New stuff for the holidays

So I have been rolling along with some of my established breads:

• Oatmeal Pecan
• Wheatberry
• Rosemary Fig
• Loaded Potato
• Mississippi Sourdough
  
• Italian Sun-dried Tomato
• Asiago Herb

Plus the ever popular

• Ginger Chewies
• Toffee Biscotti

But we Americans love new stuff, so I do have some new items too. In addition to my excellent homemade organic butter seasoned with sea salt and mediterranean herbs, I've added cinnamon sugar and honey butter. This is really good stuff. I will elaborate some on why you want my butter when every grocery store has butter:

• I use high quality organic cream. I started out with cream from our local dairy, but have switched for health reasons. Organic cream is higher in Omega 3 fatty acids than cream from cows that are kept pinned up in a barn and not allowed to pasture enough.
• I culture my butter- by adding yogurt and letting the cream sit out for a day the butter has an enhanced flavor and shelf life.
• My butter is fresh and much easier than making your own:)

This year I'm changing up my gingerbread men. Notice this will not affect my Ginger Chewies at all, I'm leaving them just as they are. My Ginger Chewies are a different dough it is far too sticky to roll out. I wanted a more old fashioned gingerbread man, kinda like the ones I would get from the Old Time Deli as a child. I have changed my dough recipe to be more buttery and bready and less sweet. I am making a bigger gingerbread man and decorating him more subtly. I have done a trial run and they went over very well with the husband. I'm using chocolate beads for the eyes and buttons and a little candied lemon or orange peel for the mouth. I hope to have pictures soon.

Communications Tool

So I had a good friend & customer suggest to me that I start an email list to send out my selling locations & weekly specials to my customers. So if you would like to receive an email weekly about what I'm selling & where I'll be just click the "send us email" button on the left side of the screen. I will keep your email confidential & definitely not share it with spammers:)

Busy year for the Roots

I am finally back in town, done with graduations & weddings for awhile anyway, and ready to work!

Unfortunately I will not be at Belhaven market this week. I am planning on being at Belhaven next week, July 5th and in Clinton, July 12th. Come see me if you want some delicious whole grain bread!

Oatmeal Pecan Bread

I try to cater my bread to different tastes. I realize that everyone doesn’t like a hearty robust whole wheat. Last market season I had a Honey Oat, 100% whole grain of course. This was my version of a milder whole grain bread. I have improved on that bread & am introducing the new Oatmeal Pecan. It is creamier than my honey oat, but still mild and lightly sweetened with MS honey. Roasted pecan add a nutty richness to the creamy mildness. This bread has something yummy for everyone!

Ingredients: organic stone-ground white whole wheat flour, organic stone-ground whole wheat flour, MS honey, organic thick rolled oats, roasted pecans, dried milk powder, orange juice, canola oil, egg whites, salt, yeast

Loaded Potato Bread

So you read this and thought: potatoes don't belong on a healthy food blog. Well yes they do. The USDA says:

Potatoes are an important source of complex carbohydrates. In addition, they contain vitamins C and B ₆ , iron, potassium, and trace minerals such as manganese, chromium, selenium, and phosphorus. Potatoes are low in sodium, are virtually fat free, and provide fiber when the skin is eaten.

Here's another article I ran across about why potatoes are healthy. So great eat some baked potatoes right. Well eating them in whole grain bread is another great idea. I've had grocery store (not fresh, blahhh) potato bread so I wasn't expecting the addition of fresh mashed potatoes to be a big deal.

• Potatoes give the bread a soft & moist texture.
  
• Eggs add a bit more rise
• Fennel lends a subtle herby note
  
• Sesame seeds top it off with a nutty crunch

Of course it’s 100% whole grain. To experience the full effect try it for yourself!

Ingredients: organic stone-ground white whole wheat flour, mashed potatoes, Mississippi honey, eggs, buttermilk powder, canola oil, sesame seeds, egg white, roasted sesame oil, salt, yeast, fennel

Rosemary Fig

This bread was probably my #1 seller last market season. It is different, but also familiar. I'm sure we all know someone that has a fig tree. I wish I had one, one day in my dream yard with my muscadine vines, wonderful garden, every herb you could want...









Figs are a much loved fruit in Mississippi. So I took a hearty whole wheat bread and added dried fig pieces and fresh rosemary leaves. The resulting bread has been popular. It is one of my favorites. I love this bread with dinner, but I am told that it makes a wonderful peanut butter sandwich. The rosemary is subtle in this bread, there is enough to taste but not to overpower.



Ingredients: organic stone-ground whole wheat flour, water, chopped figs, malted barley syrup, dry milk powder, orange juice, Mississippi honey, butter, rosemary, egg whites, salt, yeast

You want the numbers...

I've had several customers request nutritional analyses on my bakery goods. So I analyzed my Toffee biscotti recipe using my nutrition software. If you are interested go to the Toffee biscotti post.

It wasn't as easy as it should have been, but I'm fairly confident that it is a good approximation. I would have analyzed all my recipes already if not for several obstacles:
1. my items are handmade so the portions aren't exact
2. the bread doesn't come pre-sliced
3. my analysis software does not contain all my specialty ingredients in its database
4. I am not required by law to have nutritional information b/c I am a "mom & pop" operation, to have real nutrition info I would need to have my food sent off and physically tested

All that said I'm glad to provide some information. On my biscotti I have listed the information for a serving size of 1 large biscotti (or sometimes 2 small) equal to 1/12 the recipe size. And when I get the bread analyzed I will list the numbers for a portion of the bread- your slices may be bigger or smaller than mine. But hopefully my analysis will be helpful.

Cadillac vs. Newbie

Huh? Let me clarify. I'm doing a comparison test between two types of flour.

In one corner we have my old favorite: King Arthur traditional whole wheat flour. I started using this flour b/c another baker told me this was "the cadillac of flour". I have found that this is true. I get very consistent results with my bread using King Arthur. I have never bought any rancid flour, even buying from the grocery store. I usually order directly from them so my flour is fresh, additionally I have been treated very well by their customer service.

In the other corner we have my new discovery: War Eagle Mill organic whole wheat stone-ground flour. So why change a good thing? Well I have long been interested in stone-ground flour because it is supposed to have better nutritional value & flavor than roller milled flour. There is all kinds of information to be found, I never have found any firm comparison on the matter. The National Heart Foundation does briefly discuss the matter. I have used stone ground flour before, but I never had an affordable source for quality flour. That is until I found War Eagle Mill, now I'm willing to give it a try.

So I'm pitting these flours against each other in a run of sourdough bread. This is the easiest bread to test with, because I typically run 2 separate batches simultaneously.

1. Setting up the starter dough:

KA- looks redder
WEM- more golden hue, slightly bigger bran fragments (very slightly), upon tasting is slightly sweet













2. Preparing the bread dough:

KA- typical results for this bread- flour/water proportions perfect
WEM- this flour was wetter, I had to considerately more flour to bring the dough consistency to where I like it to be. Also I had to knead this dough for longer than the KA to get enough gluten development.


3. Bread dough rising:

KA- seemed to have a better rise as you can see from these profile shots
WEM- still rose, just not as much as KA







4. Baking

KA- browned more, perhaps more tannins in bran of flour (gives red color)
WEM- once baked the two loaves seem to be the same size






5. Slice & Taste

KA- seemed to have a more sour taste?
WEM- looks identical to the KA slice, doesn't appear to be a big difference in cell structure (holes in bread)


So at this point from the wetness of the dough and the sweeter taste the WEM flour seems fresher and that is a good thing. But as far as gluten content the KA flour may have a greater amount, and gluten is vital to the bread rising.





Now I'm really not convinced either way. I like supporting a local mill especially if their flour is fresher. But I don't want to sacrifice the quality of my bread. So more tests to come.

What's a wheat berry? And what about farro?

My loyal customers would say, "Elizabeth's whole wheat bread with the nutty little grains in it".

Now I like this basic picture provided by our friends at Mypyramid.gov. I may add your tax dollars are paying for this site so might as well make use of it. There is a more detailed illustration at this website: www.mainebread.com for those food nerds like me who want to know more.

So the wheat berry is the fruit of the wheat grass that we use to make bread, cookies, pilafs, ect... And if you use the entire grain without removing the germ and the bran then you have "a whole grain" product.

So my Wheatberry bread is 100% wholegrain just like all of my breads, but it is unique in that it has roasted farro berries added to the dough. Farro is variety of the ancient grain spelt. I have written about spelt in my post Crisp mornings, pumpkins & cranberries . For more information about spelt check out this page from one of my suppliers: www.ansonmills.com/farro.htm. So I should call this bread farro berry, but being most people don't know what farro is I think Wheatberry is ok. My wheatberry is an excellent everyday bread. It rises very well (for a whole grain bread), has a lightly sweetened whole grain flavor. The roasted farro berries are sweet (less bitter than our modern wheat), slightly smoky, and nutty. It is a popular bread and one I always try to have on hand.

Ingredients: Ingredients: organic stone-ground whole wheat flour, water, roasted farro (spelt) berries, buttermilk powder, orange juice, Mississippi honey, molasses, canola oil, butter, egg white, salt, yeast

Italian Sun Dried Tomato Bread

This bread isn't brand new, I'm just getting around to writing about it. Isn't that picture gorgeous? Of course I have my dear husband to thank for it.

The bread is really that nice. It is a very moist dough, so it makes a nice springy flat bread. The flavor is great, rich thanks to the olive oil and sun-dried tomatoes but also smooth due to the white whole wheat flour that gives it a nice golden hue.

Ingredients: Organic stone-ground white whole wheat flour, water, sun dried tomatoes, olive oil, nonfat dry milk, salt, yeast

Daniel & I have really enjoyed this bread; it makes a delicious sandwich, a great pizza, and it delicious by itself as a dinner bread.

Come by the market Saturday and try it for yourself.

New Dairy & Egg Free Cake & A Favorite Bread

Some of you are asking why take out the good stuff. And being a baker I know what dairy & eggs contribute to baked goods. However I have some customers with allergies and those that just try to avoid those ingredients for other reasons. Even though I am not baking these products with dairy & eggs I do use them in my kitchen so for someone with a serious allergy don't chance it. So my egg & dairy free products are Vegan Chocolate Mint Cake & Mississippi sourdough.

Vegan Chocolate Mint Baby Cake
Some of you may have heard of a wacky cake, it is a cake some of our grandmothers, mothers, or maybe you baked during the depression when rationing was common. I took a wacky cake recipe switched the white flour for spelt flour, and added a dark chocolate mint glaze.

Ingredients: organic stone-ground whole spelt flour, organic raw cane sugar, water, vinegar, canola oil, cocoa powder, baking soda, powdered vanilla, salt




Mississippi Sourdough
This bread has such of a simple ingredient list, but don't underestimate it! Beneath the crisps crusts of this hearth loaf this bread is full of tangy sourdough flavor. For those watching calories, this whole bread has no sugar or fat but tons of taste.

Ingredients: organic stone-ground whole wheat flour, water, sourdough (organic stone-ground whole rye flour, water, yeast), salt, yeast

Barley Apricot Bread & Barley Root

Barley is my favorite of all the grains, of course I love wheat b/c it's what we make bread with. But Barley is mild, nutty, chewy, and a bit sweet. Apparently I love it so much I named my new puppy after it. We now have a 10 wk old Westie named Barley Root.

Barley Apricot
This whole wheat bread is enhanced by rolled barley flakes, which gives this bread a milder taste and moist crumb. Diced apricots found throughout this loaf provide sweet & tart bursts of flavor. Great for breakfast, a turkey sandwich, or an anytime snack!

Ingredients: organic stone-ground whole wheat flour, water, chopped apricots, malted barley syrup, rolled barley flakes , dry milk powder, orange juice, Mississippi honey, canola oil, butter, egg whites, salt, yeast

Hopefully I'll have a picture of my bread up soon. I'll need to consult with my photographer/ husband...

Yummy Asiago ...

Ok so what in the world is this picture? Well it's a vat in a cheese factory where the curds are separated from the whey. Pretty cool right. If you ever get a chance to go to a dairy factory (especially where they make cheese) it's pretty cool. My grandparents took me when I was about 9 and it is a very distinct memory. I remember seeing a vat like this.

So thinking about my newest bread: Asiago Herb, made me think about cheese and the factory. My new bread is whole wheat, light textured, and flavorful with savory fresh herbs and delicious Asiago cheese throughout. But don’t take my word for it- try it for yourself!

Ingredients: organic stone-ground whole wheat flour, water, yogurt, orange juice, shredded asiago cheese, canola oil, honey, fresh chopped thyme, oregano, basil, and rosemary, salt, yeast

Our First Belhaven Market

Here are some pictures from our first Belhaven Market! It was a great success- we sold out and had a great time. Tim Avalon's bluegrass band provided fun background music, and friends and family stopped by to say hello. Special thanks to the Passion Fish Potter, Kjon's, Deva's Harvest, and everybody else for helping us newbies figure things out!

Lineup for June

Ok, Ok. I know I've done a poor job of updating this blog. It's a good thing I have Daniel's help! Maybe now things have settled down I will be better at updating theFoodRoots. We'll see...

For June we will have these breads at the Belhaven Market (Sat AM @ McDade's on Fortification):
Hearth Loaves- Barley Apricot, Fig & Rosemary, Honey Oat, Wheatberry, Pumpernickel Currant, Malted Apple
Rolls- Wheatberry Sandwich
Baguettes- Mississippi Sourdough
Kids stuff- Peanut Butter & Jelly Turtles

So come & check us out!

Pumpernickel Currant Rye

My Personal Favorite! Just look at the ingredient list and you'll see why: cocoa powder and blackstrap molasses in addition to other ingredients give this bread a great flavor. This bread isn't too sweet for a sandwich though. A customer suggested I add raisins, great tip! I did and really liked them, currants seem to work well because of their small size.

Ingredients: organic stone-ground whole wheat flour, organic stone-ground whole rye flour, water, currants, cocoa powder, blackstrap molasses, apple cider vinegar, canola oil, salt, yeast, caraway seeds

Coming to Belhaven Market

PB & J Turtles for kids and kids at heart- coming this Saturday to the Belhaven Market!

These tasty snacks are made from a buttermilk white whole wheat dough. They have a fluffly texture and great mild taste in addition to being filled with natural peanut butter and organic jelly! As with all our breads, these are 100% whole grain- but your kids don't have to know that!


Ingredients: white whole wheat flour, water, (filling: natural peanut butter, organic jam), honey, dry buttermilk powder, oil, butter, egg whites, salt, yeast

Fresh Mississippi Sourdough

Here's one of the fresh whole-grain breads we'll be selling at Belhaven Market starting next Saturday! Beneath the crust of this rustic loaf this bread is full of clean, tangy sourdough flavor.

This is Daniel's favorite bread so it will definitely stay in the line up.



Ingredients: organic stone-ground whole wheat flour, water, sourdough (organic stone-ground whole rye flour, water, yeast), salt, yeast