Raw Milk and Recipes

A Brief Background:

This is my first post on my new website! Welcome! I began Raw Milk & Recipes as an instagram account with a link to my favorite recipes for baked goods. It all started back in November 2022 and has flourished into something wonderful; a community of bakers and home chefs looking for inspiration in the kitchen. Come along with me as I provide recipes and photos from my kitchen to yours.

A Personal Introduction:

I live in rural Massachusetts with my husband and one year old son. Here we reside in a small home, with a flock of backyard chickens, a large vegetable garden, fruit trees and big big dreams. Most of my days are spent in and around the home, baking bread and raising my son. I consider myself to be a health food fanatic, and I have the goal of becoming a nutritionist. But, for now, I would love to share my favorite healthy recipes along with my personal research into health and wellness. Stay tuned for recipes such as sourdough chocolate chip cookies, autumn sweet potato skillet, einkorn tortillas, raw milk matcha lattes, and homemade sauerkraut. Along the way I will provide insights into my personal food pyramid, favorite health books, cookbooks, doctors, podcasts and more. I hope you enjoy! So let’s get baking!

Ingredients:

• 250 grams active einkorn sourdough starter
• 420 grams all purpose einkorn flour
• 200 grams whole grain einkorn flour
• 300 grams water, warm
• 1 and 1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Combine the starter, flours, water and salt in a large bowl and stir with a stiff spatula. Let rest for 20 minutes.
2. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, flatten the dough, then stretch and fold in the edges on all sides. Place the dough back into the bowl. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. Repeat this stretch and fold process two more times, with 20 minutes of rest in between.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
4. In the morning, remove your dough and turn onto a floured work surface. Stretch the edges of the dough and fold into the center, creating a ball. Cup your hands around the dough and squeeze gently while rotating clockwise. Rotate the dough like this for a minute. This helps to seal the bottom.
5. Heavily flour a banneton basket. Place the dough seam side up, in the basket. Cover with linen and let rise in a warm place for 1-3 hours.
6. Preheat your oven to 450 F with a dutch oven inside. Once the oven is hot, turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper. Score the top of the dough. Place the parchment into the dutch oven. Place the dutch oven back into your oven and bake for 30 minutes covered, then 20 minutes uncovered. Remove from the dutch oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Enjoy with lots and lots of grass-fed butter!

Tips for Baking with Einkorn Flour:

What is einkorn flour? It is the ancient heirloom form of wheat. Unlike modern wheat, einkorn has never been hybridized and therefore contains many wonderful properties that make it easier for people with gluten sensitivities to digest. It was first grown over 5,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent. I only bake with ancients grains here on my blog, so here are some tips to working with einkorn flour.

• Einkorn flour is sticky! Don’t be alarmed, just make sure to heavily flour your hands and work surface prior to use. I also recommend using a dough scraper to help pick the dough up off the counter.
• Einkorn products aren’t always pretty. And that’s ok! I prefer to call it my old fashioned ‘rustic’ flour. You can’t make those pretty scores on the top that look like flowers and create the perfect instagram photo. But, you can feel good knowing your feeding your family the highest quality.
• Einkorn flour is the underdog. It is not well known, and people often get turned off when they find something different. But it has a wonderful nutty and buttery flavor that just can’t be matched by modern wheat.
• Buy yourself a grain mill! Fresh ground flour is by far the most cost effective and delicious option. I use a grain mill attachment for my KitchenAid Mixer and it works great!
• Use a baking scale. As you can see I mostly write my recipes in grams. It is the easiest way to bake, plus you don’t have to clean up any measuring cups!