Let’s go back to debunking the idea that bread is hard. It’s the end of February, which means everything is rainy and wet here- so I’ve been on a bit of a bread making kick. One thing I will always stay adamant about is that baking bread isn’t as hard as a lot of people now believe it is. So today I want to share a recipe for Ciabatta.

Once you understand the basic chemistry behind bread, it’s really quite easy. It’s a bit like a good relationship: If you pay attention to what you’re doing, you can’t really do it wrong. If you haven’t seen our Bread 101 post you can find it here– this will point you in the right direction for all the basics of bread.

Ciabatta is one of my favorite breads and ironically a type that a lot of people I talk to seem to think is more complicated to make. It’s not. In the recipe below I’ll give you two variations of it. One is a fresh style with no preferment if you’re short on time or not quite sure on sourdoughs (though I would strongly urge you to check out our post on sourdough, because again, it’s not as hard as it sounds). The other is a sourdough ciabatta because sourdough is king. Let’s get right to it.

Mis En Place (Get Your Shit, and Get it Together)

Fresh Dough Ciabatta

• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 240 grams of warm water (roughly 92 degrees), water should not be hot enough to hurt or it will kill your yeast.
• 300 grams All Purpose Flour, sifted
• 1 tsp of kosher salt

Sour Dough Ciabatta

• 1 Cup Active Starter
• 350 grams All Purpose Flour, sifted
• 225 g of warm water
• 1 tsp of kosher salt

Other Items Needed

• Olive Oil, As Needed
• Metal baking sheet
• Parchment Paper
• A spray bottle with water

Directions for Ciabatta

Fermenting

1. For the fresh method: combine water and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and let sit 5 minutes. For the sourdough method: add 1 cup of the flour to the starter in the bowl of a stand mixer and let sit for 5 minutes. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP FOR EITHER VARIATION.
2. Combine Flour and salt with yeast mixture and mix on low for 2-4 minutes to allow gluten to begin forming. Mixture will create a loose, VERY wet dough. Continue folding until no clumps of flour remain and wet dough is mostly smooth. (Dough is at roughly 80% hydration so don’t be alarmed that its loose- that’s intentional).

Rissing

1. Lightly grease a large bowl with olive oil and transfer ciabatta dough into it. Cover with a fitted lid (or plastic wrap) and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Remember the warmer the room is the faster the fermentation will happen (the quicker the rise).
2. Stretch and fold. We’re going to repeat this process 3 times. It will take about an hour and a half total. For each stretch and fold, get some oil or water on your hands to prevent sticking. I prefer olive oil, but water works just fine too. Do not use canola or vegetable oil as it messes with the flavor and will give the crust a funny texture.
   • With wet or greased hands, gently stretch and fold the dough every 30ish minutes by lifting carefully from each side and pulling the dough to the middle, one side at a time.
   • By the end of your stretches and folds the dough should have roughly doubled in size.

Shaping

1. Transfer to a floured surface. Dough with be sticky, but this is what we want. Using gentle fingers, tuck the ends and sides in until you have a loosely rectangular shape, being careful to not squeeze out air cells. Use a knife or bench scraper and cut the dough into two or four equal pieces.
   • 4 will yield sandwich size loaves.
   • 2 will yield larger traiditonal loaves.
2. Repeating the beginning part of step 5, shape each portion of dough gently into a rectangle and transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Very lightly, sprinkle top of each loaf with flour and cover with a tea towel. Then set aside and let rest 30-40 minutes.

Baking

1. Preheat oven to 420 degrees. Fill a large baking dish with water and place it in the bottom of your oven (bottom rack). Close the oven and let it fill with steam while it preheats.
2. When the oven is preheated and the dough ready to go in, slide the sheet tray directly in the oven and spray with water immediately. Close oven and set a timer for twenty minutes.
3. Check for doneness (bottom of loaf will sound hollow when tapped with a knuckle).
4. Remove ciabatta from oven, transfer to a cooling rack, and let cool 90% of the way before giving in to temptation and slicing. DO NOT SKIP THE COOLING STEP. YOUR GLUTEN AND AIR CELLS NEED TO SET. I know it’s hard, but you did not spend hours baking bread to ruin it at the last moment.

Have fun! Let us know how it goes!

Happy Baking,

Mikaela

It’s baking day, and in light of the upcoming festival of Brigid I thought I would share my favorite recipe for Pulla. Traditionally a Finnish sweet bread, there are tons of variations on texture and spice blend. This one happens to be my grandmother’s. Technically, you can prep Pulla into any shape, but I was taught by braiding and I’ve always kind of stuck to that. Since Brigid is frequently associated with Braids and crosses, I somehow always associate the two.

This particular loaf is delicious with coffee, or a bit of honey or butter; not that that is particular shocking since it is traditionally eaten with coffee. It is soft and chewy with an aromatic blend of spices that will always warm my heart.

The Not So Secret of Making Pulla

In my humble opinion, what really makes your pulla next level is the quality/ type of your spices. In this case- spring for green cardamom, especially if you can get whole pods. Black cardamom will work- but green is in its own class. It take only the work of minutes to grind fresh pods into the most amazing flavor you’ve ever tasted. Bread takes hours too make correctly anyways- its worth the 3 minutes with a mortar and pestle/ molcajete. Some grocery stores now sell pods, additionally I know world market sells it and you can also get it online and from some smaller specialty stores.

But enough chat. On to the bread!

Mis en Place (Get Your Shit and Get it Together):

• 2 cups milk
• 1 Tbsp Yeast
• ¾ Cups granulated sugar
• ¼ Cup water
• 2 whole eggs, beaten lightly
• 1 Tbsp cardamom, ground
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 7-7 ½ Cups All Purpose flour or bread flour
• ½ Cup butter, melted
• 1 egg, beaten separately for egg wash
• Baking sheet or stone wear (I am partial to stone wear as it leads to better crust).

Pulla Prodecure:

1. Begin by Scalding your milk in a small, heavy bottomed saucepan. You can scald milk in any saucepan- but its easier if its double bottomed as there is less chance of burning. You want small bubbles to be forming around the edge of the pan but not boiling. It will sometimes develop a small film on top- this is okay. Remove milk from heat. Add half of your cardamom to the milk and let it steep as it cools (this step is not necessary but definitely helps increase the flavor). Milk will need to cool to just above room temperature. Warm is okay- but hot will kill your yeast.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle (or a large bowl if you plan on mixing by hand) combine yeast with 1 tsp of the sugar. Add the warm water and let sit 5 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom. DO NOT RUSH THIS STEP.
3. Add milk, remaining sugar, remaining cardamom, eggs, and salt.
4. Begin adding flour, one cup at a time until you reach 5 cups. Let mix 1-2 minutes until mostly smooth. It is important that the dough have a few minutes to mix and develop gluten strands before you proceed to the next step, butter impedes the formation of gluten so if you add the butter to soon you will end up with tough, dense bread.
5. With the mixer still mixing, slowly pour in melted butter and continue to mix until dough is smooth and shiny. Once butter is completely absorbed, add the remaining flour ½ cup at a time until smooth again.
6. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let sit in a warm, humid place until doubled in size (roughly 45 minutes).
7. Gently deflate and empty out onto a lightly floured surface. Break dough into 3 equal chunks.
8. Working with one third at a time, split each third into either halves or thirds again and braid in a 3 or 4 strand braid (2 chunk= 4 strand braid; 3 chunks= traditional braid).
9. Gently move braided loves to baking pans and let rise again 20 minutes.
10. Brush with egg wash.
11. Bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool Fully before eating. Do not skip the cooling step. I know that it can be tempting to cut into a loaf of bread fresh out of the oven, and you CAN eat it still warm, but it needs to be 90% cool. This is where gluten cells solidify, air cells set, and most of your crust development occurs. Cutting bread early can leave you with collapsed, structureless, and gummy bread.

Feel Free to play with spice blends and amounts. Some people will top their Pulla with sliced almonds or include raisins or dried berries. If you’re looking for more bread tips and tricks, check out the rest of our bread 101 series here!

Have fun and go make a mess!

All the best, Always,

Mikaela

Well, my days of the week/ the month are all sorts of messed up right now. It’s a combination of my need to adapt to a state that has daylight savings time (I know, I know: EVERYBODY has daylight savings time except Arizona), and the fact that I’m far enough north that its dark by 4PM. I feel like my day is over before it’s started and I have utterly no idea what time of day or day of the week it is anymore. I’m leaning into it. This is my time to hibernate. With no family visiting this year- the holidays are going to be quiet in a way that I’m not 100% sure that I like, but I’m making the best of it by taking advantage of the chance to rest after a long and chaotic year.

I’m not used to the cold and it has me wanting cozy snacks and warm desserts, the kind that make you feel toasty and childlike on the inside. Since I don’t havefamily in town- I’ve been trying to rein in the labor and the compulsive need to bake en masse. Instead, this year I am focused on small batch, fresh made desserts and sweets. Thomas and Taylor appreciate it because it means my kitchen does not quite look like a perpetual war zone this year.

What’s not to Nog?

A few months ago I made my Grandmother’s Rice Pudding for the first time on my own and it came out great. I have only ever had it cold, however, because that’s how she made it for my grandfather. I heard somebody talking about warm spiced rice pudding the other day and it got me to thinking. Holidays, toasty desserts, rice pudding, spices….what says holiday spice more than Egg Nog? So, I nabbed some of Taylor’s bottomless Egg Nog stash and here we are.

Full disclosure:

You will not find any standard rice pudding with a dash of ‘Egg Nog inspired spices’ here. Oh no my friend. What we are about to make is a full fat, clog your arteries, buttery, warm-you-from-the inside-out, sweetly spiced, real cooked-in-Egg Nog creamy rice pudding. So buckle up buttercup. Grab a glass of Scotch, turn on some Nat King Cole, and take your cholesterol medication. We’re gonna get nogged.

Mis en Place (get your shit and get it together):

• 2 Cups Cooked, UNSALTED Rice, you can use brown as it’s more nutrient dense, but I find this is one of the few things that white works better for me (1 cup dry white rice will yield 2 Cups once cooked)
• 2 Cups Eggnog. Any ‘nog will do but I am of the opinion that the thicker the better. Alcoholic is fine, but for family baking purposes, I actually prefer store bought non alcoholic Eggnog. For the consistency we want, Lucerne is king here.
• 1/3 Cup white granulated sugar.
• Pinch of salt (less than ¼ tsp)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla

Procedure:

1. In a medium Saucepan combine all ingredients on medium heat. Stir, to break up clumps of rice and combine thoroughly.
2. Stir until the egg nog begins to simmer and bubbles form around the edges. You do not want a full rolling boil as this can scald your eggnog and cook the eggs.
3. Reduce heat to low and continue to stir gently.
4. Continue cooking until pudding is thick and creamy with an almost porridge like texture but slightly softer (about 15-20 minutes). TRUST THE PROCESS. It’ll seem like it is developing slowly and you may be worried its too thin but it will all come together at once.
5. Can be chilled and served cold which is still delicious but honestly, warm with a dash of cinnamon is the way to go in my opinion. If refrigerating, cover to the surface with plastic wrap or beeswax wrap to prevent a skin from forming.

Have fun and Stay Warm!

All the best,

Mikaela

It’s Finally happened! It’s cold outside. I think the last of the heat snaps are behind us and there is frost on the ground in the mornings. The holidays are literally around the corner now. That means that grilling season is (mostly) over for me and now begins the long baking, roasting, braising, soup eating season. I’ve got a serious weak spot for anything I can turn into a tart or savory pie. Today we are going to be making Savory Mushroom Tarts. 

Autumn always makes me want to cram in a few more foraging hikes before it gets too cold. Somehow, in my head, that translates into a strong need to cook with mushrooms. Which are, in my humble opinion, a highly underrated flavor and food category. The pacific northwest is a great place for portabellas, porcinis, and oyster mushrooms.

I’ve finally turned my husband on to mushrooms if they’re cooked into things in interesting ways. But I’m also that weird person that, as a child, could easily be found sitting down at a table with an entire container of white button mushrooms, eating them whole.  

I promise this recipe is not as “bland” as that. Its savory, warm, and speaks straight to my prehistoric “hibernation brain”. It’s also super easy to make and looks way fancier than it is. It’s homy enough to be eaten at home alone, but unique and dressy enough to wow at your next dinner party if that’s more your thing. With minimal prep, low cook time, and mostly hands off cooking, this recipe is one of my Go-To’s. 

I really dislike it when people wax poetic for a million pages that mean you have to scroll through before getting to the recipe, so let’s get right to it.  

Mis en place (aka: get your shit, and put it in its place): 

• 1 premade pie crust (you can use Pillsbury if convenience is necessary- and let’s be honest, this time of year its usually necessary. Or, you can use my recipe here.) 
• 1/3 of a cup ricotta or goat cheese (Ricotta will give you a sweeter, more mushroom forward flavor. Goat is going to result in a stronger more aromatic tart). 
• 6 ounces (about 170.1 g) of sliced mushrooms (you can use cremini or portabella if that’s what is available to you but if you really want to elevate the flavor, I love using oyster or porcini mushrooms or a mix of several).  
• ¼ of a yellow onion, cut into thin slices (not diced, it makes for a weird final texture). 
• 1.5 ounces (about 42.52 g) of shredded gruyere cheese 
• 2 ounces (about 56.7 g) grated parmesan for garnish 
• A touch of kosher salt or sea salt and black pepper 
• A Pinch of Nutmeg 
• 1 egg, separated 
• Olive oil 
• A sprig of thyme, chopped or 1 tsp dried thyme 
• A flat baking sheet 
• Parchment paper is useful, but not necessary. 
• A medium large skillet 

Procedure: 

Let us know what you think, and feel free to leave any pictures, variations you enjoy, or questions and trouble shooting. Have Fun!  

~Mikaela  

Today is a two for one. With the advent of baking season, I figured I would share my favorite pie crust recipe with you. This is the pie crust I use for everything. It can be varied or changed by adding herbs, seasonings, or spices depending on what the occasion calls for; but I have yet to find a pie crust recipe to beat it.  

Of course, I am a little biased because my grandfather taught me to make this pie crust recipe, but he made the best pies, and he was very proud of them. He usually stayed out of Grandma’s way in the kitchen unless it was making homemade ice-cream, fish fry, or pie. And he had perfected his pie crust.  

In future recipes if you ever see it call for a pie crust, this is the one I am using.  

Mis en place (get your shit and put it where it goes): 

• 3 Cups of Flour 
• 2 tsp of salt 
• 1 Tbsp Sugar 
• 1 ¼ Cups of butter or Crisco, cut into small pieces (I have actually found that an even split of the two produces the best result). 
• 2 egg yolks 
• 1/3 Cup milk 
• 1 Tbsp of lemon juice 
• Wax paper for rolling 
• Pastry cutter (can be done by hand, but this is much faster and produces a better texture). I like this one from Sur la Table but you can technically get them from amazon.

Procedure: 

1. Mix together dry ingredients. Cut in butter using pastry claw or by hand until pea-sized chunks form. Add Yolks, Lemon and Milk. Mix with pastry claw or by hand until a sticky dough forms.  

2. Roll out between wax paper. Trust me when I say use wax paper. The excellent flaky texture is a result of the high fat content and sticky dough. Flouring a surface will result in a blander, tough crust. Nost using wax paper or trying to forgo the flour will result in a ripped crust during rolling, or a mess. Wax paper also makes for quicker clean up and an easy transfer to a pie plate.  

This dough can be used immediately or stored in the freezer. It makes one crust, perfect for struedel toppings, or open faced pies. If you are doing a sealed pie, or most fruit pies- you’ll want to double the recipe and roll out in halves.  

Have fun! 

~Mikaela  

I know in my previous post about Ostara I had mentioned a recipe for some sourdough rosemary rolls…. 

Today is the day. Rosemary, to me, is one of the best herbs in the world, I think everybody should have some in their garden. It smells amazing, is relatively hardy (you can even grow it in the arid zone that is the Arizona I grew up in). It has a laundry list of medicinal benefits that I will get to at a different time because I could wax poetic about Rosemary and all its uses for a while, and I will, trust me. But for today we will stick to just the culinary aspect and some of its symbolism in Ostara celebrations.  

Traditionally, Rosemary has actually been used in a wide variety or celebrations and traditions throughout time, and while many other herbs and flowers have greater relevance specifically to Ostara, it is one of my favorites to work with because almost anybody can get their hand on it and from a cooking standpoint it flavor is deep and its uses are endless. In regard to Ostara, Rosemary symbolizes purification and ingenuity. This is the time of year to refresh, welcome in new energy and air and be receptive to changes around you. That requires you to first declutter and purify your space. You have to make room for new things before you can fit them into your life.  

Baking bread is also one the more traditional ways to celebrate Ostara, and in my personal opinion almost everything is better with cheese…. therefore: Bread + Rosemary + Cheese = Mozzarella Stuffed Rosemary Sourdough Pretzel Rolls! I know it looks like there are a lot of steps, but I broke it into tiny bite sized pieces for ease of reading and doing. It’s not hard, I promise.  

You can either buy a sourdough starter online (I know you can find decent ones on Esty), or you can make your own with a little advance prep, it’s much easier than it sounds. Check out our post on how to make sourdough starter Here. 

Now let’s get to it!  

Instructions: 

1. Combine warm water, sugar and starter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or regular large bowl if doing by hand). let sit 3-4 minutes until starter has had a chance to breathe.  
2. Add approximately 4 cups of flour and salt and mix on medium speed for approximately 10 minutes. If by hand approximately 15 minutes. mixing is extremely important because this is where your gluten develops. dough should be smooth and satiny to the touch, moist but not sticky; and definitely not dry. It will pull away from the sides of the bowl gently. If your dough is too sticky, continue adding flour 1/2 cup at a time, allowing a minute or two of mixing between each addition. Dough should pass the window test. For bread basics and tips click Here. 
3. Once your bread has gotten close to this ideal texture, add your rosemary and butter and knead an added 3-4 minutes until butter has been fully absorbed (butter inhibits gluten production so you do not want to add it too early). 
4. Tip dough into a clean, oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Place in a warm area of your house and let rest until dough has doubled in size (roughly 1- 1.5 hours)  
5. Place your shredded mozz in the freezer (If you are using fresh mozz you will want to tear it into relatively small pieces first). 
6. Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; and set aside. 
7.  Add water and baking soda to a large pot and bring to a boil. 
8. Divide dough into 8 equal rounds. 
9. Roll each round out into a 16″ rope. 
10. Roll each rope out so it’s 4 inches wide. 
11. Remove cheese from freezer. Add 2 tablespoons of cheese filling evenly along the rope. 
12. Tightly roll the dough back into rope being careful to pinch the edges together. 
13. Make a U shape with each rope of dough, holding the ends. 
14. Cross the ends over each other, pinching ends onto the bottom of the dough. you now have a pretzel!  
15. Place pretzels – one at a time – into the boiling cooking liquid. Cook for 30 seconds each. Remove pretzels with a slotted spoon, allowing any excess water to drip back into the pot before transferring to prepared baking sheet. It is important to not crowd your pot- take your time with this step. calm and clean are your friends. 
16. Once all pretzels have been boiled, brush the tops of each with egg wash. 
17. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 16-18 minutes. 
18. In a small bowl combine the rosemary, garlic powder, pepper, and salt. Brush the top of each pretzel with melted butter, then sprinkle on topping. Eat at once! 

Now go make a mess! Have fun! Change the toppings, switch out the cheese if you want, take pictures, share them with friends.  

All the best,  

Mikaela  

What is Ostara?

Not to be confused with the Christian Holiday of Easter, Ostara is the festival of growth, new beginnings and the dawning of a new season of life. It is traditionally the celebration of the vernal equinox, a sign that truly warmer days are ahead. A time to plan the upcoming season of hard work.  

While there are some symbolic overlaps in the celebrating of Easter and Ostara, they take place several weeks apart and celebrate two very different things. For those that follow the Christian Faith, Easter celebrates the rebirth of Christ. The spring Equinox has been known by many names: Ostara (Germanic), Eostre (Saxon), No Ruz (Persian) etc. Ostara has been celebrated in one form or another for hundreds of years, evolving and changing as civilizations grew and moved. 

Through the evolution of language, and the migration of beliefs many people came to celebrate Ostara and Eostre as one in the same: a time to rejoice, to honor Eostre: the goddess of the dawn, spring and fertility. Some religious studies even suggest that whilst the Easter holiday celebrates something entirely different, the Christian church adopted a similar name during their attempt to convert pagans to Christianity.  

There is even overlap in the symbolism behind the Painted eggs, and the Easter Bunny, but we’ll get to that in a later post because the evolution of legends and beliefs is one of my favorite topics, and the Easter Bunny is a fascinating tale.  

Celebrating at home is easy and doesn’t have to be a massive production. We’ve included some of our favorite ideas below, some are even things you can do in groups or with family, while others are more suited for those of you that want solitude. 

Ways to Celebrate:  

Painting Eggs

This is an old tradition, one with a lot of overlap to Easter and many of the Slavic nations. Grandma never had time to paint her own eggs but both her and mom had a knack for collecting intricately designed or carved decorative eggs that we always loved when we were kids. Still, hand painting or even using a dye kit can be a fun family exercise or a crafting challenge if you are more detail oriented like my sister. If you get really into it, it can also be a great way to meditate and use the power of intention setting.  

Arranging Flowers & Your ‘Hearth Space’

This is another amazing intention setting tool. Taking the time to select the flowers that represent the things you want to manifest, speaking positivity and energy into them while you arrange them, allowing color and new life into your home. 

Prep Your Garden, Spend Time With Your Plants (setting intentions while you do so)

Are you noticing a theme here? A large portion of my home practices rely strongly on mindfulness and intentionality.  Finding the magic in every day processes gives you a never-ending pool of energy to pull from. Spring is a great time to refresh your soil, nudge awake your perennial friends and plant your annual guests. I find this to be a quiet, peaceful, and reflective time. Relaxing instrumental music and some fresh air help clear my mind and setting my intentions with my plants gives me a great way to channel and manifest growth. A fun exercise is assigning a purpose or focus to each plant in my garden. If I want to grow in a personal relationship, I spend a little more time with that plant. If I want to grow my focus, I spend a bit more time with that plant. 

Herb Wreathes & Floral Wreathes

I have several grapevine wreathes hung in entry ways and doorways around the house. I switch out the flowers and herbs tucked into them from time to time to refresh the flow of energy and reflect the current season. It gives me a chance to use my creative side and adds a personalized welcoming touch to our space. I believe homes should be a representation of the people that live there, and I want the people that come to visit us to know that we put thought into welcoming them into our space. 

Alter Updates

Spring flowers (avoid lilies if you have a cat that likes to chew on plants), painted eggs, or decorative eggs, carvings or figures of rabbits and hares. The goddess Eostre was considered a guardian of portals, often depicted with keys hanging from her belt, old skeleton keys make great decorations for your Alter. Focus on whites, Yellows and Greens in your candles. Moonstone, Amethyst and Quartz make great energy focuses this month. If you like to include plants or spices look to primroses, clover, dogwood, daffodils, and tulips. Incense commonly include rosewood, vervain, violet, myrrh, geranium and jasmine. 

Pack Away Cold Weather Clothing

This is an easy mild way to do some spring cleaning. It also opens up your mind to the changing of the seasons and helps remove clutter and mess and focus down your needs. I am an advocate for as little clutter as possible. Clutter makes me feel overwhelmed. This is the part of the year to emerge from winter hibernation, shed your unnecessary layers and simplify. Tucking away heavy, bulky clothing you won’t need until next winter season is a good way to facilitate that mentality shift.  

Take a Floral Milk Bath

Self Care is important, and while self-care is not always bubble baths and face masks, taking a quiet evening for yourself- even if its just an hour to soak is a great way to refresh yourself. Keep your eye out for the post I’ll be making about a fun spring milk bath recipe you can try. This is really much easier than it sounds. It’s a lot of fun, and again, a great way to bring mindfulness into your life. 

Smudge & Cleanse

This is a time to renew and energize. That includes your home and your sacred space as well. You can make your own smudge or buy one from a reputable vendor, words are not necessary, but you can also set the boundaries and intentions of your home this way. I start at the heart of my home and work my way outward to each room, finishing with all the exterior points of entry into the house. Starting at the center for me is symbolic of renewing the heart of my home or my ‘hearth center’ and pushing all the negativity outward. My favorite invocation to use for this (once the smudge is lit) is ‘Smoke of Fire, and Water, and Earth cleanse this home and cleanse this hearth. Drive away All hate and fear; only good may enter here.’ I repeat this as I move from room to room. Its meditative and helps focus your intentions and energy.  

Dawn Ceremony

On the morning of Ostara wake up early (before the sun rises). Put on a pot of coffee or tea (I prefer a floral tea for this occasion). Find a quiet place to sit and meditate while you watch the Eastern horizon, again I prefer to do this outside in the quiet, but a nice large window will do. Sit, enjoy the sunrise, greet the day, and set your intentions. 

Ostara Baking

I am, at the end of the day, a house witch, and I work best with food. You can put a lot of emotion and intention into food when you cook. It is my way of nurturing those I love and showing them I care. I find peace in it, and to me a welcome home is always warm and smells of bread. An Ostara favorite of mine is Sourdough Rosemary Buns- again, I plan on sharing this recipe soon; but any form of seasonal cooking will do. Think about your goals for the upcoming season as you prepare your Ostara meal. I have included our menu this year as an example.  

Our Ostara Feast: 

• Berry and mixed greens salad 
• Hard boiled- painted eggs 
• Kielbasa 
• Pierogi 
• Sourdough rolls 
• Vanilla Bavarian cream filled Packzki 

Remember…

Spirituality is a personal journey. It is your journey and nobody else’s. How you choose to experience it is up to you. These are just ideas, here to help you if you are new and feeling overwhelmed by the possibilities. Go with what resonates with you, you could pick one, you could pick ten. You could use none of these, but let it spark something else.  

We always love to see how you make something your own. So Celebrate! We also welcome you to chime in- suggest the things you love to do.  

All the best, Always, 

Mikaela.  

Creating and Caring For Sourdough Bread Starters

Okay, now that we’ve gone over bread basics 101 you will notice in the upcoming weeks that I have a particular love of sourdoughs (If you missed that episode, you can find it here). I love sourdough for a number of reasons. To quote Shakespeare and a cult classic at the same time…

1. They taste delicious- I will never sacrifice flavor if I can avoid it. It is richer, deeper, and smoother than any other bread. 
2. Sourdough starter is a legacy opportunity, and we know I’m all about food traditions. You can inherit it from a family member or start a new tradition. The older the starter, the better the flavor and it will continue to get better with time. My favorite sourdough starter was a birthday gift from my sister, and she got it from a woman whose family has had the same one for 90 years. One of my chef instructors had had his for 45 years since HE was in culinary school. 
3. It has a lower glycemic index than most breads- the fermentation depletes much of the starch which means less of a blood sugar spike.  
4. It is easier on gluten sensitive people. Due to the long fermentation time, much of the gluten protein is broken down into amino acids before you eating.  
5. more good bacteria and acid. Lactobacillus is the bacteria found in sourdough bread in large amounts, this leads to higher amounts of lactic acid, which reduces the amount of phytic acid in your gut.  
6. fewer preservatives- this applies to all sourdoughs, but even more so if you are making it at home. Sourdough bread contains acetic acid, which naturally prevents the growth of mold. It naturally preserves itself, meaning that toxic preservatives are not required to make it last. So, it won’t go bad nearly as quickly.  
7. It’s more nutrient dense than other breads. Sourdough bread has a mix of iron, manganese, calcium, B1-B6, B12, folate, zinc, potassium, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, selenium, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamin E. Compared to other breads, sourdough retains many of the original nutrients that are processed out of other kinds of bread. 
8. Sourdough can be used to make just about any type of bread PLUS some. Yes, there is the traditional “San Francisco style sourdough” but anything can be made with sourdough starter. whole wheat, multigrain, brioche, Pulla, PANCAKES, WAFFLES, crackers, bagels. Fermenting dough is the oldest style of leavening bread in the world. It is so versatile.  
9. It is one of the most cost effective ways to make bread. You don’t even need yeast to do it. You CAN jump start starter with dry yeast if you’re in a hurry, but its technically not necessary. It super easy to care for and even easier to start. 
10. There are so many variations on sourdough. You can start with the old school flour and water method, but I know people that feed them with apple cider, and one lady that feeds hers with a tiny bit of molasses in addition to her flour and water to further increase the flavor. and further than that- I find the process fascinating. The ONLY place in the world that you can get true San Francisco sourdough- is in San Francisco. Why? because yeast is a living organism- its regional. Even if you buy a San Francisco originating sourdough, it will slowly over time grow into something else, changing the flavor in nuanced ways. If you start yours from scratch with no added yeast, it will cultivate from the air with the local variant of yeast. That means that in one way or another your bread will be a little bit different than everybody else’s in the world.  

So, now that I have you hooked on the idea of sourdough, lets go over how to start one, and the basics for caring for them. Its probably the easiest thing I’ll ever teach you.  

All you need is an airtight crock or container, flour, and water. But I’ll put notes in here if you’re in a hurry and want to speed up your colony. Most crocks/ containers can be bought anywhere you just want to make sure it has a good seal. I believe my sister bought mine from WIlliams-Sonoma. The one I gave to my father I found at target. It also another thing that is easy to thrift from goodwill. I prefer stone wear myself, but ceramic will also work just fine. How big it will depend entirely on how much you want. I like to keep 4-5 cups on hand, but you can even do smaller batches like my dad who keeps 2-3. Just bear in mind you either have to store it in your fridge or in a cool dry place, so just make sure you have room for whatever container you choose.  

let’s dive in to the two easiest methods: 

Air cultivation:

This takes the longest, but this is the world’s original method for making bread. Mix equal parts flour and water, pour into your chosen container. Seal. Let’s sit at room temperature for two days. Feed equal parts flour and water every two days for 10 days. Once you reach the 10 day mark you can shift your starter to the fridge if you choose. If you store it in the fridge, you can feed it once a week. If you are storing it at room temperature you will need to feed it roughly every three days.  

Jump start:

The exact same thing as above but add 2 tsps. of active dry yeast to the warm water and let bloom for 5 minutes before you add your flour. This starter can be ready to use within 12 hours, and then fed like normal.  

General sourdough tips: 

• Remember that if you are baking with sourdough and you store yours in the fridge you will need to let it come up to room temperature before you use it. cold yeast is slow yeast. 
• If you are going to make sourdough but need to feed your starter as well, feed your starter the day BEFORE and not right before or you will heavily dilute the sour flavor. best practice is actually to feed after you use it to replenish what you have used.  
• If you ever need to alter the texture of your starter (got too thick, got too runny for your preference) you can easily adjust the texture by going a little heavier on the flour or water at feeding time. If you prefer a spongier starter as opposed to a liquidy one, that’s totally fine- both make great bread. Over time you will find what works for you. 
• Sourdough breads take longer to rise than “active yeasts” all good things take time. go by size, not by time. let your doughs double at their own pace instead of assuming since your timer went off its good to go. again, I stress bread is a relationship. you don’t set a time limit on good sex, so don’t time how long it takes your dough to rise.  
• Name your sourdough starter- this is technically a superstition thing, but it is tradition. And whilst some traditions are stupid and archaic, this one is near and dear to my heart. This is the most basic form of magic: Intention setting. doing something with purpose and care and then allowing that intention to manifest. You are fostering a relationship with a living thing. You care for it, and it gives you sustenance. you want a good, happy, healthy, THRIVING starter. Naming things is one of the oldest human instincts. It gives things purpose, power, personality, and on a psychological level you are more likely to take care of something if you have taken the care to give it a name. Name your starter. Mine is Gus. Gus is cute, Gus is tasty, Gus is growing because I care for Gus. You see where I am going with this?  

I hope this helps you start a new adventure. Once you learn the basics you can start additional starters and begin playing with feeder flavors. Please, share your journey! Feel free to shoot us a message if you have questions or want to share. I will be using sourdough starter in many of our bread recipe’s going forward; but don’t feel like that will exclude you from trying things if you aren’t ready to commit to a sourdough baby. Remember you can always start your sourdough colony per batch the night before and still have the recipe come together even if some of the flavor depth is missing. 

All the best, 

Mikaela