Our mission at BAKE!, the teaching bakery at Zingerman’s Bakehouse in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has always been to spark a love of baking and keep that tradition alive in our community. We go about it with care, offering one-on-one instruction in a casual and intimate learning environment led by our expert instructors. We’re confident we can teach anyone to bake!

Ready to get baking?

Our original class lineup is still where it’s at. These classes have been around since we first opened BAKE!, and they’re the place to learn the necessary building blocks for baking from scratch. They include recipes and techniques that will give you the foundation you need to start having fun in the kitchen and successfully whipping up delicious breads and treats. You’ll be impressed with what you can do!

Most Popular Baking Classes

Whether you are new to our baking school or have been around the block a few times, we highly recommend these classes. They teach the fundamentals of baking and some of our favorite recipes. A great refresher for some of our more seasoned bakers or a solid way to jump-start your home baking for newer BAKE! students, these classes cannot be missed.

Noodling About Strudelling

Remember when you were little and the gym teacher pulled out a compact plastic bundle and magically unfurled it into a huge parachute that the whole class could fit under? Well, you’ll have that experience all over again when we take a grapefruit-sized piece of strudel dough and stretch it out to cover a 24 sq. ft. table. Then we’ll make sweet and savory fillings to finish it off. This is just about the most fun you can have making food, and there’s nothing like enjoying warm, flaky strudel fresh from the oven.

Baking Pies A Plenty

Learn how to make a perfect pie crust the Zingerman’s way—creating a flaky crust with butter, and another crust using lard and butter (no shortening allowed!). We’ll teach you how to make the dough by hand, successfully roll it out, par-bake the crust, and crimp the edges to make your pies look beautiful. You’ll make a double-crust fruit pie and a single-crust baked custard pie. Roll up your sleeves and join in the fun. These are recipes and skills you’ll use again and again.

Fabulous French Baguettes

One of our best bread classes for new bakers! We teach you to make the traditional French baguette recipe, starting with a flavorful poolish, hand rolling your dough, proofing and baking them just right, and ending up with a crisp crust surrounding a soft, airy interior. Imagine serving your guests and bringing out a perfect baguette that they swear must have been airlifted from Paris—but you made it yourself!

Scones 3 Ways

Learning to make a really good scone will have you ready to host high tea. In this class, we share the secrets to flaky and tender scones and biscuits, such as how to properly cut butter into flour. These are downright simple to make and will surely become a recipe staple at home!

Cinn-ful Cinnamon Rolls

You know that enticing cinnamon-sugar smell you notice every time you walk past the mall food court? After taking this class, you’ll be able to recreate that sumptuous scent in your very own home (and the results will taste a whole lot better). Learn the basic techniques of creating a yeasted sweet dough, including mixing, kneading and rolling, hand-shaping, and properly proofing the dough before baking. We’ll also demonstrate how to make pecan sticky buns, a staff favorite. Wait until you taste these warm from the oven in class!

Ooh La La Croissants

Few foods are more magical than a buttery, flaky, beautifully layered croissant. There are some tricks to baking them perfectly, but it’s mostly about taking the time to do it right. You’ll learn the techniques of creating traditional folded and butter laminated dough, then turn it into plain, almond and chocolate filled croissants! You’ll reach for this recipe at home again and again.

Mambo Italiano—Italian Breads

Take an Italian bread-baking tour and return home with loads of Paesano, Rustic Italian, Focaccia, and Sesame Semolina breads. What’s more, you’ll learn the skills to make them any time you want to satisfy the craving for warm, fresh bread at home. You’ll get plenty of hands-on practice at working with yeasted doughs, including kneading, shaping, and proofing too. While your loaves are rising, we’ll sneak over to Zingerman’s Bakehouse to see the professionals at work.

Bake Me A Cake

Learn to make three cakes, each requiring a different mixing technique: rich, yellow Buttermilk Cake (which we’ll use to make pineapple upside-down cake); fluffy, white angel food cake; and dark, intense flourless chocolate truffle cake. We’ll talk about choosing great ingredients and helpful tips for proper cake baking, plus you’ll get hands-on practice properly mixing your cake batters. These cakes will outshine the box mix versions any day. Add them to your baking bag of tricks!

There you have it! Our most popular classes that will get you well on your way to better baking. We hope to see you in an apron soon!

By Sara Hudson, Marketing Coordinator for the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses

The post Our 8 Most Popular BAKE! Classes appeared first on bake blog.

This month, the 12th edition of the iconic cookbook Joy of Cooking will be released after undergoing a thorough revision and expansion by Irma’s great-grandson, John Becker, and his wife, Megan Scott. They developed more than six hundred new recipes for this edition, tested and tweaked thousands of classic recipes, and updated every section of every chapter to reflect the latest ingredients and techniques available to today’s home cooks. Their strategy for revising this edition was the same one Irma employed: vet, research, and improve Joy’s legacy recipes while introducing new dishes, modern cooking techniques, and comprehensive information on ingredients now available at farmers’ markets and grocery stores. This latest version will be a great addition to cookbook collections for Joy of Cooking fans and budding cooks, just in time for holiday gift-giving. 

Inspiring Joy

Here at Zingerman’s, where hundreds of people are living out their dreams of working with food every day as a career, it turns out that the Joy of Cooking has helped inspire some of those dreams.

“It was the first book I cooked from. I’d come home from school when I was in 5th grade, read the recipes and pick some to try, always something baked. I used my mother’s copy, which was printed in 1953. She got it as a sophomore in college when she got married and moved into her own apartment. She still has that book. When I visited her last week it was right above her refrigerator with a couple of her other favorites. This made me laugh. At 83 she doesn’t cook much anymore but there it was, Joy of Cooking, right within her reach in case she needed it. I continue to use it as my tried and true resource book for basic information. I have a much newer copy that I bought in 1988 when I moved into my first apartment after college.”
-Amy Emberling, Zingerman’s Bakehouse baker, author, and co-managing partner

“Reading this book in junior high is part of what inspired me to be a chef. My favorite section of my 1960’s edition was ‘know your ingredients.’ I think it’s a foundational cookbook everyone should have.”
-Rodger Bowser, Zingerman’s Delicatessen chef and co-managing partner 

“It has changed my life. I go there first for nearly every recipe. I love the pancake recipe. I’ve also made the doughnuts, and it felt so good to have done this thing that seemed so hard, but was actually pretty easy! The descriptions and depth of ‘why’ put into the book is what is missing from most recipe books.”
-Gary Mazzeo, Zingerman’s Web Designer
 

“The Joy of Cooking version my mom had included recipes for ostrich and alligator. As a child, this brought me a tremendous amount of joy (ha!). I never tried making them though.”
-Sara Molinaro, Zingerman’s BAKE! principal

“I grew up with this cookbook as a child. My amazing mother sent me a copy for my 20th birthday (37 years ago). I made my first Hollandaise sauce when I was probably 10 years old assisting my mom with a dinner party. To this day I still use the recipe for quick tapioca custard.”
-Amy Berger, Zingerman’s Bakehouse bread mixer

Joy Comes to Zingerman’s

When asked about his desire to visit Zingerman’s, John Becker said, “We met Zingerman’s co-founder Ari Weinzweig eight years ago at one of the first food-industry events we ever attended. Knowing next to nothing about said industry, we asked him what Zingerman’s was all about, and his answers really piqued our interest. One of the things Megan and I first bonded over was cheese, and we vowed to make it to Zingerman’s if circumstances ever took us through Ann Arbor. Since then, we have befriended Ann Arbor expats where we live who have nothing but glowing things to say about the Deli—and the community of businesses that have grown from it.”

One of John and Megan’s few midwest stops on their national book release tour brings them to Ann Arbor and the Zingerman’s community of businesses. In fact, it will be their only Michigan appearance! The authors’ visit in January 2020 includes three events: a talk, a demonstration, and a plated dinner. Copies of the new edition of Joy of Cooking will be available for purchase and to be signed by the authors. Tickets for each event are available a la carte.

First up is an interview with John and Megan, moderated by Zingerman’s Bakehouse managing partner Amy Emberling, with time for questions from the audience. A meal will be served upon arrival, featuring four recipes selected from the book: keftedes (Greek meatballs), shaved fennel and white bean salad, Megan’s pumpkin seed brittle, and yogurt and honey panna cotta. This is part of the “Brown Bag Talk” series hosted by BAKE! at Zingerman’s Bakehouse in the ZingTrain speaker and meeting space.

The interview will be followed by a cooking and baking demonstration. Head to the BAKE! classroom at Zingerman’s Bakehouse to watch the authors create four recipes chosen from the book: olive oil flatbread crackers, spicy chickpea soup, frico eggs (with crispy cheese), and chocolate swirl halvah (a sesame butter fudge). After the demonstration, there will be generous samples to share, and you’ll go home with the recipes.

The visit culminates with a plated five-course dinner prepared by Zingerman’s Deli chef, Rodger Bowser. He designed the menu around his personal favorites from his childhood edition and recipes from the brand new edition. Dinner might include roasted cauliflower soup with khachapuri, kale and lentil salad, crispy fried tongue, kimchi macaroni and cheese, and Joy of Cooking pot roast. The feast will be served at Zingerman’s Greyline, an art deco-themed event space in downtown Ann Arbor.

To continue the Joy of Cooking tradition of inspiring cooks and bakers, Zingerman’s Deli will be inviting local youth to participate in the food preparation for the dinner. Rodger will host a ZingPath student from Zingerman’s work partnership with Ann Arbor’s Pathways High School. 

Get yourself inspired in the kitchen again. Pick up a copy of the new Joy of Cooking for you and for the cooking curious youngsters (or adults) in your life. And be sure to grab a seat at one of these special Zingerman’s events before they sell out!
 

Reserve Your Seats:

—Dinner

—Demonstration & Tasting

—Interview & Light Meal

The new Joy of Cooking will be available for purchase and signing at all Zingerman’s events, or order your book now

By Sara Hudson, Marketing Coordinator for Zingerman’s Community of Businesses

Photo credits: Sarah and John by Anika Toro, black bean soup and miso-glazed eggplant by Heidi’s Bridge

The post Bringing a Joy of Cooking to New Generations appeared first on bake blog.

Amy Halloran, author of The New Bread Basket, teacher, cook, and renowned flour ambassador, shares her knowledge with us on local grain economies and teaches us how to use sourdough starter in simple quick recipes. 

You can meet Amy Halloran when she comes to BAKE! for a talk on regional grain economies and a demonstration class making sourdough tortillas and English muffins.  We sat down with Amy to get the scoop on her upcoming visit, her first time to Ann Arbor and Zingerman’s. 

What was the catalyst for your career in food writing?

I was inspired when I was running a local farmers market in New York. I felt compelled to tell the stories of food—not in mouthwatering words, but in the details that most of us can’t imagine. We live removed from the realities of farming. I want to illustrate the work it takes to eat.

What is a regional grain economy and why do we need them?

Regional grains are the local food systems of our bread and beer, and for the other animals that eat locally, too—like chickens and cows! Grain growing and processing got centralized as America expanded west and took over grasslands to make the bread baskets we still rely upon. 

If we can create markets for farmers to feed people and other animals nearby, farmers have greater control over their economies and choices. Right now, American farmers are very tied to the dominant corn and soy system. Developing regional markets and crops can help growers step out of the constraints of commodity production and into crops and farm plans that are more ecologically diverse, and hopefully, more economically resilient.

How do you create or develop a regional grain economy?

Creating or strengthening your local grain economy all depends on where you are and your conspirators! These projects take the shape of people who want something new to happen, which could be farmers, community members, or an organization that supports regional agriculture. For example, GrowNYC, which has really developed the grain shed in the Northeast because of its mission to support the agriculture surrounding New York City. (More on this at another BAKE! special event with June Russell from GrowNYC.)

Who should attend your local grain economy talk?

Anyone who is curious about flour and bread or local farming should come and listen to my Creating Regional Grain Economies talk. They’ll hear all about the amazing people who are creating change in our most basic foods. It’s important work worth learning about.

Who should attend your tortilla and english muffin class?

My Sourdough Tortillas and English Muffins class is for the sourdough curious, as well as seasoned sourdough bakers. I’ve created this class to help combat the idea that sourdough is tricky and time-consuming; it is really easy to make these things, and a great way to get to know how natural leavening works without trying to figure out how natural leavening works in loaves of bread. These recipes are griddled breads, and they are wicked easy, tasty, and fun.

What is a Flour Ambassador?

I created a goofy yet serious pledge to draw attention to the importance of small mills. I was noticing a cultural clamoring for new grains, and I knew how difficult it was to trace a loaf of bread all the way back to the ground. I wanted to help people see that if they want another bread, then mills are the tool, like farmers markets, to create connections between eaters and the people who feed us.

Get Inspired

While traveling to share her book, The New Bread Basket, Amy has been spreading inspiration to food lovers and bakers and is inspired by readers’ reactions: “My book has allowed me to broadcast the stories of people who are changing our connections to grains. I never thought I’d be a flour activist! But it’s so wonderful to be spiderwebbed into the energy of this interest in new bread and new grains.”

Catch the inspiration yourself and maybe spark your path to becoming a Flour Ambassador! Check out one of these BAKE! special events or get your copy of The New Bread Basket.

By Sara Hudson, Marketing Coordinator for Zingerman’s Community of Businesses

The post The Importance of Creating Regional Grain Economies appeared first on bake blog.

These precious little pastries date back to a published recipe in 1796 calling for a light cake batter to be baked into small cups. Often times small clay pottery or ceramic ramekins were used, as the metal muffin tins and paper liners we use today were not yet available. Later recipes called for measuring all the ingredients in even cups to make cup cakes. Also known as 1234 cakes or quarter cakes, the cake recipe was comprised of 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 3 cups of flour, and 4 eggs. A baker would call this a cup cake, whereas, for a pound cake the ingredients were weighed. Fascinating right?! (Can you tell that we really love this stuff?!)

And who doesn’t love a cupcake?! It seems everyone does, probably because they’re like a party in the palm of your hand. They can be passed around at parties, no knife required. Plus, one cupcake is the perfect gift to lift someone’s spirits. The English refer to them as fairy cakes. Pretty accurate and sweet, we think, and we love having fun with our food. And we know how people somehow get really excited at the sight of miniature food.

If you, too, can’t resist cupcakes, we invite you to join in our little cupcake-making party at BAKE! where you’ll learn from the baking pros and go home with our Zingerman’s Bakehouse cake, buttercream, and fondant recipes. Together we’ll do a little baking and a lot of decorating, as you create your own tasty and cute-as-a-button cakes. First, you’ll bake our moist and scrumptious recipe for vanilla buttermilk cake. Next, we’ll demonstrate how we make our fluffy vanilla Swiss buttercream with a whipped egg white and sugar meringue. Then, we’ll show you different ways to use both vanilla Swiss buttercream and dark chocolate French buttercream for piping on top to cover your freshly baked cupcakes.

And the fun really starts when you use our made-from-scratch fondant (ours is really delicious—we promise!) to decorate what you’ve made. This fondant melts in your mouth, tastes like sweet vanilla, and opens up a world of decorating possibilities. You’ll have plenty of time to let the creativity flow onto your cupcakes as you create your own designs and make your own shapes. We think you’ll be eager to show off your cake art to your friends, family, or coworkers when you’re done with class. Watch as everyone gobbles them up like kids in a candy store or a cupcake shop as it were. Like all our cakes at Zingerman’s Bakehouse, we believe in cupcakes that taste as good as they look. So be sure to enjoy your cakes responsibly, at room temperature for maximum flavor and ideal texture.

Ready to join us? Reserve your spot here! You’ll leave BAKE! with Zingerman’s Bakehouse cake, buttercream, and fondant recipes; the knowledge to recreate them at home; ONE DOZEN CUPCAKES(!) you made in class; and great coupons. See you soon!

By Sara Hudson, Marketing Coordinator for Zingerman’s Community of Businesses

The post Everybody Loves Cupcakes appeared first on bake blog.

I adore the aromas of the bakery as much as I do the flavors. I always joked that I would someday have my own line of Zingerman’s scented candles. Buttermilk cake, pecan pie, and Sicilian Sesame Semolina bread topped my list of the scents that would be part of the debut collection. That Zingerman’s business is still just an idea in my memory, and probably better off that way.

Sesame Semolina is not just for smelling, though—it’s for eating, too! So let’s get to the story behind this bread. Its claim to flavor fame is truly something to see (and taste, of course). The entire loaf is rolled in unhulled sesame seeds before baking. The natural oil in all those seeds gets slowly roasted in the oven, contributing an intense flavor and aroma, not to mention a lovely little crunch. And that’s just the crust! Inside there’s a firm, rich and almost cake-like crumb made with golden semolina flour, yielding a beautiful yellow interior. Durum flour — the same flour often used to make pasta — is a creamy, silky, fine golden flour created from durum wheat, which is different from the hard wheat that’s used for almost all bread making. Just that difference alone is what sets this bread apart. It’s such an enjoyable bite.

Meet the bread you didn’t even know you needed in your life. Our Sicilian Sesame Semolina bread begs to be toasted, griddled or broiled to turn the flavor up even higher. It has a great nutty flavor but plays well with others. Pair it with garlic butter, pesto, olive tapenade, or a sprinkle of good Parmesan. Trust me, fellow bread lover. You want to give Sicilian Sesame Semolina a whirl.

Sara’s picks for enjoying Zingerman’s Bakehouse Sicilian Sesame Semolina bread

• Serve some warm slices for dipping in tomato basil soup

• Toast and spread with butter and orange marmalade

• Grab a slice of Sausage Strata, Thursdays only at the Bakehouse

• Try the Bulgarian toast from Zingerman’s Coffee Company, served with Zingerman’s Creamery cream cheese and Lutenitsa, a Bulgarian tomato and eggplant spread

• Pick up a Roasted Turkey sandwich with cucumber and house-made ranch at the Bakehouse (I’d add Zingerman’s grey salt chips)

• Order the #77 (Jimmy Wants Rosemary’s Baby) at Zingerman’s Delicatessen. It’s a stellar sandwich stacked with rosemary ham, Zingerman’s handmade fresh mozzarella, tomato, olive oil, and red wine vinegar (+ a new pickle for me!)

• Dive into the bread basket with marinated olives and herb butter at Zola Bistro (then order the grilled asparagus and crispy prosciutto salad if you can)

• Enjoy some warm slices served up in a cute little paper bag with spreads like sheep’s milk ricotta and hot honey at San Morello restaurant at the Shinola hotel in Detroit (I’m a sucker for both the presentation and my favorite bread)

• Take your love for this loaf all-the-way and bake it at home: get the recipe from our cookbook or our Italian bread baking class at BAKE!

By Sara Hudson, Marketing Coordinator for Zingerman’s Community of Businesses
(former Marketing Manager for Zingerman’s Bakehouse)

The post Sara’s Sweet on Sicilian Sesame Semolina appeared first on bake blog.

What we’re looking for:

• A fancy, schmancy cookie recipe (of course).

• Originality, both in terms of your recipe and considering what we’ve made before (check out the list of past FSHC below). Recipes must be your own. A recipe that’s been in the family for generations is fair game, and it’s also okay if you were inspired by another cookie, just tell us about how you changed it. With that in mind…

• A good story. Tell us about your cookie! Has your family been making this for as long as anyone can remember? Did you find a recipe that you liked, but didn’t love, so you tweaked it to become something so magical that your family now asks for it every year? Help us fall in love with this cookie before we even taste it.
   

What we’ll be considering:

• The overall appeal of the cookie: How it looks and tastes (of course).

• Organization: Is the recipe written in a way that is clear, understandable, and easy to follow?

• Preparation: Will this cookie demonstrate a new or unique technique? Does it require special equipment? We will be keeping in mind if something will make a recipe more challenging to teach in a classroom setting and stovetop cooking is discouraged (things like melting chocolate are fine, as they can be done in other ways).

• Storage: How long do the cookies keep? Will they freeze well? Again, this is not a requirement, but we have Fancy Schmancy Holiday Cookie classes starting at the end of November, and when possible, we like options that they can freeze for the holidays.

• The yield: Our sweet spot is 2 dozen.

How to enter:

Each person may submit one recipe. It must be submitted by April 16th, either via email to: bakerecipecontest@zingermans.com or in person at our Shop. A photo of the baked cookie is appreciated, but not required.

In submitting a recipe to this contest, you acknowledge that we have the right to use your recipe (and you, of course, still have the right to do with your recipe what you wish!). We may gently edit for clarity or to streamline technique, but promise to try our best to preserve your voice, and we will always credit you as the author of the recipe.

For the following few weeks, we’ll be testing submissions and narrowing down to our one lucky winner. We’ll announce the winning recipe on May 15th, which will be taught in dozens of FSHC classes this year to hundreds of BAKE! students. The winner’s name will be included in the recipe’s title (think Cousin Eddie’s Eggnog Cookies, George Bailey’s Angel Wings, Buddy’s Maple Syrup Mountains… you get the idea). The winner will get two free spots (for themself and a friend) in a Fancy Schmancy Holiday Cookie class of their choosing.

Fancy Schmancy Holiday Cookies from years past

2018
Buckwheat Sablé
Passionfruit Einkorn Bars
Merry Masala Cookies
Sarah Bs (chocolate rum almond)

2017
Cocoa Caramel Bites
Pistachio Cherry Slices
Snowflake Puffs
Viennese Almond Punch Cookies

2016
Mint Chocolate Whoopie Pies
Coconut Brandy Snaps
Chocolate Walnut Acorns
Cranberry Orange Almond Bars

2015
Almond Linzer Cookies with Apricot Jam
Red Chili Chocolate Cookies
Baci Di Dama (chocolate hazelnut sandwiches)
Jolly Eggnog Thumbprints

2014
Chocolate Thumbprints with Raspberry Jam
Orange Spritz
Chocolate-Dipped Espresso Shortbread
Pfeffernüsse Spice Cookies

2013
Dark Chocolate Mint Ganache Sandwiches
White Chocolate Lemon Sugar Cookies
Transylvanian Walnut Rolls

2012
Cardamom Crescents
French Almond Macarons
Cherry Pistachio Nougat

2011
Chocolate Mint Thumbprints
Gingerbread People
Pinwheels
Nutty Meringue Kisses

2010
Chocolate Dipped Orange Spritz
German Spiced Ginger
Pecan Turtles
Chocolate Cherry Sandwiches

2009
Raspberry Linzer
German Spice
Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
Lime Shortbread

2008
Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
Pfeffernüsse
Russian Tea Cookies
Cut Outs

2007
Pfeffernüsse
Weihnachtsekekse
Spritz
Florentines

The post Fancy Schmancy Holiday Cookie Contest appeared first on bake blog.

“When you’ve just baked a full oven of great sourdough, it’s awesome. It makes you feel really good. All those golden, shiny loaves in all their shapes and sizes—it’s a beautiful thing to see.”

That’s Randy, describing his favorite thing to bake here at Zingerman’s Bakehouse, while on the job as the leader of our bread bakery. He was wearing his deep passion for baking on his face, with a big warm smile that made his eyes close slightly while he envisioned that perfect batch. After more than 12 years of working at the Bakehouse, it seems his love for the art and science of bread has done nothing but blossom like rising loaves of sourdough. Those of us who know Randy, know he’s earnest and sincere about everything he does.

“I’ve learned patience. Prior to baking, I wasn’t patient, bread teaches you to wait. You wait for the bread to ferment, proof, and perform. When you realize that great quality will come from waiting, you start to transfer that to your life. And you get good results.”

Randy grew up here in Ann Arbor. His family visited Zingerman’s Delicatessen on Sundays after church to pick up some Bakehouse scones. Those stops were primarily for his mom, who never strayed from her love of classic currant scones, but somewhere along the way, Randy became addicted to them, too. These days he brings the scones home after a day of work at the bakery, and makes an occasional special delivery to his mom.

After working as a cleaner at the Deli and the Bakehouse, Randy jumped at the chance to try his hand at baking. There was no scone-making position available as it were, but there was an opportunity to shape bread. Randy credits growing up working on cars with his dad for the ability to quickly pick up the hand motions for properly shaping bread doughs. He also identifies himself as a visual learner and says he was able to mimic the motions of those around him as a baker in training. He had an interest in the baking craft and was on his way: “I continued to learn on the job and felt successful at it, which inspired me to keep getting better. I’ve learned so much and had so much fun doing it, that now even after many hours of bread baking here, I make bread at home for my family.”

Randy admits he makes baguettes most often, because that’s what his wife likes best (wise choice I think). He also shares his love of baking with his oldest son. They recently made a loaf of bread modeled after the X-wing fighter plane from Star Wars. What a lucky kid! But it doesn’t stop there. They mill their own flour together and bake all sorts of naturally leavened breads using kamut, durum, spelt, einkorn, sonora, and his personal favorite, red fife.

In addition to his children, Randy is also passing on what he’s learned to a new generation of bakers here at the Bakehouse. He really lights up talking about being a part of other people’s development, getting them excited about the science of bread, encouraging them to study more about it, and finding out how they learn best so they can be successful. He wants them to have that moment like he did where they really click with what they’re doing. I admire his desire to pass on what he’s learned and to have the patience to help others find what they love to do.

One of the many benefits of working here, besides those abundant learning opportunities, is a free loaf of bread for every shift you work. Amazing, right? So what does a long time baker, who also bakes at home, choose for his free loaf? We’ve got to know because that’s a ringing endorsement. Randy decisively chooses True North bread: “That’s my favorite. It’s local grain, whole wheat, and has a unique, almost smoky flavor.”

When he’s not baking or spending time with his wife and children, Randy also writes poetry, sharpens his woodworking skills, and fixes up cars. All things he learned from his family and passes on to his.

It’s pretty incredible that the kid who was raised on Zingerman’s scones grew up to be one of the bakers pictured on the inside cover of the Zingerman’s Bakehouse cookbook. Naturally, his family thinks that is very cool and they all have their own copies, of course. When I inquired if they asked him for his autograph, he replied. “No. I just give it to them.” Did I mention Randy does sarcasm well, too?
 

So what’s up next for Randy and our bread bakery? Randy’s thinking about someday teaching classes at BAKE!, our school for home bakers. He likes to pop in over there sometimes and see what students are up to and would love to work with people on successfully baking naturally leavened and freshly milled breads in a home kitchen.

Randy is part of the team that operates our stone mill several times a week. Already being a home miller, just like his partners in milling, Kyle and Hazim, helped him hone in on the right settings faster since he had a feel for the characteristics of freshly milled flour. They’re working together to change some of our existing recipes over to freshly stone-milled whole grain flour, when we think it makes sense, and to create new breads that highlight a variety of grains. The whole wheat flour in our signature Farm loaf is the latest upgrade. A freekeh (smoky wheat) fougasse and whole wheat focaccia with roasted vegetables are coming next. We all look forward to those!

The post Pass The Patience appeared first on bake blog.

“Make what you eat today different than what you ate yesterday. Because, why not?!” Of all the benefits of home milling that our guest speaker Paul Lebeau, Managing Director of Wolfgang Mock’s Mockmills, posed to us, this one really resonated. So much so, that I knocked on the table, a German custom when someone makes a good point that Paul encouraged us to take part in during his talk. Eating, baking, and cooking with a sense of adventure sounded inspiring to me. Aside from all the information coming at us about health and environmental considerations, food should be fun and it should taste really good. Bakehouse co-owner Amy Emberling agrees, “That’s mainly what brought all of us at the bakery into the professional food world, after all, we want to make delicious food and enjoy the process of learning while we create it. If a new approach doesn’t serve these desires, it won’t last with practitioners.” The food that simply keeps us all alive can also nourish our spirit.

On an icy February night, a room full of milling-curious home bakers, BAKE! class fans, and Zingerman’s Bakehouse staff—including bread and pastry bakers, millers, writers, and retail shop staffers—all gathered over a love of learning and baking. Paul presented the history of grain milling, its crucial role in civilization, the compelling reasons to bring fresh milling back to bakeries and homes, and all the positive benefits we can reap from that.
 

At Zingerman’s, we are always seeking out the history of where our food came from, and mills have a long and complex story to tell. Here’s a mini version: A method for grinding grain was an early tool humankind invented, manually passing a handheld stone over grain kernels on a stone slab. Throughout history, people have put a lot of energy into developing new milling technology. Stone mills powered by people, animals, wind, and water allowed milling to become the first industrialized household activity. Fast forward to the creation of industrial roller mills in the late 1800s, and we saw 24,000 stone mills eliminated in the U.S. in just 10 years because of this faster, more efficient technology.

The change over to centralized milling caused us to lose touch with whole grain kernels and the entire milling process. Grains came into the home as flour, and very white flour at that, with the introduction of roller mills. The new heavily processed flour won people over with its easy accessibility, shelf stability, and attractive appearance. Little did Americans know that consuming nothing but white bread, with most of the nutrition sifted away, was causing malnutrition, which led to diseases like pellagra. This nutritional deficiency prompted the switch to enriched flour, which had the backing of the U.S. government.

Today, we can turn back the industrial clock and return to eating more whole grains (in tandem with those scrumptious pastries and breads we love that still benefit from some level of white flour), mill flour in our local bakeries (like we are beginning to do here), and also in our home kitchens. In Paul’s words, “You can take back the privilege of milling your own grain.”

Mockmill manufactures tabletop mills designed for consumers to mill grains at home. Paul went on to present five compelling reasons why we should be milling our own flour:

1. Good for you—know what you’re eating and gain more nutrients
2. You’re in charge—you decide what grain, where it was grown, and how fine or coarse to mill it
3. Flavor—fresher always means it tastes better
4. Our living culture—grains have been a part of us since prehistoric hunters and gatherers and it takes a community to plan, produce and process the harvest
5. Adventure—discovering the variety of foods that can be milled and enjoyed is full of tasty possibilities

After his presentation, Paul passed around samples of bread he had baked that day with Hazim, one of our bakers and millers. They guided us through the tasting, proudly sharing what they had created together, from milling the flours, to mixing and fermenting the doughs, and shaping the loaves. “Break it open. Smell it. Give it a taste. Let it work on you,” Paul offered with a warm grin.

He’s dubbed the recipe “Paul’s 75+ Sourdough Whole Food Sandwich Loaf.” Yes, that’s more than a mouthful in more ways than one. He uses the same recipe with 75% freshly milled whole wheat flour, water, salt, and sourdough starter, but the 25% can be just about any other milled grain, legume, or even dried fruits and vegetables. Using the same formula and subbing out one ingredient is a very scientific approach, a constant and variable model, no doubt due to Paul’s first career in medical testing and biotech startups. We enjoyed his tasty experiments when we tasted two loaves, and the only difference between them was 25% freshly milled malted barley flour in one loaf and 25% freshly milled red lentil flour in the other. There was a marked difference in texture between the two loaves. The malted barley-wheat sourdough had a more tender texture with a rich nutty flavor. The red lentil-wheat sourdough was chewier and had an earthy, almost vegetal and spicy flavor. Both were delicious in their own way. And that red lentil bread certainly checks off that box of eating with adventure in mind!

By Sara Hudson
Zingerman’s Bakehouse Marketing Manager

Find Out More
–7 Reasons To Fall For Freshly Milled Flour from Zingerman’s Bakehouse

–Future Special Events at BAKE!

-Purchase a Mockmill here in our shop

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Dr. Trumpler, a Senior Lecturer at Yale in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, presented a talk titled “Why women stopped baking bread at home and why it matters.” It was a historical look at the evolution of women nourishing their families through baking and presented theories of why changes in agriculture, technology, and personal taste could have contributed over time to what you see today. It was a thought-provoking presentation, that appealed to us as bakers who are always looking to learn more about the origins of what we do. And, after all, our mission at BAKE!, our school for home bakers, includes “seeking to preserve baking traditions and inspire new ones.”

So, Amy invited Maria to share her work with our community of bakers here at Zingerman’s Bakehouse. Lucky us, she said yes! We look forward to hosting Dr. Trumpler in May and giving her the Zingerman’s experience and a warm Ann Arbor welcome. (She’s never been to either.) You can join us in welcoming her if you attend her brown bag talk “Why Women Stopped Baking At Home” or “American Breads Pre-1850” baking demonstration. If you’re interested in food studies or women’s history, you helped your grandmother bake bread as a child, or you’re an avid home baker today, these special events are for you.

I asked Maria a few questions to get the inside scoop on what drives the work she does:
 

What inspired you to do the research for why women stopped baking bread at home?

I had been teaching a course on women in science, about how science was conceived of as a kind of knowledge women couldn’t do in the 1700s. I began to wonder what was a “science-like” knowledge that women were doing, but perhaps not leaving us written records. Making cheese and other dairy products and making bread were two possibilities that require an extensive practical knowledge as well as some overarching theoretical knowledge. Then I came across this astonishing statistic that after millennia of making bread at home, between 1890 and 1940, 90% of families in the United States stopped making bread at home. What could possibly have changed?
 

Is this where you became connected with the breads of pre-1850?

Yes, I realized that in the past we have used a great variety of grains and leavens, to start with. And the switch to commercial flours and commercial leavens and the start of the sandwich craze really narrowed what kinds of breads seemed appealing.
 

How would you describe breads of that era?

It can be a bit of a challenge for our palates to be open to these breads. They are often very grain-forward, unsweetened, and dense. But they were far more central to the diet than bread is now for most of us. And people got to make them the way they and their families preferred them.
 

What has been the reaction from your students and talk attendees to your studies on the evolution of bread and baking in the American home?

Most have never thought about what was lost in that transition, but then go on to share stories about their mothers or grandmothers. I love bringing attention to the changing lives of ordinary women, and I’m excited for a new audience!

By Sara Hudson 
Marketing Manager

Photo via the Yale Sustainable Food Program

The post The History of American Women and Bread Baking appeared first on bake blog.

At the same time, we also want to feature freshly milled whole grain flours, much of which is ground right here on our very own stone mill. You’ll find freshly milled whole grains in many of the new items we’re developing. We’ve also been experimenting with adding freshly milled grains into the classic breads and pastries we’ve been making for most of our history. In those cases, after substantial testing, we will then sometimes make the switch when the end result has better flavor and texture than it had before.

This has been a great flavorful adventure so far and we’re looking forward to even more learning, creativity, innovation, and fun.

7 Reasons We Like Freshly Milled Whole Grains
 

1. FUN & Flavor Is ALWAYS First

There are a number of reasons that we’re so focused on freshly milled flour, but having fun and boosting flavor are at the top of the list—we want to make food that tastes great and enjoy doing it! Freshly milled flour results in more flavorful, nuanced breads and pastries, with more intense aromas (which is important, as smell plays a dominant role in our perception of flavors!) and even more intense colors. Also, since the oils of the grain’s germ (more on this later) are included in the fresh flour, the resulting breads and pastries are often relatively more tender (think about how the addition of a fat, like oil or butter can make for more tender baked goods). Milling our own flours also gives us an opportunity to play with our food, so to speak. We can create new culinary experiences with the wide spectrum of grains that are out there. We embrace baking with a sense of adventure, while seeking bigger flavors!

2. Freshness Is Vital

This one is pretty self-explanatory…but we’re going to talk about it anyway! An easy comparison is coffee: Would you rather have a cup of coffee made from freshly ground beans or one from beans ground months ago? Fresh, right? We believe the same goes for flour—fresh is better. And freshness doesn’t just apply to the flour, when properly made, breads and pastries made with freshly milled flours will stay fresh longer thanks to the natural oils present in the flour.

3. Chock-full of Nutrients

First, a brief grain anatomy overview. When we receive grains ready for milling, there are 3 basic parts to know about: the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. The bran is high in fiber, has a good amount of proteins, and enzymes that help with digestion. The germ is the smallest part of the kernel, but it contains the highest density of nutrients—mostly fatty acids and a lot of vitamin E. The endosperm is the largest part of the kernel, it’s primarily starch and serves as the food for the plant—this is the only part you get with commercial white flour.

Compare that to stone-ground flour, which crushes the whole grain kernel—the bran, the germ, and the endosperm—releasing all of the nutritious vitamins, minerals, and oils into the flour. This is more complete and as nature designed it—a whole food. We can use that flour as is (whole grain flour), or we can sift out some of the bran (high-extraction or ‘bolted’ flour) to varying degrees, which is somewhere between a whole grain flour and a white flour. The beauty of freshly stone-milled flour is that even if some of the bran is sifted out for a high-extraction flour, the oils of the germ have still been rubbed into the white, starchy portion of the flour, resulting in a relatively more flavorful and nutritious “whitish” flour, that still performs well and tastes delicious.

Psst: It’s no coincidence that the first point of our 2023 vision for the bakery is: “We are bringing more flavor, freshness, and nutrition to flours—milling our own grains.”

4. Dedicated to Great Ingredients

We always want to use great ingredients—they provide the best flavor. We also want to know as much about our ingredients as possible: where they’re coming from, how they were grown or produced, and who is doing the growing or producing. And whenever possible, we opt for locally-sourced, sustainably-grown, and organic ingredients.

5. Less Is Often More

We’re focusing on food waste reduction in our bakery in novel and unexpected ways, and not removing and wasting (the most flavorful and nutritious) part of the grains we use is a nice added bonus for doing something we already believe has a lot of value. You might say it’s like not peeling the grains.

6. Tied To Traditional Methods

We believe in preserving traditional baking methods and recipes, and stone milling our own flour right before we’re going to use it is bringing back an old tradition to our baking. Before the middle ages in western countries and still today in some parts of the world, people mill(ed) all of their grain at home, by hand with simple grinding stones. Then milling became industrialized and stone mills were an important part of communities—families and farmers would bring in their grain to the local mill to have it milled. We look forward to supporting this tradition by creating products made with freshly-milled flour, as well as by offering home mills, grain berries, and freshly-milled flours in our Bakeshop.

7.   Connecting To Community

Food is often known for bringing people together. Sourcing local whole grains to mill and bake with brought us even closer to our community. We have been introduced to many other seekers of great food and keepers of tradition like Megan Goldenberg from Macon Creek Malthouse, The Luckhardt family of farmers, the Wilken family at Janie’s Mill, Bill Koucky of Grand Traverse Culinary Flours, Michigan State University Extension, Nature Nurture, The Andersons, Molly Breslin of Breslin Farms, and many more. In our own small way, we can improve the local food system around us and spread that joy to others.

Milling is giving us something new to share with home bakers who are already enjoying our baking classes and cookbook recipes. We’re learning right alongside them about the benefits of whole grains as we invite home milling experts and other speakers from our around the country. We’re also offering our freshly milled flour for sale for them to use at home. After all, in ancient times the first home activity to be centralized was milling, followed by baking. We love bringing back old traditions and feel honored to mill a little and bake a lot for our community.

—The Zingerman’s Bakehouse Grain Commission

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