Blog posts

Now that summer's almost here, really nice berries are popping up at the market. Last week, I bought two large boxes of strawberries, and a large box each of blueberries and raspberries. I did a decent job eating them, but they were starting to go overripe, so I decided to make a summer berry pudding. It's one of my favorite easy desserts because there's not much precision required. The recipe is pretty foolproof, and you can substitute any berries you like. The only requirement is that you have some good bread and enough berries to make plenty of sauce.

I have enjoyed the yeast water/raisin yeast water episode but in feeding my beasties, I have trouble tossing the content, so I have been using mine steadily.  I made a levain the other day and made too much, so I decided to call it my water yeast sourdough and with the flour added to the liquid yeast, basically that's what it is.........so................

I made this same bread before some months ago combining Jeffrey Hamelman’s method and Bourke Street Bakery recipe (not entirely). This time I followed Bourke Street Bakery’s recipe closely. Umm, closely, I actually increased the amount of both soy beans and linseeds substantially (double the amount for both soys and linseeds), upped the amount of water a little (hydration percentage) and replaced 10% of bread flour with whole wheat flour.

After nearly two good years at my local Great Harvest, two weeks ago I packed up, called it good and moved to a new venture down the road. It was hard to leave good friends and a great boss, but after talking to my Chef/Professor at college and my fiance, I decided I had hit the wall, learned everything I could at the bakery and because of that, it was time to move on from my current bakery. In order to grow and develop I needed to start working on other skills and making different loaves daily.

Specially rich CHALLAH (Jewish bread)

Specially rich challah, yet soft and fluffy as a challah should be

One Pound Pullman Shorty

A one pound loaf is just right for me. I can comfortably go through two loaves a week, without getting too overweight...

After years of baking bread I started making fun shapes.  My first attempts were using the entire batch of dough to make one large "Fun Bun". 

I made a frog for the neighbor girls.

Then a mouse for my backdoor neighbor.

I tried a pig next.

by George, I think I've got it!

A lot has been said regarding using the liquid wild yeast or water yeast for sourdough and thought I would give you an idea of the results that I have been getting.  I use a double feed for my bread  and by that I mean that I refresh the yeast water routinely and when I am ready to bake, I take 1 part yeast water and 2 parts flour, or there abouts.  I don't really measure to the inth degree just generally use a 1/2 cup measure and fill the container and add that to my yeast water and stir.

I started baking bread in 1969.  As a new bride I wanted to continue the family tradition of making Swedish Rye Bread.

A few years ago I was looking for ways to share my love of baking with my grandchildren.  Here are some "fun buns" I have created.