Wheat eaters have it SO easy, don’t they?

They can grab any old cracker, chip or toasted bread when they want something to scoop up their favorite spread. We, the gluten-intolerant, have fewer choices when it comes to this mission. I myself often reach for the box of rice crackers, or make chips out of veggies such as carrots or kale.

Would it be too much to ask for something that would provide a little double-duty? One that could play the role of soft sandwich ends OR crispy snacker chip thingy if toasted to perfection?

How about something tangy that could be chewy or crunchy depending on the mood or needs? And better yet, haven’t you been waiting for more excuses to use your gluten-free sourdough starter anyway? Think flatbread.

read the rest of this entry »

You, my friend, like to make people smile.

Handing your loved ones a fresh, warm, home-baked treat is a baker’s equivalent of a novelist submitting a manuscript for publication. For us, hearing “OH, my goodness, that’s delicious!” is the equivalent of a writer hearing “Here’s your Pulitzer Prize.” Or maybe…

read the rest of this entry »

What does the picture above have in common with the one below?

Both were taken at a recent class at the King Arthur Flour Baking Education Center – a.k.a. the B.E.C.

Are we having fun yet?

read the rest of this entry »

WOW. It’s too hot to bake.

Not only that, it’s too hot to fuss.

But – what about our daily bread?

Fuss-free, no-knead, quick-baking focaccia to the rescue! read the rest of this entry »

How does it DO that?!

I mean, there’s no yeast in this big, puffy cracker bread. No baking powder, no sourdough, no leavening of any kind.

Yet this simple mixture of water, flour, and salt, rolled paper-thin and thrown onto a hot pizza stone (or hot baking sheet), bubbles and puffs dramatically.

STEAM, baby. It powered riverboats and trains back in the day, and it can turn your cracker bread into a veritable culinary volcano today.

read the rest of this entry »

One of the most common queries we get via our Bakers’ Hotline is this:

“I hate discarding a cup of sourdough starter every time I feed it. Isn’t there something else I can do with it, besides just throw it away?”

Ah, we’re all thrifty New Englanders at heart, right? And I agree – it just feels wrong to throw flour (starter) in the trash bucket. Luckily, there’s plenty you can do with excess starter besides dump it. So here goes:

read the rest of this entry »