Sunday, September (what?) 5th – Kingfield!
Sep 2nd
I’ve been putting this off as long as possible. Apple season is a bit conflicting for me – it’s definitely delicious, but it means the inevitable is just around the corner. But, I can’t deny it – the days are getting shorter, the weather is getting cooler and I’m ready. One thing that has my enthusiasm going is my research on boiled cider – I’m fixin’ to reduce many gallons of this season’s cider to a delicious syrup that will keep me going strong all winter.
So, without further ado, here’s what will be on this week’s tables at 43rd and Nicollet, between 8:30 and 1PM:
BREADS
- Baguette: again, I’m just so pleased these are holding the herring sandwich at the Chef Shack. They are definitely sold out by 11AM so get there early.
- Lunch Box Bread: my daughter’s new favorite thing is bagels and cream cheese, so we’re not rockin’ this right now for lunches. However, you should! Soft oatmeal bread for all of your classic sandwich needs.
- Kingfield Sourdough: I’m going to do a wheatier version this week, probably with a little bit of soaked cracked wheat. It’ll be robust and chewy and just what your toaster was looking for.
- Walnut Buckwheat: I think this bread will be delicious with slices of cheddar and wait, what season is this? Oh yeah – apple!
- Bag of Buns: I know you’re still grilling, so get these while summer’s still hanging out. Long and round, also super for sandwiches.
PASTRIES
- Apple Turnovers: this is the whole point of this post. I’m going to make my filling with 100% apple! Boiled cider and apples and applejack and that’s pretty much it. I might add a little bit of cloves, but never ever cinnamon. That goes against everything I believe.
- Downtowners: I’m developing a rabid fan base with these sugar coated cinnamon morning buns. I know some will be disappointed by the lack of scones this week, but I’m hoping the brave souls will try one of these or a turnover…
- Biscuits of the Week: I’m thinking about some kind of chile action in these, not sure yet. Stop on by and find out! All I know is that I have a case of Pastureland butter burning a hole in my cooler, that butter is definitely the secret to these biscuits. I could put rocks in them and they would be delicious.
- Cookies: Domino (deep chocolate with white chocolate chips) and Ginger Jumbles (molasses spice cookies with crystallized ginger)
That does it for me, I’m very late for work. See you all on Sunday!
A Bit About Rye
Aug 31st
As you all know, I’m a proud member of the board of directors of the Bread Bakers Guild of America. One of the best things we do is put out Bread Lines, our quarterly newsletter full of technical information and news about the artisan baking world.
Earlier this year, Jeffrey Hamelman (author of Bread, Bakery Director at King Arthur Flour, and the #1 rye guy in the States) taught a class about rye breads. I’ve had many students curious about rye and it’s one of the crazier grains to work with so I usually steer the beginners away from anything with more than 20% rye flour. I always mumble something about how rye breads are set with starch gelatinizing and how there needs to be some sourdough in the mix. High-rye breads have are very weak and fragile, have very low fermentation tolerance, and stand a good chance of being gummy after baking. But it’s one of those things I’ve never been able to explain very well.
Thankfully, in the June 2010 issue of Bread Lines one of the students wrote the best summary of what’s up with rye and I’ve received permission to re-print it here. Jim Williams is the author, he is the Co-owner of Seven Stars Bakery in Providence, RI:
Rye flour has a large amount of the enzyme amylase. The job of enzymes is to convert starch to sugar. In certain quantities, this is good. We need sugar for healthy fermentation. However, if all the starch is converted too quickly, it leads to a gummy crumb. In the heat of the oven, it is the starch that absorbs water, swells and sets. If all the starch is converted, what we’re left with is sugar, which when heated up, liquifies. In breads containing a healthy percentage of rye, this leads to a gummy crumb. The crumb of a rye bread will begin to set at and internal temperature of 122-140F. Amylase is not killed off until the mid 170s, which gives it plenty of time to wreak havoc on the crumb.
How do we slow down the dreaded “starch attack”? By adding a large percentage of sourdough, the process of converting starch to sugar is retarded, and the crumb is allowed to set. This is the reason virtually all breads containing large amounts of rye are also sourdough based. The high pH of a sourdough starter is required in rye bread to retard the starch to sugar conversion, thereby allowing the crumb to set. Adding sourdough is such a simple solution for a complex problem, but one we can all employ.
The starch attack is not a problem in wheat breads because there is less amylase in wheat than rye. Wheat also gelatinizes at a much higher temperature, so there is never a danger of the crumb getting gummy. There is always sufficient starch to set the crumb.
I hope this is somewhat helpful for aspiring rye bakers – for those of you wanting to bake hard-core rye breads this seems like a really great thing to think about. I highly suggest picking up Jeffrey’s book (if you order from Amazon, us Bread Bakers Guild people would love it if you’d go here and click through to Amazon – we get some money from your purchase!), it has excellent rye formulas and pretty much every other kind of bread you could want.
Sunday, August 29 – School’s Starting!
Aug 26th
For those of you with kids starting school on Monday the 30th, and for those of you with kids who have already started school, and for those of you without kids who like to eat lunch – this week is for you! The Lunch Box Bread is back, and I’m bringing lots of cookies. My daughter doesn’t usually get sweets in her lunch, except for the first and last days of school – so Monday is looking like her lucky day (aside from that whole school-starting-thing).
I’m totally tempted to put something on a stick, but I might just offer them as a side for those of you jonesing for some state fair action.
breads
- Baguette: I’m very proud to say you can get these at my stand AND at the Chef Shack with the herring sandwich! My great-grandfather would be thrilled – he was a Lake Superior fisherman in the early 1900s, and the Tofte clan is nothing if not fools for herring.
- Lunch Box Bread: oatmeal bread in the classic loaf pan shape. I’ve heard that some kids even eat the crust on this one.
- Grain Exchange: the multi-grain with the cool crackle swirl on top, made with grains that have been traded on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange at some point in time (rye, oats, corn, wheat).
- Kingfield Sourdough: I’ve been sneakily adding my favorite partially sifted whole wheat flour to this bread for the last few rounds and I think it’s getting tastier and tastier. Whole wheat, rye and bran levains for pleasantly tangy chewiness – one of my favorite toast breads.
- Bags of Buns: we have these hiding in the shade so be sure to ask if you don’t see them right away. I’m keeping them in plastic to make sure they retain their softy goodness, but if they sit in the sun they get all soggy with the condensation. Sausage and burger. These will be at the Slow Food “School Food Revolution in Hopkins” this weekend with Braucher’s Italian Brats. Sunshine Harvest Farms and Sun Street Breads, together forever.
pastries
- Downtowners: I just made a few of these super wonder sugar-rolled cinnamon roll puffs last week, hopefully you all got hooked and will be coming back for more. Because I definitely will have more!
- Blackberry Cream Scones: I’ve got these really nice blackberries rolling around so they are going in the middle of these tender scones this week.
- Ginger Jumbles: soft molasses spice cookies with crystallized ginger.
- Domino Cookies: dark chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips (I got in a little trouble for not having these last week…).
- Biscuits: I landed on some kind of blue ribbon winner with last week’s incarnation, big cubes of cheddar cheese, little pieces of bacon and bits of caramelized onions. I’m going to be the proud owner of a full case of Pastureland butter on Friday so we’ll be set for many more weeks of biscuitry.
And for those of you wondering what’s going to happen when the market is over – don’t fret! We’ve got two full months ahead of us yet! We’re working on some plans to keep the fun going but don’t know a whole lot at this point. I’ll keep you posted if there’s news and please keep visiting us at the market – we really truly and deeply appreciate it!
Sunday, August 22 – Party at Kingfield!
Aug 19th
Alrighty then, we’re looking forward to another awesome week at 43rd and Nicollet (8:30AM – 1PM). Last week’s weather was amazing, here’s hoping for another sunny breezy wonderful day. I’m taking a break from the Lunch Box Bread this week – school starts the 30th and I will definitely have it on the 29th, and most likely for the rest of the season (I’ve got a first grader to feed!). In the mean time, put those tomatoes on some sourdough!
BREADS
- Baguettes
- Fig Rye: this is the same dough as the apple of my eye rye, but full of diced dry figs. If you think raisins go well with rye, you’ll be ecstatic to discover the wonders of figs and rye.
- Kingfield Sourdough: it’s back in all of its chewy, tangy glory. My husband mixes the whole wheat, rye and bran levains at midnight on Friday, I mix the dough 12 hours later, and 24 hours after that you should have your loaf in hand!
- Red River Valley: quite a few requests for this last week, so here it is. A buttery semolina dough with lots of flax meal and roasted potatoes.
- Bag of Buns: long ones and round ones, these are going to be at a Slow Food event this weekend with Braucher’s Brats! Kingfield FTW.
PASTRIES
- Cookie: I’ve got this Ginger Jumble I’m working on, and if I can finish it I’ll have those on Sunday. Otherwise it will be the classic Domino Cookie.
- Raspberry Cream Scones: the scone sandwich filled with pastry cream and raspberries. Your neighbors love these.
- Downtowners: these go by many names, but I first met them in Northern California where they go by this moniker. My version is croissant dough rolled up with some spices and sugar, baked in a muffin tin and then rolled in sugar straight out of the oven. It’s puffy, sweet, buttery and I’m going to eat mine with some iced coffee from Palmira.
- Biscuits: these were very much missed last week, sorry about that. I’m going to make them, I just haven’t decided what’s going to be in them yet. It’ll probably be bacon and cheddar… stop by the stand to find out.
I’ve had a request for apple turnovers now that apples are at the market. I’m having a hard time embracing apple season because that signals the definite end of summer to me. Quite honestly, I’m probably going to wait a few weeks to start baking with apples if only to trick myself into thinking summer will stay forever.
Sunday, August 15 – We’re Back!
Aug 12th
And well-rested! Here’s what’s up for this Sunday at Kingfield Farmers Market (43rd and Nicollet, 8:31-1PM). Due to conflicts between my schedule and the Kingfield Sourdough’s schedule, I won’t be making that this week, same goes for the biscuits. Next week for sure.
breads
- Baguettes: I tell time by these – when they’re sold out it’s 11AM.
- Lunch Box: oatmeal pan bread just in time for BLTs with all those killer tomatoes in your garden (and at the market).
- Grain Exchange: I didn’t have a very grain-focused bread at the last market, so here it is for all you conscientious eaters! And if you fall in the ”who cares about whole grains” camp, this is still a super tasty bread.
- Wright’s Walnut: buckwheat and walnuts, this has a fresh and nutty taste. I’ve had quite a few people asking for it the last couple of weeks – hopefully I’ll be able to snag a loaf, too. I can eat many many chunks of this with cheddar…
- Bag of Buns: this isn’t a promise, more of a hope. My schedule is a little crazy and I’m going to do my darnedest to get these on the table, mostly because my parents might disown me if they’re not there!
pastries
- Domino Cookies: I probably don’t have to describe these for you, since they are a mainstay in our lives. But, for the newbies – dark chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips.
- Raspberry Cream Scones: again, you guys already know what’s up with these. Tender flakey cream scone dough with a layer of pastry cream and raspberries baked in.
- Blueberry Turnovers: I think this might be the last week of the turnovers. I want to sub something else in, but know I’ll get run out of the market if I swap out the scones… So, if you’re a fan – step right up! Cinnamon-lemon-vanilla blueberry filling, sour cream pie crust.
I think that about does it. We definitely missed you all last week – that might sound crazy since time off is always nice, but Sunday mornings at the market are a big fun part of our week and we’ll be happy to be back in line under the tents. See you then and there!
Potica, Pasties and Those Little Pies
Aug 10th
We’re spending a few days in the smallest cabin with the best dock on Lake Burntside. This is a place I’ve been going every August for 25 years, first with my family (as in Mom, Dad, Sister) and then with my husband (we got married here, complete with BBQ on the rocks and swimming) and now with our daughter, too (we missed one week when I was in the hospital giving birth to her!). This is a big time for our little family and it’s one of those things that gets us through the winter.
Ely is not really known for bakeries. Every once in awhile there will be a bright spot, but overall there’s not much to report. There was a killer caramel roll in town 25 years ago, then some really good orange rolls about 15 years ago, and then some decent breads about 10 years ago. In between these times I’ve had some horrible concoctions and have pretty much given up, except for a few things.
Potica, from the freezer section at Zups. I’m sure it’s pales in comparison to anything made by the grandmothers of the Range, but it’s a pretty great little snack. Every year I spend time at the Ely library copying Potica recipes and from church cookbooks – but somehow I get home and this very important project gets lost. Maybe 2010 is the year for the Potica tests?
This year is DEFINITELY the year I make pasties. Last year we were on a mission and bought every kind we could find (have I posted about this before?) and they were all fair to middlin. I guess if I were a miner working myself to exhaustion underground they would have been welcome respite, but now in modern times and in the light of day I can safely say there is a better pasty to be made.
My other northland favorite are those little pies in the waxed paper bags. Honestly I probably like the bags better than the pie, but I get one every year and find them absolutely perfect in their little foil tins. I am definitely a sucker for packaging.
So that’s what I’m up to. Plus serious hours reading, swimming, hanging with the family… general summer perfection. I hope you are all having some good summertime too and we’ll be back at the market this Sunday – see you there!
Sunday, August 8 – No Market for Us!
Aug 5th
Hi all, we’re not going to be at Kingfield Farmers Market this Sunday, but of course all the other vendors will be. So be sure to stop by, get some veggies and mini donuts and falafel and flowers and ice cream and chocolate sauce and some other goodies and please say hi to everyone from us!
Team USA 2010
Aug 3rd
The Bread Bakers Guild is hosting the Louis Lesaffre Cup at the International Baking Industry Expo (IBIE) in Las Vegas this September. We have a team competing for a spot in Paris at the Coupe du Monde in 2012. The reason we’re competing is because my team came in 4th in Paris in 2008! Which is a horrible shame across the board, but is indeed a fact. In one way, it’s really great – because for the first time ever, this competition is being held in the good ol’ US of A and it’s going to be an amazing time for artisan baking in America.
I’m involved with the team, helping to coordinate things and coach a bit. We made our decisions a couple weeks ago, and the selectees are people I have worked with over the years and think are great guys with amazing talents. The competition was super tough, and the decision was very difficult – we’ve had 3 guys in each category training together over the last 6 months and while a few dropped out due to personal concerns, the last men standing made that discussion a bit painful. The competing team is Mike Zakowski from Artisan Bakers in Sonoma, CA in breads, Harry Peemoeller, an instructor at Johnson & Wales in Charlotte, NC, in the artistic category (he has to make a big sculpture out of bread!) and Jeremey Gadouas from Bennison’s in Evanston, IL (recently of Bakery Nouveau in Seattle, WA) is in charge of making the viennoiserie (those are yeasted breakfast pastries, like croissant and danish and brioche).
This process means so much to me, and it’s been invigorating to see the honest work and thought put into every aspect by everyone. In fact, the idea for Sun Street happened during last summer’s selection process – I was judging a group at a draft class and realized I missed working on super special breads and thinking about American baking in this very focussed way. So thanks once again to the Bread Bakers Guild for continuing to provide me with inspiration and energy to fun stuff!
Sunday, August 1 – Best Market Ever!
Jul 29th
Yes, that would be Kingfield Farmers Market, our home sweet home. 43rd and Nicollet, Sundays 8:30-1PM (just in case you’re not yet Super Fan #1).
I have a very important announcement: WE WON’T BE AT THE MARKET ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 8th. The breads and buns freeze very well, so if you’ve got plans for the following week please stock up!
Here’s what’s on deck for this coming Sunday:
breads
- Baguette
- Red River Valley: the potato flax super bread, featuring roasted red and yellow potatoes from Swede Lake – our neighbors at the market, you know the ones – they have the best garlic in town.
- Lunch Box Bread: oatmeal pan loaf, the perfect bread for grilled sandwiches and screaming to be eaten toasted with some good ol’ Minnesota butter and jam.
- Kingfield Sourdough: I’m making a bunch more of it this week since it’s been the first bread to sell out. A pretty classic sourdough – a little tangy, a little buttery, a nice chewy texture…
- Bag of Buns: as always, I’ll have the long form and round form. We’ve been eating them with the Italian Brats from Braucher’s – super fantastico.
pastries
- Square Meal Biscuits: sold out of these early last week, I still have a stash of Pastureland Summer Gold butter to make these bacon, cheddar & corn biscuits nice and fluffy.
- Domino Cookies: the Kingfield classic, dark chocolate with white chocolate chips. And yes, we have some paper towels on hand for the meltiness.
- Blueberry Peach Turnovers: a perfect north-south combo – I cook blueberries and peaches with a bit of sugar and cinnamon, and then finish it off with lemon juice and vanilla. All encased in a tender flakey sour cream pie crust.
- Raspberry Cream Scones: the scone sandwich that keeps people coming back for more (literally, with crumbs on their shirts). Tender scone dough with a layer of pastry cream and raspberries.
Thanks as always for your support and we’ll see you on Sunday!
Social Newtorking
Jul 27th
OK, that’s a joke for my old FileWave friends out there. I used to work at a Belgian software company back in the days when they actually printed manuals. The first run of this manual said something about “Macintosh Newtorking” and my first job was to stick a correction sticker on the manual and shrink wrap them. That’s so old world funny.
So anyway, the point of this post is to admit the praises for facebook and Twitter, two things I was very ambivalent about until recently. I started with facebook a couple years ago when I wondered why my San Francisco friends had dropped off the face of my gmail account, and when I realized I was missing all the fun family parties (I hate to miss a party). And then I joined Twitter sheerly out of start-up peer pressure and didn’t do a damn thing with it – until this year.
The Kingfield Farmers Market crew is rabid about social networking, the @kingfieldmarket feed is always full of good news and their facebook page is full of lively posts and feedback and photos. This past weekend David Brauer was showing a guy around who’s going to help them get fully new century in their communication skills, and I heard a rumor they’re starting a community flickr account. With all the enthusiastic photographers and bloggers at the market I think this should be highly entertaining and edifying.
Twitter got me in touch with bacon from Corner Table (thanks to @scottpampuch), and has helped me get the word out the Pastureland Butter I’ve been using in the biscuits. I have a feeling there are people who see the @pastureland feed and come straight to my table just for a biscuit. That’s awesome.
And facebook, well, what can be said about facebook. In my personal life it’s kind of a necessary evil, but the less snarky part of me thinks it’s a very great way to find out things I want to know but am too occupied to seek out (there’s a great article in the July 10th New Scientist about weak ties and facebook, not available online unless you’re a subscriber). For Sun Street, it’s a super way for me to interact with the denizens of Kingfield during the week – because the market is 4.5 short hours and it’s often hectic and there are things I’d like to say and things I’d like to hear but just don’t have the time!
Thanks to the followers of my twitter feed @sunstreetbreads, and the “likers” of my facebook page, Sun Street Breads. And of course and always, to those of you out there reading these posts of mine. I try mightily to post on Tuesdays (so far so good) and always post the line-up of offerings on Thursdays. See you at the market and all over the interwebs!