A few weeks ago, I attended the Eighth Annual Asheville Bread Baking Festival. The city of Asheville, nestled in the mountains of Western North Carolina, provides a wonderful backdrop for a bread-baking event. The theme for this year’s festival was “Local Grain, Local Flour, and Local Bread”. The event featured experts on local grain production, milling, and baking with local and heirloom wheat. During the bakers’ showcase, local artisans showcased their beautiful breads and other [...]

March is here! My crocuses are starting to bloom! St. Patrick’s Day is almost here! This winter has been very mild in North Central Ohio and I forgot that spring was on the way. There are a few things that I really love about spring. Warm sunshine and flowers are top on the list. But St. Patrick’s Day is right at the top too. When my kids were in elementary school, we had a big [...]

If you love good bread, but don’t want to pay $4 or $5 (or more!) per loaf, rejoice. If you’ve always wanted to make good bread, but were intimidated by yeast, kneading, proofing and whatnot – again, I say, rejoice. There is a book for you, and it is awesome. In “Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day,” Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois show you the secret to making wonderful bread at home. No kneading required. [...]