Although technically still summer, fall has definitely arrived. School is back in session, the leaves are starting to turn and fall and the local harvest is in full swing. That indescribable scent of fall is in the air. Next week will be the last farmers market of the season in Negaunee, but the ones in Marquette, Munising and Gwinn will running through the end of October, I think.
One problem that shows up every spring and fall is the weather’s effect on our sourdough breads. When working without yeast, the culture needs to be just right in order to get a consistent bread volume and flavor. Temperature affects the sourdough culture dramatically, and is the hardest thing for us to control. During the winter and summer, the bakery has fairly predictable temperatures swings so we can adjust how we refresh the sourdough so that it is at its optimum strength when it’s time to start mixing. In the spring and fall the temperatures are all over the map, so it’s hard to get the sourdough just right. The last couple weeks have been frustrating because our sourdoughs haven’t been quite as nice as they usually are. However, every day is a new chance to do it better and learn something new. We’ll see how tomorrow’s bake goes.
We have been baking a few loaves of braided cardamom bread on Wednesdays for 3 or 4 weeks now. Each week I’ve incresed the amount of cardamom in the formula, and even though it seems a rediculously large amount to me, no one has complained that it is too much. We baked another small batch yesterday and there may be a couple left. Stop in for a sample and let me know what you think.
The last Thursday in the month is early this month. Tomorrow is Cornish Saffron Bun day again. Stop in for a treat. They’ll be out of the oven around 7:30am when we open.
Peter