We had so much fun with the garden focaccia this week. Miranda chopped and organized all of the veggies, carefully planning out her designs. It was a delight to watch her work, and we both loved how the designs turned out! I hope you enjoyed them, as well. The veg that Suzie brought from Rebel Farm was absolutely stunning. If you’re looking for produce grown with love and attention, please do pay her a visit at her farm stand.

The actual garden out back is offering some of its firstfruits. We’ve had radishes and lettuce so far, and some chives, with snow peas not too far behind. The rain and hot weather this weekend should make it really take off. I like to go out in the morning, when it’s cool and still. It’s such a nice time for prayer, for thinking, and to just be quiet.

This week I’m making a family favorite: sourdough baguettes. They’re one of my favorite summer breads – easy to take along on day trips, great to top with fresh flavors (bruschetta!), and the perfect accompaniment to a big salad. We usually freeze a few of these to pull out for company or just because. Since they’re thin, they also thaw quite quickly!

Always available is my house sourdough, also a good option for stocking the freezer. I came in the house last night after painting the chicken coop, not much feeling like making dinner. Some slices of bread, cheese, and a quick salad later we had grilled cheese with salad. Not fancy, but a dinner within reach of a tired mom! I’m a big fan of meal planning, but sometimes the day takes a different turn and the plans simply aren’t feasible. Having a loaf of bread around means I can change plans quickly when the day throws a curveball!

We have a good-sized vegetable garden in our yard, and it seems like every year the kids grow both more able to help and more interested in having their own sections to tend. As you might imagine, this is met with varying degrees of aptitude and planning. It reminds me of the book “Strega Nona’s Harvest” by Tomie de Paola. Strega Nona plants her garden in tidy rows, and her comical assistant, big Anthony, scatters seeds as the spirit leads him, thumbing his nose at Strega Nona’s order. In the story, and in life, both gardens produce a bounty! 

This week’s bread is a partnership with Rebel Farms in Osseo, and featuring our eldest daughter, Miranda. I have made many a sourdough focaccia, often with herbs or cheese, once even a sweet version with chocolate! But for this one I’m turning to the garden. Suzie at Rebel Farms is generously supplying all the produce for this bread, and her gardens are a work of art. You can see them for yourself and pick up produce from her farm stand next week from 9am-dusk at 11081 S Bird Lake Rd in Osseo. Miranda will take that produce (even edible flowers!) and turn it into her own work of art, one that will delight your eyes and your tastebuds! We did a practice run this week so she could test out some ideas, and we both had a lot of fun with it. It was hard to cut into it, but worth it for those flavors!

I’m thinking about changing up my house sourdough for the summer, and offering different flavors for July and August. Let me know if you’re interested in that, or if you would prefer the regular version, available this week. Either way, I’ll make these loaves with a mix of freshly milled whole grains and give it a long fermentation in the fridge overnight, giving you the best of flavor and nutrition! 

When we go camping, our meals are usually fairly basic and practical. We think about what we can pack into a cooler and cook easily. In the past, that has tended to be hot dogs and sausages. On repeat. But most hot dog buns don’t travel well and end up a squished mess! We switched to a small griddle this year for our trip and it made cooking for our crew so much easier – and tastier. Now that we’re home, we’ll put some sausages and brats on the grill, not worrying about buns that get ‘accidentally’ placed underneath the bag of potatoes in the camper :/

For this week’s bake, I wanted to take that camping meal to a new level with homemade sourdough hot dog and brat buns. We’ve enjoyed these many times (though I don’t seem to have a photo to prove it!), and they are such a great way to have a quick and easy meal. They freeze well, making them an excellent option for last minute dinners, or taking on the road (frozen = not squished!) If you’ve had my burger buns, these will be quite similar in substance, though not in shape. Each order will have 4 buns.

Always available is my house sourdough. If you’re enjoying salads from the farmer’s market or your own garden, this bread makes outstanding croutons. Cube it, toast it in a skillet with the fat of your choice, and sprinkle with salt and whatever herbs you’d like. Voila!

Orders are open now through Tuesday, or until sold out. Pickup is on Thursday, June 12th either at Hillsdale College (Kendall 413) or at my home in Hillsdale, both after 1pm. Payment is by cash, check, or cashapp when you pickup, or by credit card when you order.

My children have been remarking this week on how they know that summer is near with all of their senses. The feel of warm sun on their bare arms and legs, the scent of hyacinths and tulips, the bursts of color from flowering trees, the early morning bird sounds, and sweet popsicles enjoyed on the porch steps. The end of the academic year always brings a certain bustle to our days, but I treasure these days that usher us into a new season.

This coming week is my last week of baking until June. I love making bagels and wanted to experiment with some other flavors. This week, sourdough asiago bagels are a delight for all your senses! Everyone who was awake started making their way toward the scent of baking bagels wafting from the oven. Asiago complements the sourdough so nicely, and these bagels are chewy and just wonderful. As my husband will attest, they also make killer sandwiches!

My house sourdough is usually in good supply in the freezer so that we always have bread on hand. Our supply has running pretty low so i’ve been trying to slowly replenish it, but my family goes through loaves more quickly these days, making that job more challenging! I find that bread thawed in the oven is nearly as good as when it’s freshly baked. To do that, I run the frozen loaf under cool water, then warm it in a 300 degree oven for about 30 minutes or so. Sometimes it needs a little extra, but that usually does it.

The June bakery menu hasn’t yet been finalized, so if you have a favorite that you’d like me to offer, let me know and I’ll see what I can do! I’m hoping to experiment with more whole grains, and to think along the lines of breads that are great for packing up for adventures and for easy summer dinners. Let me know what you’d like to see!

Orders are open now through Tuesday, or until sold out. The bakery is just me, with some help from my kids, and I do most everything by hand without a big mixer. It’s on my wishlist, but I’m getting strong arms in the meantime 🙂 Pickup is either at Hillsdale College (Kendall 413) or at my home in Hillsdale. I’ll continue to offer pickup in both places throughout the summer.

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter celebration. The academic year is winding down for our family and we’re looking forward to a change of pace in the summer. As the weather turns warm, we’re spending more time outside both on projects and just on fun! 

The month of May will have two weeks of bread orders – May 2nd and May 9th. I will not have subscriptions in May with just the two weeks but will pick back up with those in June. Orders in May will just be on a weekly basis!

 As the weather heats up burgers become a regular on our weekly menu. A burger is only as great as its bun, and sourdough burger buns are the best of the best. These have such wonderful flavor, and they hold up well to any burger or sandwich you can envision. They also freeze nicely and we love having them on hand for a quick and easy dinner. Burger buns will be available for pickup on May 2nd, and each order will have 4 buns.

May 9th will feature asiago bagels, so be sure to check back next Friday for those!

Always available is my house sourdough. It’s a great week to stock a few loaves in the freezer! This loaf is everything you want in a crusty loaf of bread – crunchy on the outside, soft and tender in the middle, and so much great flavor and nutrition!

A blessed Holy Saturday to you all. This week has been filled with special services at church, musical preparations, and getting ready for guests on Easter. We’re hosting a smaller group this year and we’re looking forward to great food with great friends!

This coming week I’ll be baking a new twist on a sourdough sweet bread: white chocolate raspberry babka. I’ve made other iterations with cinnamon sugar, or with chocolate filling, but I wanted to lighten the flavors for springtime. Raspberry seemed a good choice, and it pairs so well with white chocolate. It’s still proofing as I write, but this gives you a little insight into the not-yet-finished product! These are naturally leavened, but you won’t find a hint of sour – just great flavor! 

Always available are my house sourdough loaves. This is a great crusty loaf with 25% whole grains, and works well for anything you want to put on the table. It’s perfect alongside a big salad, dipped in olive oil! If you can find good, fresh radishes, try a thick slice of sourdough topped with butter, thinly sliced radishes, and a sprinkle of salt. It tastes like spring!

Looking ahead to May, I will be baking the first two weeks and then taking the rest of the month off. There will not be subscriptions for those two weeks, but I will have house loaves and a bake of the week. Keep your eye out for that email next week. Subscriptions will open back up for June with summery breads in store!

As we’ve had kids starting music lessons over the past few years, it seems that ‘Hot Cross Buns’ is always on repeat with one instrument or another. What joy to watch kids go from eeking out a few notes to playing more complex melodies! 

This week I’m following a centuries-old tradition of making hot cross buns for Holy Week. As far as I can tell, hot cross buns marked with a cross were first baked by a monk on Good Friday during the 12th century. Some of the more colorful legends surrounding them include their supernatural powers to prevent illness and their ability to protect a household from evil spirits. It’s also said that buns baked on Good Friday will not go moldy! At least at my house, the buns don’t last long enough to run the risk of spoiling. I make these with a natural leaven, so their flavor is absolutely delightful with no sourness at all. They’re slightly sweet, and studded with raisins and dried cranberries, then glazed for a little extra sweetness and a beautiful shine. These are an essential part of our Holy Week tradition, and I hope they’ll become part of yours as well.

I’ll also be making sourdough loaves, as I do each week. These keep and freeze well, and you’ll be glad to have one on hand for those ham sandwiches on Easter Monday! All the freshly milled whole grains will help meet those fiber recommendations, and will keep you feeling full. 

A new month is nearly upon us, and as the weather turns warmer (sometimes, anyway!) my sights are set on spring. My little plant starts are growing in the basement, and a few remnants from last year’s garden are popping up outside. Everyone is itching to run around barefoot and feel the sun on arms and legs again!

April brings a new month of breads and I have a great lineup for you! The dates listed are for pickup; ordering happens in the week leading up to that date:

April 3: Oat porridge sourdough loaf – versatile, simple, and full of hearty flavors this one is sure to be a favorite.

April 10: Sourdough soft pretzels (3 to an order) – these are simply the best. Close your eyes and imagine meandering through cobblestone streets in Germany! Be sure to have good beer on hand for these, as well!

April 17: Sourdough hot cross buns (4 to an order) – I’ll make these just in time for Good Friday. They’re soft, sweet, and decorated with a traditional cross on the top.

April 24: Raspberry white chocolate sourdough babka – Babka is a decadent sweet bread. I’ve made other versions in the past, and this one will be just right for the season. Loaded with raspberry jam and white chocolate you’ll enjoy every last bite of this mini loaf!

Subscriptions for April are only open this weekend; after that, you can place orders on a weekly basis for the bake of the week or for house sourdough. A subscription ensures that you get each week’s bake before it sells out! 

Subscriptions and weekly ordering are available for both the bake of the week, and for my house sourdough loaf. This is a great crusty loaf that goes well with everything and is packed full of whole grains from freshly milled flour. It’s a bread you can feel good about eating! If you’re sensitive to gluten, and have thought about trying a true sourdough, this bread is a great place to start. Reach out to me if you have any questions about that!

Sourdough is simply a term that means natural leavening. All of the sourdough products that I bake are made without commercial yeast. It doesn’t mean sour flavor! True sourdough means that the bread-making process extends over at least a 24 hour period, allowing for the fermentation to work its magic. Many sourdough loaves in the grocery store still add commercial yeast – this keeps the bread on a schedule. I don’t do that; I let the bread have its own schedule 🙂 And it gives a wonderful flavor to both savory and sweet breads, as well as making them more nutritious and easier on your gut!

March’s last bake is a new one for me, and one that will delight all you chocolate lovers. I’ve made different kinds of sourdough focaccia in the past, but sweet focaccia has never really appealed to me. Perhaps it’s that I associate it with olive oil and savory toppings, but whatever the case it’s not been on my baking radar. Until a fellow baker encouraged me to try a sweet version and I stumbled on this one. I had a few half-used bags of different kinds of chocolate chips so I used dark, milk, and white chocolate and loved the combination! It’s chocolatey, and sweet, but doesn’t wallop you with sugar. The sourdough culture tones it down a little and also adds some other layers of flavor. This chocolate sourdough focaccia has definitely converted me to the sweet sourdough side!

I’ve been thinking about what to bake in April and have a good start to my list. If you have a favorite bake that you’d like to see offered, let me know! With Easter coming up I have some special things in mind. Be sure to read next week’s email for all the details.

My house sourdough continues to be available each week. I love the grains in these loaves, and the fresh flour is a delight every time I mill it. It smells so good, and it’s soft and fluffy when it comes out of the mill. Yesterday’s spelt bread had the mill working overtime, but I think the result was well worth it! There’s spelt in my house sourdough as well as red and white wheat. My kids polished off an entire loaf at lunch this week; whenever there’s one right out of the oven it disappears in a flash!

Chocolate sourdough focaccia and house sourdough loaves are available now until Tuesday or until sold out. Each focaccia order is for a piece about 6″x5″.

The days have been warm and the nights cool, which I’m told are just the right conditions for tapping maple trees. We’ve had fun in the past going out to Rebel Farms in Osseo during maple season to learn about the process, see the setup, and sample syrup in its various stages. I’ll tell you, a cup of steaming sap that’s on its way to syrup is such a memorable delight!

This week I’m working with Suzie at Rebel Farms to bring you an absolutely wonderful (and healthy!) bread: 100% spelt sourdough loaf with maple syrup. Spelt is an ancient grain that is high in fiber and has higher levels of essential vitamins and minerals than other grains. It can help to regulate blood sugar and aid in digestive health. Since I’m milling the spelt myself, all of those nutrients and minerals go right into your bread! Add that to the minerals (yes, minerals!!) in maple syrup, plus natural fermentation, and you have a bread that you can feel very, very good about eating. The good news is, it won’t taste like eating healthy bread! The maple syrup from Rebel Farms is the best I’ve had and adds such wonderful flavor to this loaf. This one is in pan loaf form, so it will slice nicely into toast or sandwiches.

Always available is my house sourdough loaf. This crusty loaf is a staple at our house (hence the name!) and is the bread I make most often. It really is our daily bread! I use a blend of grains that I mill just before mixing, and I love the flavors that each brings. The process from preparing the starter to finishing the bake takes about 36 hours. That long time is part of what gives these loaves their wonderful flavor – not really sour, just delicious.