Who are your bakers?
Gwin Grogan Grimes has been baking professionally for 20 years. She directs the Pastry Pro curriculum and teaches baking and cooking classes at the Culinary School of Fort Worth. She is a cookbook author who has written Gorgeous Garlic; Nuts: Pistachios, Pecans & Pinons; and Coffee Creations. She also writes about food for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and other publications.Gwin is a national culinary consultant for ChefsLine, a year-round hotline for home cooks. She is a recipe developer and tester for local and national clients. She is a member of the Bread Bakers Guild of America, International Association of Culinary Professionals, Slow Food, and Kitchen Gardeners International. She has a master’s degree in liberal arts from TCU. Mark Grimes, a Fort Worth native, is a member of the Fort Worth Astronomical Society. Mark has a master’s degree in history from Sul Ross State University and is currently studying calculus and physics.
For more information:
Bread Bakers Guild of America (home bakers welcome!)
Mark and some bread in our commercial kitchen.
What is artisan bread?
Just read the label. The ingredients tell the story.The basic building blocks of great bread are simple—flour, yeast, salt and water.Artisan products contain these and sometimes other pure ingredients like cheese, eggs, fruit or nuts. The point is, they’re ingredients you recognize and can pronounce. If the label lists items not found in the average kitchen cupboard, you’re not buying true artisan quality—even if the name and a hefty price tag suggest otherwise.Artisan baking relies on slow, natural processes to transform simple ingredients into remarkably flavorful loaves. Not dough conditioners, flavor enhancers and chemical preservatives. Such additives may make bread production faster and less costly—but often at the expense of the bread's taste and eating quality.It’s not complicated ingredients that make great bread. It’s the skill and craftsmanship that goes into it. We invest tremendous time and effort to bring you the honest, simple breads that deliver the satisfaction you should expect from this most fundamental of foods.Links
Recipes
Seasonal Fruit Muffins
Makes 12 Texas-size muffins or 24 standard muffins
3½ cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 pound cream cheese, softened
½ pound unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
½ cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups chopped fresh fruit or berries (I use peaches, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, figs and any other local, seasonal fruit available)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat muffin pan or pans with nonstick baking spray or place paper liners in each cup and lightly coat papers with nonstick baking spray, so that the paper liners slip off muffins easily.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Beat cream cheese, butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth, about 5 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
Add dry ingredients in two parts, alternating with milk and vanilla. Batter will be thick.
Portion into prepared muffin pans with an ice cream scoop. Baked\ at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Rotate pan in oven (for even baking), and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center of a muffin has only a few or no crumbs clinging to it.
Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Remove muffins from tin and let cool completely on a wire rack. Store in airtight container or wrap individually in plastic wrap for 2-3 days. Freeze for longer storage.
Gwin Grogan Grimes, Artisan Baking Co.
Granola
Makes about 20, 1/2 –cup servings
7 cups old-fashioned oats1 cup sliced almonds1 cup wheat germ½ cup sunflower kernels½ cup honey½ cup canola or vegetable oil¼ cup light brown sugar½ teaspoon salt½ cup boiling water1 teaspoon vanilla extract1½ to 2 cups dried fruit, such as cranberries, cherries, raisins or blueberries, or a combinationPreheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.In a large bowl, mix oats, almonds, wheat germ and sunflower seeds. In a separate bowl, mix the honey, oil, brown sugar and salt. Carefully add the boiling water and stir. Add the vanilla extract and stir.
Pour the liquid ingredients over the oat mixture and mix until evenly coated. Spread into the prepared baking sheet. Place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Carefully remove hot pan from oven and stir mixture. Return to oven and bake another 30 minutes, or until lightly toasted.
Allow granola to cool slightly, then pour into a large mixing bowl. When completely cool, stir in the dried fruit.
Gwin Grogan Grimes, Artisan Baking Co.
