We have a few new recipes in the development phase right now, and with a little luck, we’ll have something new for sale this weekend. There’s a seeded sourdough loaf that just needs a whole-grain flour addition (even with the seeds, it’s bland). Then there’s a molasses cookie, which is (almost) the bane of my existence because I cannot get it to the consistency I want. I’ve played around with the variety of wheat, the type of sugar, the amount of flour, etc. I’d throw in the towel, but this is Paul’s favorite cookie, and while I am of the mind that a dessert needs chocolate to really be dessert, I have to admit it has a nice flavor.

I write this because it’s a good example of what it’s like to bake with whole grains. You’re probably accustomed to tweaking a recipe to account for your elevation. Baking with whole grains is a similar shift in thinking. It’s not merely about following a recipe per se, but also about getting to know the flour you’re working with. How “thirsty” is it? What does it taste like? What does that flavor pair well with? And while that can lead to the frustration I’ve been experiencing, it also opens a whole world of possibility to your baking. I love perfecting a recipe, but I also love knowing that there’s still so much for me to learn.