In last week’s column I mentioned that I was going to take a 4 day Virtual Artisan Baking at Home class from the King Arthur Baking School. Since I figured I many as well just keep on baking, I added a Rustic Spring Tarts session on Saturday. So I spent the week flinging flour, literally. Anyone with gluten intolerance would likely go into anaphylactic shock just walking in the door. But it was just me in the house and I had a fantastic time. You can find lots of recipes on their web site as well as a drool worthy baking supply store.

Some of you said, but Barb, you have been baking bread for years, surely you’ve got all this down by now. Au contraire, my friends. Just because you do something a lot doesn’t mean you do it well or really know what you are doing. Sometimes things I try work, sometimes they don’t. Hopefully I can start to figure out why and learn how to do it better. Plus, anyone who is really into anything, from gardening to wood working, probably feels that there is always something to learn. It’s just plain fun to do what you love alongside real experts who can show their expertise, answer questions, give critiques and share tips. And it does work virtually.

I confess to being a bit of a food geek, or maybe I am just plain weird. I grind coffee and am picky about what beans I use and you know how I am about wine. In the last few years I’ve gotten into grinding wheat berries. Yes, fresher is better; and there are many different varieties of wheat that add different tastes, textures and other qualities. Wheat berries keep practically forever too. At home in PA I have half a dozen varieties; I shipped some of a few favorites along with my spare wheat grinder out here to Idaho. If you had any doubt about my claim to food geekdom that should answer it.

In advance we were sent the list of ingredients and equipment along with the recipes. Before class they sent the zoom link. The day after each class, a link to the recording of the prior day’s class arrived that we can download, keep and re-watch. There were different instructors throughout the week, one on camera leading the class and another running the camera, assisting the main instructor and monitoring the chat. Many of the recipes have multiple steps that take more than one day. Not necessarily complicated- things like mix these 3 things in a bowl, let sit until tomorrow. But seeing what it is supposed to look like at various points with the ability to show yours and get feedback on what to do about problems was invaluable. Baking is science; chemistry in action, but some of the factors are not obvious and not all are controllable- like the humidity in your kitchen. Tips on how to deal with the variables was a key part of the class.

What were the key takeaways for me? I made some yummy things plus learned some new techniques, lots of tips, things to watch for, ways to do things and tips and tricks. The croissants were great, I would not have attempted this without supervision. Mine worked well, but I learned a great deal from others in the class (there were 9 or us) who were having problems. In the end all of us produced impressive results. Sourdough is tricky, if you have tried it you know. This is really chemistry at it’s quirkiest. But it is so much fun (for me anyway, but you know I am a bit cracked) partly because of that. I have read numerous books and watched more than a couple YouTube videos on the subject but I learned a great deal in this class and produced what may be the best sourdough I have made yet. I have enough bread that I loaded the freezer and still have plenty to gift to neighbors.

For those of you who aren’t going to dive into baking things that require days, you might enjoy this rye gingerbread. You can find rye flour at many grocery stores. It adds depth to the gingerbread and is a good add in to other baked goods. I couldn’t find the exact recipe we used online so here you go!

Rye Gingerbread
YIELD: one 8” x 8” pan

INGREDIENTS
213 grams (1 cup) brown sugar
85 grams (1/4 cup) molasses
168 grams (3/4 cup) water, boiling
57 grams (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
90 grams (3/4 cup) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
106 grams (1 cup) King Arthur Medium Rye Flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
46 grams (1/4 cup) diced crystalized ginger, optional

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, blend the brown sugar, molasses, water, and butter, stirring until the butter melts.
2. When the mixture is lukewarm, add the baking soda, salt, and egg.
3. Mix together the flour and spices and stir into the wet ingredients. Then stir in the crystalized ginger, if using.
4. Pour the batter into a greased 8” x 8” pan, and bake the gingerbread in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 to 28
   minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

My blood sugar is rising just thinking about these goodies, so that’s enough for today. Stay tuned for more!