It was 20 years ago this month I moved from Maine to New Hampshire, found a job at King Arthur Flour across the river in Vermont… and discovered the best company in the world.

Frank and Brinna Sands owned King Arthur Flour back in 1990, when I arrived. Frank’s family had been involved with the business since the early 1800s; generations of Sands men had sold King Arthur Flour, headed the company as president or, from 1932 to 1996, owned it outright.

In 1996, without a next generation of Sands family to take over, Frank and Brinna sold the company to the employees. King Arthur is now 100% employee-owned. read the rest of this entry »

Have you ever baked something that made you do the Daffy Duck? You know, the cartoon scene where Daffy runs about yelling, “I’m rich, I’m rich, whoop, whoop, yippee, I’m rich!” He’s bouncing around on his head, feet, hands, and rump in a spastic outpouring of sheer joy. Yep, the Daffy Duck.

Not everything we bake here in the kitchen gets us to do the Daffy Duck. Sometimes we do the swoon, the table grip (hold me Ralphie, I’ve died and gone to heaven). Susan Reid’s creations often get me to do the swoon. That woman knows how to cook. read the rest of this entry »

You probably already know that King Arthur Flour is the nation’s oldest flour company. We were founded in 1790 – and this year, we are celebrating our 220th year providing top-quality flour to home and professional bakers around the country.

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It takes a village to create a recipe. Or, at least the inspiration for one.

King Arthur Flour has recently relaunched its community site, The Baking Circle. This long-time virtual gathering place has attracted bakers from all over the world, and generated discussions ranging from things to do with zucchini to recipes for THE BEST sandwich buns (a discussion never resolved – though we’ve had fun trying!)

Looking for inspiration from the community, I decided to check out the recipe section – see what people were posting. read the rest of this entry »

Pamplona Spain is famous for it’s running of the bulls each spring, an event for the brave and fleet of foot. For those of us less swift and more laid back, Brattleboro Vermont offers …

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A few months ago, we posted a blog written by a friend of mine, Dani, detailing her daughter’s wedding, and the gluten-free cake she baked for it.

The couple was married in the bride’s hometown here in America; then traveled to Israel for a second ceremony, in the groom’s native country.

Wouldn’t you know it? Out of that ceremony came the inspiration for another blog – this one focusing on one of the memorable foods Dani enjoyed in Israel.

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As the weather cools here in New England, I start to think about hot tea, hot cocoa, and all the warm fall drinks I enjoy while sitting on the deck.  I love a good Vermont Steamer (hot milk and maple syrup) in the morning and a rich hot chocolate in the evening.

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“I am putting in the yeast, NOW!”

“Testify, sister!!”

No, it’s not religious revival, it’s another day in the test kitchen.

Every one of us in the test kitchen has done it more than once. We mix and knead everything together, go away for an hour or more, and come back to see that our dough has done… nothing. We wonder, “Did I add the yeast? If I did add the yeast, is it dead?”

Thus we developed the call and response technique. We sing out as the yeast goes into the bowl or machine, and by outwardly affirming our action, have more confidence that it actually happened. read the rest of this entry »

You already know that here at King Arthur Flour, we love to share the joy of baking. But did you know that each year, we teach thousands of school kids how to bake bread and encourage them to donate some to people in need in their communities?

Last school year, our Life Skills Bread Baking Program® visited 100 schools primarily in the East and Midwest; taught more than 21,000 students; and facilitated the donation of more than 15,500 loaves – and this year we’re going even bigger!

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Berry Gordy Jr. wrote that he could “dance the mash-potato,” but he probably never used mashed potatoes to make cake doughnuts. This magic ingredient and the following recipe from Grammie Nut will bring you back to that picture-perfect fall day – the one that  isn’t complete without a cup of fresh cider and  an old-fashioned (a.k.a. cake) doughnut.

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