut, walnuts, and a few other delights as well. 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!

I’m also baking my house sourdough this week – a flavorful, crusty loaf that has a long fermentation, making it good for those of you who might be sensitive to gluten or who are looking to incorporate more fermented foods into your day. 

I will be baking on Thursday and Friday, August 31st and September 1st for pickup at my home both days or at the college on Thursday, August 31st. Remember to order by Tuesday, August 29th and indicate where you’d like to pick up! Please let me know if you have any special requests or events that would be well-served with homemade bread or other baked goods.

IIt’s still August but I’m typing tonight in a cozy sweater. It’s a bit early for sweater weather yet I’m kind of enjoying the change in temperature these last few days. Fall is such a lovely time to settle in, to drink more tea, to tend the hearth. My husband joked that he’s not lighting the wood stove for me in August! 

August is still a great time for garden produce, and this week I’m planning to make good use of that with an herbed sourdough bread. I’ll use my house sourdough and add in a combination of fresh herbs such as thyme, oregano, chives, and a bit of rosemary. This is such a fragrant loaf – the sourdough flavor really complements the bright herbs, making for a bread that is a delight to the senses. This is a great bread for grilled cheese and tomato soup, for making croutons, for dipping in olive oil alongside a salad. It would make a killer BLT or pan con tomate! 

I’ll also have my regular house sourdough available for order this week. That loaf can lean savory or sweet, depending on your mood. We’ve been toasting it, then adding butter and cinnamon sugar for a nice change of pace from jam.

House sourdough is $8 this week and herbed sourdough is $9. Let me know if you’d like to see more individual bakery delights – scones, pastries, cookies, rolls, or anything else – in addition to loaves of bread!

I will be baking on Thursday and Friday this week for pickup at my home (both days) and at Hillsdale College (Friday). If you’d like to pick up at a time different than those I have listed, let me know. I can usually be accommodating! Please be sure to order by Tuesday morning; sourdough needs a few days to build up all of that great flavor 🙂 Payment is by cash, check, Cashapp, or credit card on the website when you order.

We’re at the tail end of blueberry season and while we don’t have any bushes (yet!) we love to stock up at this time of year. There’s something wonderful about blueberries on dark winter days that feels hopeful for these long summer days.

Sourdough bread is a process, usually spanning three days from start to finish. I enjoy that process immensely, having something so tangible and delicious that results from patient tending of dough. But sometimes? Sometimes it’s refreshing to have more immediate satisfaction. Especially with hungry children! That’s where this week’s bread comes in.

Scones are a great way to put breakfast on the table quickly. They come together easily, require ingredients I have on hand, and only make a mess of one bowl. In England, the main attraction of scones was the clotted cream and jam; the scones were secondary. These scones don’t need anything else! I’m adding some flavors that I think you’ll enjoy: blueberries and lemon zest, and swapping some of the flour for freshly-milled spelt. I also use a bit of sourdough discard for extra (non-sour) flavor.

I’m back to a Thursday and Friday baking schedule, with pickup at my home both Thursday and Friday, August 17th & 18th or at Hillsdale College on Thursday, August 17th. I’ll have my house sourdough loaf as well as the blueberry & spelt scones available for order. 

This coming week you’re in for a treat. I have fond memories of eating focaccia by the slice while traveling in Italy. Drenched in olive oil, the edges just a little crispy, sometimes with toppings and sometimes just a little salt, it was always the right thing to eat. While I can’t transport us all to a rustic hillside town, I can bring the flavor of focaccia right to you.

Focaccia from my kitchen is naturally leavened, or made with sourdough starter. Almost everything I make is done this way; I find the flavors deeper and the fermentation makes it a healthier choice! I’ll keep it simple with sea salt and olive oil, but you can dress it up any way you like. We often slice them horizontally and make pizzas, or stuff them with deli meats, cheeses, and all the other sandwich toppings. Focaccia also makes a great snack, and we’ve drizzled it with honey for a sweet and salty combo that’s hard to beat.

I have a different schedule this next week, and will be baking on Wednesday, August 9th only, for pickup at my home in the afternoon. I’ll go back to the regular Thursday and Friday schedule after that and plan to stick with that for the next few months at least.

Also available next week is my house sourdough. This is what most people think of when they think of sourdough: a crusty loaf with a tender, open crumb. I make all my breads by hand, and for this one I mill some of my own flour. It’s the bread most often on my table, and it goes with everything.

I’ll cut the focaccia into squares about 6″ across; you can dream of your favorite vacation spot while enjoying sourdough focaccia at your own table!

Please be sure to order by Tuesday morning and I’ll have fresh sourdough focaccia and a crusty sourdough loaf ready for you by dinner time on Wednesday. 

You’ve probably seen pictures of babka: swirls of cinnamon and sugar laced through a rich and tender dough, the sugar caramelized on the outside making for an Insta-worthy shot. Babka is Jewish in origin, hailing from Eastern Europe. It means “little grandmother” and is meant to evoke the image of the swirls of a long, matronly skirt. Babka threads the needle between bread and cake – it’s a sweet bread but not overly so, and the layers and swirls make for a fantastic presentation. Babka is enriched with milk, butter, eggs, and brown sugar. If you have a dairy allergy, I can also make it dairy-free!

This particular babka is a sourdough version – I like the complex flavors that a long, cold proof brings to this loaf. It’s perfect on its own – no need for butter here, though I wouldn’t judge you if you slathered it with some! You could slice it and make decadent french toast, topping it with fresh Michigan blueberries. I usually make an extra loaf, then slice and freeze it for when I need a special snack for one of the kids. If it doesn’t go in the freezer right away it never lasts more than a day. It’s so, so good.

I’ll be baking on Thursday and Friday of the coming week, August 3 & 4. Pickup is at my home either day, or at the college on Thursday the 3rd. Please place your orders by Monday, July 31st, letting me know your preferred day and location for pickup. Sourdough cinnamon babka is $11 for a loaf; we usually get 10-12 slices from it, depending on who does the slicing 🙂