I have learned so much from working in a bakery.

Here are a few things, in no particular order:

• Label and date everything. The proper way to write the date is month/day, like “egg wash 6/20”.
• When in doubt, sprinkle on some Maldon. 
• Tie apron strings together before tossing in the laundry to prevent them from knotting.
• Chew gum to keep from snacking.
• A couple tablespoons of OJ in a quart of seltzer will trick your stomach into thinking it’s full.
• For safety reasons, always dry and put away knives immediately after washing.
• Shout “behind” when walking behind someone, “door” when going through a door, “corner” when walking around a corner, and “sharp” when walking ANYWHERE with a knife.
• Ratios are magic. Let’s say a recipe calls for 40 grams of whole wheat and 250 grams of AP flour. If I want to scale up to 1500 grams of AP, how much whole wheat do I need? 40/250 = x/1500, so cross multiply 40 and 1500 and then divide by 250 to get 240 grams of whole wheat. 
• Organization via charts, schedules, and spreadsheets are half the baking battle. Maybe even three-quarters.
• Whacking around baking sheets all day long will make your hands hurt.
• If you need a tool, buy it.
• If you want to learn something, learn it.
• Experiment, experiment, experiment, and make note of EVERYTHING.
• The proper way to cut a sourdough boule: slice it in half, and then place the half cut-side down and slice into pieces.  
• To turn a craggy cookie into a perfect round, place a large round cookie cutter over it when it’s still hot from the oven and gently swirl.
• Get creative with scraps! Some of our favorite products resulted from someone getting creative: vanilla braids, lemon lavender pull-aparts, everything bagel cream cheese buns, etc.
• ALSO: don’t be afraid to through out leftovers. Sometimes the trashcan (pig bucket) is the best option. No need to waste time on failure.
• Lavish love and samples on your customers. Their eye-sparkles are the best part of the job.
• Sourdough bread add-ins are fancy as heck and not at all as complicated as I thought.

Each day we offer a different flavor of sourdough, and sometimes two: cracked 9-grain, roasted garlic and herb, sundried tomato and feta, pecan raisin, finocchio, etc. Days that we have leftovers, there might even be 4 or 5 different kinds to choose from (if you aren’t snooty about day-olds). 

One of the breads I was tasked with making was the chocolate cherry loaf. I’ve attempted chocolate sourdough on my own a number of times, but the bread was either too dry or the chocolate too bitter. It never was worth the trouble. But then our head baker did some research: apparently the trick was to first bloom the chocolate in oil and then add it to the dough. She also had me dump in a bunch of Callebaut and some fancy Amareno cherries. The loaves were a hit.

I’ve yet to taste our bakery chocolate cherry loaf, but I’ve made it at home a couple times now. My recipe is a little different, of course — 

*different dough: I make a country white as opposed to the bakery’s more wheaty loaf
*different chocolate: whatever cocoa I have, as well as whatever chocolate chunks (chips, disks, etc)
*different cherries: boozy sour cherries from homemade bounce! 

— but the method is the same.

Mix the cocoa with hot oil and let it soak for a bit (this is what’s called “blooming”), and then after the dough has been mixed and rested for 30 minutes, fold in the bloomed cocoa. Rest the dough for another 30 minutes and fold in the remaining ingredients. Once the chocolate chunks and cherries have been added, repeat the lift-and-folds two to three more times, interspersing each series of folds with a 30-minute rest. When you’re done with the folding, let the dough bulk proof for 4-5 hours before shaping, proofing overnight, and baking. 

Thick slices of this bread, untoasted and well buttered, make for a fantastic breakfast with coffee.

Chocolate Cherry Sourdough Bread
Loosely adapted from Magpie’s recipe and method for Chocolate Cherry Bread.

2 pounds country white sourdough dough (one-half recipe, enough for one large boule)
50 grams cocoa
50 grams canola oil
150 grams semi-sweet chocolate (chunks, chips, disks, etc)
125 grams canned cherries (Amarena, bounce, etc), partially drained and chopped

Warm the oil in a small saucepan and stir in the cocoa. Stir for a couple minutes on very low heat (or off heat), and then set aside to cool.

Mix dough as per the recipe and let it rise for 30 minutes. Spread a third of the cocoa mixture over the dough, then lift one edge of the dough and fold it over the cocoa. Add another third of the cocoa, fold, and then the final third and fold. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Add the remaining add-ins in thirds, as you did with the cocoa. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Repeat this lift and fold process another 2-4 times, with 30-minute rests in between. The cocoa will never fully incorporate but by the end the dough should be heavily marbled.

Let the dough bulk proof for several hours and continue with the recipe: overnight proofing, docking, baking, etc.

Serve with butter.

This same time, years previous: the middle years, family road trip: New Hampshire, teen club takes Puerto Rico, buttermilk brownies, cherry picking, Korean beef, the quotidian (6.22.15), weigh in, please, beets, and more beets, spaghetti with fresh herbs and fried eggs.

I convinced my husband to go on another hike with me — this time, Bird Knob Trail. 

We didn’t take a map with us (my husband usually prints one off, but he couldn’t find one online), so we did a bit of round-abouting. Like, to start out, we missed the trailhead completely, went down one path and then backtracked to the beginning, and then struck off up the mountain on an unmarked path. The lack of blazes, as well a whole series of trees felled directly across the path, should’ve been a clue we were doing it wrong, but no.

wardrobe change

We soon found the main path, opted to go right (the correct decision), and then carried on for a few miles, not another soul in sight.

Halfway through we arrived at a large meadow and came upon two humans, the sight of which was so startling that we got confused and lost our bearings.

unsure

After a bit of to-and-froing, we found The Emerald Pond, which lived up to its name and made me think of Anne of Green Gables. It would’ve been perfect for a swim, but we hadn’t brought suits or towels and the place was a little too exposed for skinny dipping. . .

Maybe next time?

Then we happened on those two humans again and they kindly let us screenshot their directions.

And off we went again, this time in the right direction all the rest of the way back to the parking lot, including the correct trail back to the trailhead, which was considerably longer than our shortcut up the side of the mountain. But now at least we know where the trailhead is!

one part of the trail was lined with the enormous anthills which I refrained from poking —
be proud of me

The duration of the hike, we had a cheeky little breeze which made the trees swoosh deliciously. At one point the trail consisted of sand and pine needles, and what with the roar of the trees sounding like crashing waves and the sand underfoot, I almost felt like I was on a beach. 

It was a fun hike, but after the challenge and thrill of Old Rag, it felt like a bit of a let down. (Am I an adrenaline junky?)

And now, here’s my hot list of hiking tips:

• Tip #1: Print (or screenhot) a map of the trail because you won’t have cell service and getting lost happens.
• Tip #2: Use 1 liter seltzer bottles for water: they weigh almost nothing, and warm water prevents dehydration just as well as cold. 
• Tip #3: Invest in a small backpack. This one costs only 30 bucks and has been worth every penny.
• Tip #4: Leggings might be warmer than shorts, but they protect your legs from brambles and bugs and make you feel invincible, like you can climb mountains (which is what you are doing, after all). 
• Tip #5: Carry Tylenol — for when the dehydration/exhaustion headache sets in. 
• Tip #6: Women: wear a pantiliner to catch the drips after trailside squating-and-peeing.
• Tip #7: Tuck an extra shirt in the car to change into for the ride home. A clean shirt will make you feel refreshed even if your body still stinks to high heaven.
• Tip #8: Keep a cooler with iced coffee in the car for your end-of-the-day reward. Bonus points if you wait to eat the salted chocolate chunk cookies until then, too.

***

A note about Tip #6…

At a gathering this weekend, I proudly shared my brilliant discovery and immediately got major kickback: That’s a terrible idea! Boo, pantiliners! Just shake and go! 

And I was like, Are you kidding me? Pantiliners keep your undies from getting soggy. It’s so much more comfortable!

But the pantiliner gets soggy.

No, the pantiliner absorbs the soggy. That’s the point of the pantiliner.

Round and round we went, louder and louder. I had no idea wearing a pantiliner while hiking would be so controversial! 

So what do you think? Pantiliners while hiking: yea or nay?

This same time, years previous: the quotidian (6.20.22), family road trip, nova scotia oatcakes, one morning, the quotidian (6.20.16), in recovery, walking through water, three things, refried beans, orange cranberry scones.

Quotidian: daily, usual or customary;
everyday; ordinary; commonplace

When your kid works at a CSA, you get the BEST treat boxes.

Runny to the core: 12 weeks old.

The perfect post-Ultimate dinner.

Bandage wrapping WORKS!!!

Mead: either go big or go home.

Puker.

Hazy, from the Canadian wildfires.

Foot splurge.

It’s a Murch spotting!

Puerto Rico bound.

King of the Facebook Marketplace finds.

His goat kidded: Introducing June.

This same time, years previous: currently: a list, all before lunch, the quotidian (6.19.17), magic custard cake, the quotidian (6.19.12), cold-brewed iced tea and cold-brewed iced coffee, strawberry margarita cake.