Bread Coinky-Dink

My last three bread bakings were experimenting with a combination of flours, seeds, and other inclusions. The first two included fennel seeds, bits of dried dates rolled in coconut flour, and dried orange peel.

Yesterday, I scored some dried Goji berries (Chinese wolfberry), which are high in antioxidants. My bread today included fennel seeds, orange peel, and Goji berries. Interestingly, the red berries colored the bread a bit yellow. The taste was great.

Now for the coinky-dinky part: a friend who had moved to Florida sent us a jar of orange blossom honey, a surprise which arrived today, so I tried it on my new bread (which, remember, has orange peel in it). Yummie!

I took a couple of slices with honey to my neighbor who loves my bread. I mentioned to his wife if she knew what Goji berries were. She replied that she had a wolfberry plant in a pot that someone gave her and whether I'd want it (they're moving). Sure, I said. Now I have a wolfberry plant that I will stick into the ground.

So, orange peel in my bread and orange blossom honey plus wolfberries in my bread and a donated wolfberry plant. Pretty nice coinky-dink.

Larry. Sounds like the planets aligned for you.
Your baking adventures sound great.
Will the balloons still go up this October?

Most events in our state have been canceled, including the state fair and the balloon fiesta.

Alas, I have an unbroken record of being a Scovie Award judge every year since it started in the mid-'90s; this year it's still going to happen, but I'm probably not going. I don't want to die from tasting salsa or other food product in a room filled with other people.

[Jenise]

Larry, I've got a loaf proofing right now. It's based on a buckwheat bread recipe in the Coyote Cafe book by Mark Miller which I own but can't find at the moment. Been years since I made it but it's divine, so I just tried to copy the flavors I remember. It was about 4 or 5:1 ratio of AP to buckwheat flour but it turned out surprisingly strong on the buckwheat, lightly sweet with honey, and probably with cinnamon, and it strongly reminded me of the flavor of the bread part in Orowheat Raisin bread. So I just winged it; will advise back!

I happen to own that cookbook if you need a recipe.

FWIW, my ancestors in the 1800s owned the 2nd largest buckwheat mill in the country. Buckwheat is a pseudo-grain related to rhubarb. I grew some here one year to see what it looks like. It's a quick crop--something like 60 days. And it also breaks up heavy soil.

[Jenise]

Really! So you were born to buckwheat, so to speak.

The bread is fantastic. I threw in today's sourdough discard, the remnants of an envelope of yeast, no idea how much was in there, around a cup of water, salt, three heaping teaspoons of honey, some cinnamon I shook out of a jar, three cups of flour and may 1/2 of buckwheat. All went straight into the Kitchen Aid. As it blended I decided it needed to be a smidge sweeter and I poured in extra water until it looked like it was coming together. Dough tripled in two hours and rose to full size in two more, (I threw raisins in as I folded it for the final proof) and now we have a spectacular loaf of toasting bread. Bob will be in heaven. Only wish I could play it that fast and loose with my sourdough loaves.