Fancy and Delicious is currently, constantly searching for these things:
1) Straw (not hay!), or sawdust.
-->This is to repair the insulation layer on our oven. Straw is ideal, but hard to find. If you know of someone who deals in straw, please direct us. If you have a big pile of clean sawdust, sans chemicals we will take that too. Hay is not useful because it has seeds: bugs will burrow inside to eat them, and break down the oven walls.
2) Clay from the subsoil.
--> This is also to repair the insulation layer. We need to make a bunch of clay slip. We are also going to be collecting clay for more ovens, which we are going to be building this summer (details forthcoming). So, if you are digging for whatever reason, and coming up with that almost pure clay subsoil, please put it aside for us and we will come take it off your hands ASAP.
3) Kitchen cabinets.
--> If you know of someone who is re-doing their kitchen, and wants to donate the old cabinets to a good cause, send them our way.
4) Burnable wood.
--> We are always taking non-varnished and non-painted wood to burn in the oven.
5) Sand, gravel, and firebricks.
-->These are all oven building materials. The sand should not be all fine, like play sand, but vary in size and be a little gritty. The gravel should be dirt-less. Firebricks are what we use for the hearth floor--maybe you know someone who takes down chimneys?
6) A small mill.
--> We are hoping to start milling our own flour. If you are the sort of person who happens on unusual machines, keep your eyes peeled.
If you know a guy, or are a guy, for any of the above, call Maura at 994-8340, or email fancyanddelicious@gmail.com
Thanks as always,
with love,
your local, underground bakery.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
All the ingredients:
The weather could not have been lovelier today. The sun was sparkling on Megan's herb spiral, which is back in full force, and we were inspired to put lemon balm in our bread. I haven't tasted it yet. Workshop go-er's? Any comments? All of the loaves looked beautiful, and all had original scores--there was a star, a zig-zag, and initials, to name a few. Impressive. I'm very much looking forward to hearing your reactions and feedback. We had new friends and old friends, and a great brainstorming session on and off all day. I learned a lot too: how to extract the most nutrition from flax seeds, how estrogen activity may be linked to breast cancer, about the British invention of "curry," and someone even identified a mystery plant in the garden (it wasn't really a mystery, just a mystery to me). Thank you to everyone who came by throughout the day to bake bread, or just hang out. I had a great time.
If you missed the workshop, stay posted. We will be having another in one month.
And, please take a few minutes to watch this. It may seem unrelated to bread baking, but, in fact, it's related to everything. Elizabeth Cotten's story of how she learned to "play strings" speaks so much to the commitment that we should all bring to whatever we do. She plays with an immense grace: she draws emotion up from a patient well of inner strength.
Elizabeth Cotten's life story is incredible, and a microcosm of it is the story of how she learned to play music. As a child, she would take her brother's banjo off the wall when he went to work. She often broke the strings, and when he came home, she would hide. "Sometimes he wouldn't put the strings on in a long time--think he's punishing me. But I'd play with three strings," she says," four strings. It didn't have to be five. I'd play anyway."
This is the right attitude to take to baking, to our oven, and our neighborhood, our city, and our friends. Take whatever you've got, and make something of it. The attitude and respect with which you approach someone or something is more important that the quality of the tools you have to work with. Elizabeth Cotten played "upside down," because she was left handed learning on a righthanded guitar. And because no one taught her what to do, she developed her own tunings, which later influenced scores of musicians.
The ingredients? Flour, water, honey, salt, yeast, and love. Obviously.
If you missed the workshop, stay posted. We will be having another in one month.
And, please take a few minutes to watch this. It may seem unrelated to bread baking, but, in fact, it's related to everything. Elizabeth Cotten's story of how she learned to "play strings" speaks so much to the commitment that we should all bring to whatever we do. She plays with an immense grace: she draws emotion up from a patient well of inner strength.
Elizabeth Cotten's life story is incredible, and a microcosm of it is the story of how she learned to play music. As a child, she would take her brother's banjo off the wall when he went to work. She often broke the strings, and when he came home, she would hide. "Sometimes he wouldn't put the strings on in a long time--think he's punishing me. But I'd play with three strings," she says," four strings. It didn't have to be five. I'd play anyway."
This is the right attitude to take to baking, to our oven, and our neighborhood, our city, and our friends. Take whatever you've got, and make something of it. The attitude and respect with which you approach someone or something is more important that the quality of the tools you have to work with. Elizabeth Cotten played "upside down," because she was left handed learning on a righthanded guitar. And because no one taught her what to do, she developed her own tunings, which later influenced scores of musicians.
The ingredients? Flour, water, honey, salt, yeast, and love. Obviously.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Bread-baking workshop!
Please join us for our first bread-baking workshop, this Sunday, May 16th from 11 AM until 5 pm at 153 Eaton Street on the east side.
The reason for the long hours is that bread takes a little time to make. You are not required to come the whole time, and are welcome to leave whenever you want, or to straggle in late. However, if you want to make your own dough and take the loaf that YOU mix and shape home with you, you must arrive promptly at noon.
One of the reasons bread baking is so great is because it includes down time in which you get to do things you don't always get to fit in. Our favorite down time activities are reading, writing, doing laundry, jumping rope, and calling our mothers. On Sunday, we'll have some wine, and something to nibble, and when the waiting begins, you are welcome to sit and relax with us (it's Sunday after all). Chat to us, or bring a book. You can also explore the Reuse store, which will be open, or if you live nearby, go home and take a nap.
Please R.S.V.P., so we have a general idea of how many to be ready for. And make sure to bring your own bag to bring your bread home in. We really love baking bread, and are very excited to share our recipes and tricks.
The workshop is FREE, but we will be accepting donations. And as always, if you have questions, or need directions, call Maura at 716.994.8340 or Matt at 716.307.7726.
The reason for the long hours is that bread takes a little time to make. You are not required to come the whole time, and are welcome to leave whenever you want, or to straggle in late. However, if you want to make your own dough and take the loaf that YOU mix and shape home with you, you must arrive promptly at noon.
One of the reasons bread baking is so great is because it includes down time in which you get to do things you don't always get to fit in. Our favorite down time activities are reading, writing, doing laundry, jumping rope, and calling our mothers. On Sunday, we'll have some wine, and something to nibble, and when the waiting begins, you are welcome to sit and relax with us (it's Sunday after all). Chat to us, or bring a book. You can also explore the Reuse store, which will be open, or if you live nearby, go home and take a nap.
Please R.S.V.P., so we have a general idea of how many to be ready for. And make sure to bring your own bag to bring your bread home in. We really love baking bread, and are very excited to share our recipes and tricks.
The workshop is FREE, but we will be accepting donations. And as always, if you have questions, or need directions, call Maura at 716.994.8340 or Matt at 716.307.7726.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Huzzah! It's bread day...
Thursday shareholders: don't forget to get your bread today! Pick up is at 271 Grant St from 5-7 pm.
If you can't make it because you are going to the "Showdown on Wall Street" in New York, your bread will left in a box at the library for pick up when you return.
As part of our commitment to sustainability, we are no longer providing free bags, so bring your own! We will
be selling hand-made cloth bread bags (specially designed to hold bread and keep it fresh), which you will be able
to bring to the pick up every week. There will be some available tomorrow at the share, but they are not all done yet.
So in the event that we run out, be prepared and bring a bag of your own, be it canvas or plastic.
See you soon!
Maura and Matt
Monday, April 26, 2010
Basic Bread
This past Saturday, Buffalo Reuse hosted an open house in honor of Earth Day. As part of this event, we did a little bread and pizza baking demo at the oven. It was a lot of fun and Matt and I baked and chatted to our heart's content (respectively). We talked a lot about our up and coming workshops, and one of our pizza eaters suggested we put a bread recipe on the blog, which I thought was a great idea. So here it is. This is as basic as bread gets, but it's a good place to start practicing from. We hope that if you are starting to bake your own bread, you will come to our first baking workshop, on May 16th at 3 pm. It will be a great place to ask questions, and learn some good tricks that will bring your bread beyond the recipe. And, as always, feel free to email us with questions.
Basic Bread:
3 cups flour (wheat, white, or a mix of the two)
A dash of salt
2 tsp instant yeast
1/2 cup warm milk
1/2-3/4 cup warm water
A splash of olive oil
A tablespoon of sugar, honey, or molasses.
1) In a large mixing bowl, combine and stir the dry ingredients. Make a 'dent' in the flour, and add the wet ingredients. Stir the dough into a rough ball with a wooden spoon.
2) Sprinkle a clean, dry surface with flour and begin to knead dough. You can knead the dough however you like, but basically you are softly punching it into the counter. It might stick a little at first, but be careful of adding too much flour or you will end up with a brick. The trick to getting is to keep it moving. Knead for 10-15 minutes, until the dough feels both tacky and soft.
3) Roll it into a ball and smooth a little olive oil over the surface. Put it into a mixing bowl, cover it with a warm, damp cloth, and put it in a warm, draft-free spot for an hour.
4) When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down (called degassing). Shape it into a log by flattening it, and then rolling it. Transfer it to an oiled bread pan to rise. Or, you can make a free standing loaf. To do this, put a clean rag in a small bowl, flour the rag, and shape your dough into a ball and put it in the bowl. Recover the bread. Let rise until about doubled again.
5) Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes. Let cool. Eat and enjoy!
This recipe makes one loaf. It's best to practice in small quantities, but once you like your result, it makes sense to bake two or three loaves at once and either share, or freeze them. As you get comfortable with this recipe, you can do anything to alter it and make it your own--add herbs, seeds, chunks of garlic, or an egg for a crusty crust.
Milk is not necessary, but softens the wheat, so it's beneficial if you are using a high content whole wheat flour. If you omit milk, replace it with water. The liquid content will vary a little depending on what kind of flour you use. Aim for consistency, and trust your instincts.
Here's a great bread bakers resource that Matt and I have used many-a-time: The Fresh Loaf.
Basic Bread:
3 cups flour (wheat, white, or a mix of the two)
A dash of salt
2 tsp instant yeast
1/2 cup warm milk
1/2-3/4 cup warm water
A splash of olive oil
A tablespoon of sugar, honey, or molasses.
1) In a large mixing bowl, combine and stir the dry ingredients. Make a 'dent' in the flour, and add the wet ingredients. Stir the dough into a rough ball with a wooden spoon.
2) Sprinkle a clean, dry surface with flour and begin to knead dough. You can knead the dough however you like, but basically you are softly punching it into the counter. It might stick a little at first, but be careful of adding too much flour or you will end up with a brick. The trick to getting is to keep it moving. Knead for 10-15 minutes, until the dough feels both tacky and soft.
3) Roll it into a ball and smooth a little olive oil over the surface. Put it into a mixing bowl, cover it with a warm, damp cloth, and put it in a warm, draft-free spot for an hour.
4) When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down (called degassing). Shape it into a log by flattening it, and then rolling it. Transfer it to an oiled bread pan to rise. Or, you can make a free standing loaf. To do this, put a clean rag in a small bowl, flour the rag, and shape your dough into a ball and put it in the bowl. Recover the bread. Let rise until about doubled again.
5) Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes. Let cool. Eat and enjoy!
This recipe makes one loaf. It's best to practice in small quantities, but once you like your result, it makes sense to bake two or three loaves at once and either share, or freeze them. As you get comfortable with this recipe, you can do anything to alter it and make it your own--add herbs, seeds, chunks of garlic, or an egg for a crusty crust.
Milk is not necessary, but softens the wheat, so it's beneficial if you are using a high content whole wheat flour. If you omit milk, replace it with water. The liquid content will vary a little depending on what kind of flour you use. Aim for consistency, and trust your instincts.
Here's a great bread bakers resource that Matt and I have used many-a-time: The Fresh Loaf.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Bread tasting at Eaton!
Fancy and Delicious cordially invites you and your friends to a free bread tasting party at our clay oven. You'll have the opportunity to sample several types of bread we make regularly, see the clay oven in person, and meet shareholders who have enjoyed our bread since August of 2009. We'll be there to take any questions and talk about how the share system works.
If you're interested in the breadshare, but haven't wanted to commit to a product you've never tasted, here's your opportunity to test the waters and see just how fancy and delicious we are.
Friday, April 16th, 4-6:30 pm.
153 Eaton St. (in the backyard diagonal from Buffalo Reuse).
For questions or directions, call Matt or Maura.
We hope to see you there.
If you're interested in the breadshare, but haven't wanted to commit to a product you've never tasted, here's your opportunity to test the waters and see just how fancy and delicious we are.
Friday, April 16th, 4-6:30 pm.
153 Eaton St. (in the backyard diagonal from Buffalo Reuse).
For questions or directions, call Matt or Maura.
We hope to see you there.
Friday, April 2, 2010
SPRING 2010 Bread share!
Hello everybody!
Distribution days:
Some developments happening this spring:
1) The third share will begin on April 29th and run to July 16th.
- Thursday (271 Grant St.) 5-7 pm
- Friday (153 Eaton St) 5-7 pm
Cost:
- One share is $50 for 12 weeks ($4/loaf).
- NEW! Half shares for people who can't finish a whole loaf (1/2 loaf per week or 1 loaf every other week for $25).
We now offer free bicycle delivery if you can't make pick up times. Although, we encourage you to come to pick up if you can, because we like getting to know you. There is no extra charge for delivery, but we do ask that you consider tipping your bread peddler! You can do this by adding a tip to your payment.
2) Now introducing dessert shares. $50 for 12 weeks.Each week, you will receive a variety of cookies, muffins, and other sweets. Some are one of a kind recipes invented by Delicious herself (or her Italian aunts). Participating in a dessert share will award you the distinct pleasure of tasting some of these desserts below for the first time:
2) Now introducing dessert shares. $50 for 12 weeks.
- Beet cake
- Mauradora's bonkers everything sunshine muffins
- Power cookies
- Aunt Tina's Long Branch rugelah
3) The Good Neighbor Fund is our subsidy program in which you can voluntarily raise the cost of your own share to offset the cost of someone else's. Be a good neighbor, and help us increase access to healthy food. Add a dollar amount to your share payment. Contribute to the Good Neighbor Fund, and receive a little something fancy at the start of the third share. The more you give, the fancier you'll be.
4) Bread bags. Beginning with the third share, we will charge 10 cents for every plastic bag we give you. We want to encourage you to bring your own bag. To make this easy and fun, we will be selling some very special Fancy and Delicious cloth bread bags at distribution, or by mail.
5) Workshops. Our first official bread baking workshop will take place on Sunday, May 16th at 3 pm. Stay posted for more baking workshops and oven building workshops, later this summer.
If you have any questions, ideas, or comments, or want to reserve your share(s), as always, we look forward to hearing from you.
Yours,
Fancy and Delicious
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