The Village Baking Co.

2011-01-22T05:51:00.000-08:00

Bundle up, grab a cup of coffee and come see us this morning! We will be at Coppell Farmers Market and Austin Barton Creek. If you are going to someone's house for dinner tonight, bring them something other than a bottle of wine. Something they can't get anywhere else around.....a loaf of our Pain au levain!

2010-11-11T15:50:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to The Village Baking Co. Sourdough Starter!

Seven years ago today, The Village Baking Co. began with the birth of our Sourdough Starter. As Clint returned to Dallas from the San Francisco Baking Institute, he had one thing in mind, to start baking the best sourdough bread in the South. Seven years later the sourdough continues to rise as we "spread the loaves" across Texas. Pick up the birthday bread at your local farmers market and celebrate!

HISTORY OF SOURDOUGH
Sourdough is the oldest and most original form of leavened bread. The oldest recorded use of sourdough is from the Ancient Egyptian civilizations.
It was probably discovered as most things are by accident. The first recorded civilization we know about that used sourdough was the Egyptians around 1500 BC. There are many stories as to how they first discovered it, but you can probably imagine that some bread was left out and some of the wild yeast spores that are in the air at all times got mixed in the dough and they noticed that it rose and was lighter than the usual flat breads. The Egyptians also made a lot of beer and the brewery and the bakery were often in the same place. a batch of flour may have been mixed with beer and produced a light loaf of bread, or the wild yeast spores were thick from the brewing and they got into the bread doughs and caused them to rise considerably more than the usual wild sourdoughs. Through trial and error they found out that some of these sourdough cultures worked and tasted better than others. They could keep this culture alive by saving from their baking a little raw dough and adding more flour to it, and it would produce the same flavor. This is known as a sourdough starter. A good sourdough culture became very important to day to day living, and even taken by explorers when they went on expeditions around the world.

During the gold rush days in California, some of the Boudin family who were well known master Bakers from France came to the San Francisco area. They found out that the sourdough culture there was very unique and they became very famous for their bread with this special flavor. The miners flocked to this bakery every morning for this special tasting bread. Since 1849 they have been using the same sourdough culture, which they call a "Mother dough" and the same recipe, flour, water, a pinch of salt and some of the this "Mother Dough".So important is their "Mother Dough" it was heroically saved by Louise Boudin during the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906.
Sourdough also came in handy 'when old timers had to tan hides. They rubbed it into the skin, fur side down till soft and dry. Some claim there starters to the fame of originating in the old country or from the Klondike era. Recently a sum of $600.00 American was paid by a restaurant desiring the authenticity of Alaskan sourdough from the gold rush days.

DID YOU KNOW....Sourdough turns Carbohydrates into Proteins?
They say that Sourdough contains the greatest amount of protein for it's weight and size of any comparable food. "Hmm" I thought "just how does that come about when it's ingredients are all carbohydrates?" Apparently a wild yeast forms in the fermentation process of the starter. At that stage, a starch food is turned into a protein dynamo food.

2010-08-13T19:37:00.001-07:00

We will be at the following Farmers Markets tomorrow morning:

Coppell
Frisco
McKinney
White Rock
Keller

Hope to see you all there.

Hatch Chile's are here!

2010-08-13T06:37:00.000-07:00

Hatch is a small farming community in South Central New Mexico about 80 north of El Paso, Texas. It is known as the Chile Capital of the World. These Chile’s have a very short six week growing season from the end of July though August. Don’t be fooled by just the name “Hatch Green Chile’s” in the chain stores all around town because very rarely do these come from the Hatch Valley. The most common variety is a large meaty Chile ranging in size from 7-10 inches. They have a heat range from mild to very hot. These little jewels loss their quality if they aren’t packed and referegated right away. Our Chiles come from Berridge Farms, where they take tremendous care to make sure we get the freshest finest quality Chiles we can buy.

We will be baking a Hatch Green Chile/Sharp Cheddar boule for the Saturday markets. Please come by and see us.

August 7

2010-08-07T07:13:00.000-07:00

Come see us at the market this morning.....Coppell, Frisco, McKinney, West Village and Keller. We'll have some fresh bread and pastries to "cool" you off.

Photo by AMWZ Photography

July 10th Market

2010-07-09T18:10:00.000-07:00

We will be at the following markets this saturday come rain or shine. Hope to see you all out supporting local food!
Chestut Square-McKinney, White Rock, Frisco, Coppell, Keller and Barton Creek-Austin

How Far does your food Travel to get on your plate in Texas?

2010-06-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

A major study called "Food, Fuel, and Freeways" recently put out by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture in Iowa compiled data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to find out how far produce traveled to a Chicago "terminal market" -- where brokers and wholesalers buy produce to sell to grocery stores and restaurants.

The average Food travels 1500 miles to reach your plate. Those of us who shop at local farmers markets are making the transition to support the local food system. We can eat locally and seasonally with little sacrifice. In Texas, still some crops simply aren’t available in our climate. But we can begin to look at imported foods as things that supplement our local foods.

Supporting our local farmers markets will only encourage those farmers around Texas to start looking at ways to make a living. The average age of a farmer is 56 years old. This is insane! At the same time only 2% of the U.S. population is living outside of the urban cities. In 1935 80% of the U.S. population was living in rural areas.

At the bakery we try to buy as much local as we possibly can. For instance, in our croissant’s the butter comes from East Texas, our milk comes from central Texas, the sugar comes from East Texas and the Flour comes from Utah.

Here are some averages for a Terminal Market:

Apples 1,555 miles
Tomatoes 1,369 miles
Grapes 2,143 miles
Beans 766 miles
Peaches 1,674 miles
Winter Squash 781 miles
Greens 889 miles
Lettuce 2,055 miles

Galette

2010-06-03T06:52:00.000-07:00

FINALLY some local berries are arriving at the markets. I just picked up some and WOW they are good. I only got about 5 to 6 pounds. We will have a few Galette’s this weekend at the markets, so come early because they will go fast. Hopefully as more and more berries and fruits
come available this summer and fall we will have more and more.

Galette is a rustic free-formed tart filled normally filled with seasonal berries and fruits. They are a staple at most farmers markets in France. They are less romantic then a traditional tart, but offer a more crisp crust. These little treats are great with an afternoon espresso or coffee with a friend.

Saturday Markets

2010-05-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

We will be at the following markets on saturday. White Rock, McKinney, Frisco, Coppell, Keller & Austin's Barton Creek. Weather is looking good...hope to see you there!

Pain Au Levain

2010-05-14T18:37:00.000-07:00

Below is a post about our Pain Au Levain
by Kim Pierce, Dallas Morning News on May 8th

Farmers Market Finds No. 2: priceless by Kim Pierce- http://www.eatsblog.dallasmorningnews.com/ posted May 8, 2010
"I am excited to report that I got to the White Rock Local Market this morning in time to snatch up one of Village Baking Co.'s pain au levain, another revelation. Clint Cooper is quite possibly the most talented bread baker in Dallas.
Pain au levain is an amazing bread, with a crust so crunchy it sprays crumbs in every direction when you cut into it. And the interior is so complex - at once dense, springy and nutty, with layers of flavor. Toasted with a little butter, it's heavenly.
Village Baking Co. is at several area farmers markets, including Coppell, Frisco and McKinney (Chestnut Square on Saturday only).
Oh the irony: I pride myself on being such a health foodie, and what did I have for breakfast today? Processed meat (Homestead Land and Cattle Co.'s hot dogs, see previous post) and bread made with refined white flour and butter. Not sorry."

Come see us in the morning! We will be at the following markets:
Coppell, Keller, Frisco, McKinney & Barton Creek (Austin)

Saturday Markets

2010-05-07T19:36:00.000-07:00

Farmers Markets- May 8th
White Rock, Coppell, Keller, McKinney-Chesnut Square, Frisco, Austin-Barton Creek

No Farmers. No Bread.
By Kim Cooper
Thank heavens for our wheat farmers in America. If it weren't for them, none of us would have bread on the table. Clint and I both come from a long line of farmers. My great grandfather settled the farm and ranch, in Hansford County, where I was raised and where golden wheat still grows strong. I spent summers riding in the combine with my dad and then driving the old ford truck full of wheat to Bernstein Elevators. My favorite part of the day was getting an ice cold bottle of coca cola from the elevator and savoring every sip on the way back to the field. Little did I know one day I would marry a baker and see things come full circle....from planting, to harvest, to flour and then into the amazing bread formed by husbands hands. We are currently testing the wheat from our farm to hopefully use for our breads! The day we bake our bread from the wheatfields that my family has farmed for over 100 years will indeed be a happy day. This is one of the many reasons we just love the local farmers markets! Hope to see you all out this saturday!

Dallas Morning News...thanks for the great press!

2010-05-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from yesterday's DMN....

Village Baking Co. pain au levain
Clint Cooper bakes his pain au levain (sourdough) only for farmers markets. The dough requires 30 hours of fermentation, he says, and produces his most unique bread: "amazing, intense, wheaty and natural." It ought to be a fine loaf. Cooper owns Village Baking Co., which had a retail bakery in Colleyville before closing to concentrate on wholesale. Now he's back in retail, only at farmers markets, with breads, pastries and croissants. Confession: I'll be in line like everyone else to get his pain au levain; he was out when I stopped by. Cranberry-raisin-walnut made an awesome stand-in.

Lost and found: Village Baking Co.

12:19 PM Wed, Apr 21, 2010 Permalink

Buzz up!

Kim Pierce/Reporter E-mail News tips

Several years ago, the Food section did a taste test of local croissants, and we wound up leaving out Colleyville's Village Baking Co. because the local favorite had recently given up its retail operation to concentrate on wholesale.
This morning, I was at the bakery's Dallas kitchen for a farmers market story when noticed some newspaper clips mounted on the wall and it hit me: The Village Baking Co. that several farmers market operators had been raving about was the same bakery that had once had the shop in Colleyville. No wonder they were saying it was so good.
Owner-baker Clint Cooper told me that he had looked into starting a market of his own, and when that proved to be unworkable, he started selling at the Coppell winter market in February.
Every Saturday, he or a friend or family member brings breads, croissants and pastries fresh from the Dallas oven to the Keller Farmers Market, Coppell Farmers Market, Frisco Farmers Market, McKinney Farmers Market and, this coming Saturday, to the White Rock Local Market.
I just sliced into a still-warm cranberry-raisin-walnut loaf he gave me - and what wonderful flavor and texture, with a crust that almost pings. How excellent to have this bakery back on the radar.

May Day Markets

2010-04-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

We are headed south on 35 around 4 AM tomorrow and will be selling at Barton Creek Farmers Market in Austin. As for DFW, we are watching the weather closely to see what Mother Nature will permit. We will for sure be at Coppell and Keller come rain or shine. Hope to see you all out!

Signature of a Bakery

2010-04-26T19:11:00.000-07:00

In my opinion, the signature of a baker or bakery, is how the cuts on a loaf of bread open up. So much goes into making a perfect loaf of bread, but the skills and knowledge can be easily defined by just a quick glance of a loaf. This goes back to the farmer and the wheat that a baker selects to use for each product. At our bakery we use about 10 different types of flour to get desired performance for different breads that we bake.
Without getting too technical, you can tell that a baker has picked out the right wheat for the bread. From here you go to tell if they have mixed and shaped the dough right. Next the most telling signs are that the baker has proofed the bread just right. When the cuts of the bread don’t “open up” this is normally because the baker has over proofed and over mixed the bread. When the cuts open up and start “tearing” this means the dough was not yet ready for the oven or the wheat selected was too strong. But when you have done everything right, the right wheat, the right mixing times and proofed for the exact amount of time, the cuts should open up with a “high ear” (ear is the term for the cuts on a loaf of bread) and not tear. It is such a great feeling when you open the window of the oven and see the cuts opening up as you have planned. You can see at the grocery stores that have “Artisan Bread” (this is a whole other topic of discussion) and how the cuts do not have ears at all, makes for a truly sad looking loaf.
So much goes into baking the perfect loaf, but at first glance you will be able to distinguish what should be a very thoughtful loaf of bread.

Come out to the Markets this Saturday morning from 8-12! We will be at White Rock, McKinney, Coppell, & Keller. Baker's Whim: New York Rye

2010-04-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

EMPTY BREAD CRATES THIS WEEKEND....

2010-04-16T12:56:00.000-07:00

We will not be at any markets this weekend due to bags and labels on order to meet new healthcare codes. Clint is down south cooking for a Charity gala and signing VBC up for Austin farmers markets. Spread the good news to your friends down south! See you all next weekend!

photo: AMWZ photography www.amwzphotography.com

Shaking the Hand of the Producer

2010-04-08T10:41:00.000-07:00

Benjamin in Cheese Cave

Yesterday my son and I drove out to Dublin, Texas to meet one of the great Texas Artisan Dairyman and Cheese Maker at Veldhuizen Cheese. I was on a journey to find fresh milk to use in my croissants and brioche this weekend and what I found was a great Texas family. I set down and spoke with four generations of Dairymen, the entire Veldhuizen family, for more than 3 hours. They told me stories of how and why they got started in cheese making. I was so intrigued, because it was inline of how I got started baking bread. Stuart told me that about 8 years ago when the dairy market got hit, he was flat broke with 7 children. He knew that he had to do something that would add value to his true passion of the dairy and that would help the farm survive. This is how his cheese making career got started. He told me that he had no money to pay his feed bill or let alone by the cheese molds to make his cheeses. So he went to making the molds out of stuff on the farm, PVC pipes, etc. I was blown away at this man’s unwavering determination and dedication to his family and vocation. What came out of this is some of the greatest dairy products and cheese in the state.

The Fresh milk that I picked up yesterday was milked only hours before I was leaving. It is like no other milk that you get anywhere….Milk really has flavor…and man does this milk have flavor. You can taste the green grass that his herd feeds on all day in the rolling pastures of Dublin. I can’t wait to bring those flavors out in my brioche and croissants. I will also be using the eggs from the free range chickens that they have rooming the flower beds and pastures on the farm. I brought some cheese home and hope to be implementing some cheese for next week’s markets.

www.veldhuizencheese.com

See you all on Saturday..

Freshest Baked Goods in DFW.....

2010-04-02T20:20:00.000-07:00

Farmers Markets for Saturday, April 3rd
Chestnut Square Farmers Market, McKinney 8-12
Four Seasons Farmers Market, Garland 8-12

The weather is suppose to be beautiful on Saturday, so come buy some delicious fresh baked goods for the Easter Bunny to nibble on. (Did you know he's really fussy about his croissants?....especially after dying all over those easter eggs!)

Bakers Whim.....Almond Croissants.

Farmers Markets

2010-03-27T04:45:00.000-07:00

Clint just pulled bread and croissants out of the oven! Come get it while it is hot! Baker's whim this weekend Organic Pain Au Levain. Hope to see you all there!

Markets today:
Coppell Farmers Market
McKinney Farmers Market
White Rock Farmers Market
Garland Farmers Market

No Market Tomorrow

2010-03-19T15:30:00.000-07:00

Due to this crazy weather in Texas, we are not going to be at the Farmers Markets tomorrow. We will be at Coppell, McKinney, & White Rock the following week...hopefully, if it is not snowing or raining!

Pain Au Pomme Has Made the Cut!

2010-03-12T13:03:00.000-08:00

Come see us tomorrow at White Rock Farmers Market in Dallas or Chesnut Square Farmers Market in McKinney to see our latest Vinoisserie addition....Pain Au Pomme (apple croissant in Texas terms). We just finished cutting them out and will bake off early in the morning. Come get them while they are still hot! Markets open at 8 AM.

Here is our list of market breads for this weekend:
Sourdough
Kalamata Olive
Multigrain
Cranberry Raisin Walnut
Ciabatta
Baguette
Croissant
Pain Au Chocolate
Pain Au Pomme
Laminated Brioche with Cinnamon & Sugar

Today's Market Breads

2010-03-06T05:44:00.000-08:00

Come see us at the Chesnut Square Farmers Market in McKinney this morning from 8:00-12:00! These are today's Market Breads:

Sourdough
Jalepeno Cheddar
Kalamita Olive
Multigrain
Cranberry/Raisin/Walnut
Honey Whole Wheat
Ciabatta
Baguette
Baguette Batard
BAKER'S WHIM: Pain Au Levain

Pastries:
Croissants
Pain Au Chocolate

Baker's Whim of the Week

2010-03-03T12:30:00.000-08:00

Who says that tuna salad sandwiches have to be like your mom always made? Forget the boring tuna salad made of pickles, mayo, and onions sandwiched between Ms. Baird's bread....that is so 1985. This Tuna Nicoise Tartine will knock your socks off. Get to fishing for the ingredients and don't forget that the bread makes a sandwich.....pick up a village baking co. baguette at Sprouts this week or visit us at the McKinney Farmers Market on Saturday.

Tuna Nicoise Tartine
1 large can of Tuna packed in olive oil (or water)
1 tbs plus 1 tsp minced shallots
1 tbs plus 1 tsp of minced cornichons
1 tbs plus 1 tsp minced drained capers
1 tbs minced chives
2 tsp minced Italian parsley
2 tsp minced tarragon
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup mayonnaise
kosher salt and ground black pepper

1 village baking co. baguette
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Bibb lettuce leaves
4 hard boiled eggs
12 large radish slices
12 Nicoise olives, pitted and halved

Directions:
Put the tuna in a strainer set over a bowl to allow excess oil to drain off but do not squeeze dry. Transfer the drained tuna to a large bowl. Add the shallots, cornichons, capers, chives, parsley, tarragon and toss together. Gently stir in lemon juice and mayo. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Preheat broiler. Lay the baguette on its side and cut it on a severe bias to get 4 slices approximately 10 inches long and 1/2 inch think. Drizzle both sides of each slice lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place under the broiler until golden brown on the first side, then turn to brown second side.
Arrange the Bibb lettuce over the bread and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Mound the tuna salad down the length of each baguette slice. Cut 4 slices from each egg and arrange the slices over the tuna. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange 3 radish slices over the egg slices. Press 3 olive halves into the tuna mixture on either side of each baguette. Sprinkle 1 tbs of chives over the top of each sandwich. Grind black pepper over the top of the sandwiches and drizzle with some olive oil.
Serve the tartines with cornichons, garnished with a small bunch of mache or watercress if desired.

Old Fashion Saturday Morning

2010-02-27T13:33:00.000-08:00

The Farmers Market in McKinney was old fashion fun this morning. Thankfully we finally had a sunny day in North Texas and Chesnut Square is the most unique and historic little place. It was great seeing some of our customers from last weekend. What a fun getaway for anyone in the area to take a step back in time and load up on some fresh farm to market goods. We will be back at Chesnut Square next weekend....hope to see you there!

McKinney Farmers Market

2010-02-26T20:17:00.000-08:00

Clint will be off to the bakery in a few short hours (around 3:00 AM) to roll out croissants and bake off fresh bread to be sold at the McKinney Farmers Market in the morning. Come out and say hi and pick up something delcious for you to enjoy over the weekend. Hope to see you there!
Here is the site for the market: www.chestnutsquare.org

Coppell Farmers Market

2010-02-20T13:19:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all of our new customers who came out to the Coppell Farmers Market this morning. It was great meeting you and we hope you enjoyed our fresh baked goods. It feels so good to be back in front of people sharing our love and passion for artisan bread. We will keep you posted on what upcoming Farmers Markets we will be at in the Dallas Fort Worth area. Our best sellers today were the Pain Au Chocolate and the Kalamata Olive & Thyme bread. We couldn't even complete our set up before we had a line of people waiting to buy our product that was still hot from the oven. Come and see us at the next market!

A Valentine Indulgence

2010-02-12T12:38:00.000-08:00

Village Baking Co. Truffle Cake
by Kim Cooper
Valentine's Day is in two days and if you are snowed in and can't get out to shop for your valentine this weekend, here is the most perfectly delicious piece of chocolate that you could ever give your valentine. Our decadent Chocolate truffle cake recipe is one that you will definitely want to try. This melt in your mouth slice of heaven will turn any frown upside down...especially if you don't have a gift for your sweetheart on Sunday. Throw your apron on and show your love in the kitchen this weekend! If you are out and about, don't forget to swing by Sprouts for their nicely priced wines and our crusty artisan bread. Wine, bread and chocolate....what else does one need in life?

Lots of loaves,

The Village Baking Co.

Truffle Cake

740 g semi sweet chocolate

1 1/4 cups water

340 g sugar

510 g butter (room temp)

12 eggs

Boil water and sugar, pour over chocolate and stir until melted. Add butter in chunks and let set at room temp. Whip eggs with 170g of sugar about three minutes until light and fluffy. Fold in chocolate.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Village Baking Co. Baguette

2010-01-23T09:13:00.000-08:00

The Lyon

By Kim Cooper

Hungry yet? Just looking at this picture that our dear friend Pam took makes my mouth water! This weekend if you are out and about, swing by the nearest Sprouts store and grab a Village Baking Co. baguette, Plugra butter, deli ham and your favorite cheese and make The Lyon. Our Lyon sandwich was inspired by a little bakery that Clint and I stopped at on our way to a French Chateau right outside of Lyon, France in 2001. This is the most simple yet tasty sandwich....a great fast and easy lunch. We love to eat salt and vinegar chips with this sandwich or it is great with your favorite glass of red wine. You can't get anymore french than this.

Thanks, Pam, for taking these amazing pictures of our breads. http://www.amwzphotography.com/.

Village Baking Co. Caesar Salad

2010-01-13T11:52:00.000-08:00

Not just your everyday Caesar Salad
By Kim Cooper

Today will be a very happy day to all of our caesar salad fans. For at last, you won't stop me in the grocery store or yell out your window in the Starbucks line and ask for the recipe! I will never forget how we landed this particular dressing recipe. It was 9:00 at night before we opened our little french bakery cafe in 2004 and Clint decided last minute that we needed to add a caesar salad to the menu. Clint's dad and his friend Alan Sanderson were working on a piece of equipment and Alan yelled across the kitchen in excitment that he had the best caesar salad dressing recipe in the world! He ran to the store, gathered all of the ingredients and made it right there on the spot. He wasn't lying....it was the best caesar salad we had ever tasted! So, thanks to Alan, we had devoted customers who were obsessed and still obsessed after five years of the infamous village baking co. caesar salad. Funny how things just always work out. This salad was one of our best selling lunch items. Enjoy this fresh and healthy alternative to lunch or dinner and add grilled chicken if you prefer.

Dressing:
4 cloves of garlic
1 cups of extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt
3 anchovy fillets
1 tbs dijon mustard
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
freshly ground pepper
1 shallot
*add large egg yolk after blending above ingredients
Blend until creamy.
Pour over chopped romain lettuce, add village baking co. croutons and toss. Grilled chicken optional.

Homemade Croutons

2010-01-04T11:18:00.001-08:00

Here is our recipe for homemade croutons for your healthy eating this new year. We will post some of our favorite sandwiches and salads later on this month to go along with your delicious croutons. Instead of buying unhealthy snacks for the kids loaded with unnatural ingredients, I give them croutons instead and they eat them up! We also serve them with a "spur-of-the-moment" wine-o'clock with friends! They are handy to have around in a glass container on the counter....looks cool and tastes great! Enjoy.

Ingredients
Day old Village Baking Co. bread of any kind
Olive oil
kosher salt
cayenne & garlic powder to taste

dried parsley

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut bread into cubes and place in a large bowl. Drizzle cubes with olive oil and seasonings. Mix well.
Spread seasoned bread onto a sheet pan and bake for about 15 minutes.

Homemade Christmas Granola

2009-12-15T13:55:00.000-08:00

A Simple & Old Fashion Way to Say Merry Christmas
by Kim Cooper

At the Village Baking Co., we are all about fresh and simple. There is no better recipe, I believe, that is more simple and delicious than our homemade granola. During the days of our bakery cafe, every morning Tom & Larry would come in at the exact same time for their bowl of granola. I know they will be so excited to finally have the recipe. Thank you guys for your dedication and encouragement during those early "hours" of our business!

Since we started our business in 2006, Clint and I have left jars of homemade granola on the doorsteps of our neighbors and friends with well wishes for a Merry Christmas. It is now a tradition in our home as our kids gather around our kitchen table to help toss the granola in the jars and out the door for delivery. We are so happy to share the recipe with you. We like to serve the granola in milk or yogurt topped with fresh blueberries and strawberries (it is yummy just plain too). Enjoy!

Village Baking Co. Granola
8 cups old fashion rolled oats
4 cups sliced almonds
4 cups shredded coconut
1 cup honey
1 cup canola oil

toss well. bake at 350 for 45 minutes, turning mixture every 15 minutes until golden brown.

Biscochito- An Ancient Christmas Tradition

2009-12-08T19:12:00.000-08:00

Biscochito is a crispy, buttery cookie flavored with anise & cinnamon. This cookie was originally developed by the first Spanish colonist of New Mexico. The state adopted the Biscochito in 1989 as the official State Cookie chosen to maintain traditional homebake cookery. Biscochito is known as a traditional cookie for the Christmas season and is eaten with morning coffee or milk (I love dunking mine in milk!), after lunch in early afternoon or dinner late at night. If you ever visit Sante Fe, you can find a fresh Biscochito paired with a glass of sherry or hot tea at the Inn of the Governors every day between 4:00-5:00 in the afternoon. Biscochito has become a Christmas tradition around our house as we keep our Santa cookie jar filled with star & angel Biscochito this time of year. It is also a favorite of Santa Claus on Christmas eve....he doesn't leave a crumb! Biscochito is a great substitute for the ordinary sugar cookie recipe. Enjoy!

Biscochito
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup Crisco
1 tsp baking powder
4 cups of flour
1 tbs anise seeds (crush to bring out flavor)

Combine eggs with cup of sugar. Add 1 tsp of vanilla & 1 cup Crisco. Mix ingredients thoroughly. Then add 1 tsp of baking powder & 4 cups of flour. Mix 1 tbs anise seeds (crushed) into dough. The dough should have consistency of pie crust dough. Roll out dough 1/4" thick. Cut cookies and dip in mix of cinnamon & sugar before baking. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

Put that Old Bread to Good Use!

2009-11-30T12:27:00.000-08:00

French Toast Bread Pudding

The old & Wise Ways of a Farm Kitchen....

By Kim Cooper

Don't you remember your grandparents saving everything from bread sacks to sour milk? Nothing went to waste on the farm where I was raised. My grandmother made the most delicious pies from sour milk! Nowadays, if bread is remotely dry, we have the tendency to immediately toss it. There are so many wise learning tools we can use from the teachings of our ancestors and one of these handy tactics is a delicious twist on breakfast. Below, you will find the most scrumptious recipe of French Toast Bread Pudding. Live-in things up in the kitchen while putting your old Village Baking Co. bread to yummy use. Enjoy!

French Toast Bread Pudding

1 white bread of any kind

8 large eggs

3 tbs honey

1 tbs orange zest

5 cups of 2% milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

Confectioner's sugar

Pure Maple syrup

Place sliced bread in two layers in a baking dish, cutting to fit the dish and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk, honey, orange zest, vanilla and salt. Pour the mixture over the bread and soak bread completely. Place the baking dish in a large roasting pan. Add hot water, about an inch up the side of baking dish. Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil. Make sure the foil does not touch the pudding. Make a couple of slashes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes at 350. Remove the foil and bake for another 45 minutes. When the pudding puffs up and the custard is set, remove from the oven and cool slightly. Sprinkle confectioner's sugar and serve in squares with maple syrup.

Pumpkin Soup

2009-11-24T13:26:00.000-08:00

By Kim Cooper

Pumpkin Soup is a tradition at our family's ranch on Thanksgiving. We sip on a cup of Pumpkin soup as an appetizer before the meal. In our little bakery cafe, this recipe was a huge hit as well. Our customers were always a little hesitant at first and then couldn't get enough. Serving this soup in sourdough bread bowls adds a nice touch, especially for entertainment. We wanted to share this Delicious recipe as well as how to make a bread bowl..... from our home to yours. Happy Thanksgiving.

Village Baking Co. Pumpkin Soup
2 tbs. butter
1 (8 oz.) pkg. sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tbs flour
1 tbs curry powder
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 tbs honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp pepper
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

Melt butter in large saucepan; add mushrooms & onion, and saute until tender. Stir in flour & curry powder; gradually add chicken broth, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened.
Stir in pumpkin and next four ingredients; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for ten minutes. Stir in milk, and cook stirring constantly until thoroughly heated. Garnish with sour cream, chopped fresh chives if desired.

How to Make a Bread Bowl
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut about 1/2 inch off the top of the loaf with a serrated knife. (This will depend on the size of the loaf)
Remove bread on the inside, making it hollow. Leave about 1 1/2 inches thick on the inside.
Using your basting brush, brush olive oil on the inside of the bread bowl. This creates a seal, ensuring whatever you put in the bread bowl will not leak out.
Bake bread bowl on a baking sheet for 15 minutes, until golden on the inside.
Remove from oven, fill with desired soup or stew and serve!

Thanksgiving Aperitif

2009-11-20T13:28:00.000-08:00

by Kim Cooper

Change up the normal Thanksgiving appetizer this year and spruce things a bit with an artisan cheese & bread tray. This is an ancient, simple, classic and delicious way of spoiling your guests this Thanksgiving. To make things extra special, pair a bold bottle of french wine with your selection of cheese (talk to your local Sommelier about which wine to select). We have pulled an excerpt from one of our favorite cookbooks on "The Perfect Cheese Platter", The Country Cooking of France by Anne Willan. You can find artisan cheese as your local Whole Foods, Central Market or Market Street and of course their isn't any better breads to pair with artisan cheese than The Village Baking Co. Sourdough located at Sprouts.

"In France, cheese is served between the main course and dessert, sometimes following green salad, and always with a generous basket of bread. Choose a wooden or marble board for serving. You can also use flat basket trays, but always line with doilies, paper napkins or best of all, vine leaves. In fact, almost any garden leaf that is flat, nontoxic, and not bitter is a pleasing substitute. At home, the ideal cheese board has three or four large pieces of different cheeses of contrasting texture and taste. France allows the rule of three: cheeses that are soft and velvety(chevres, Saint-Nectaire, or Tommes, for example);cheeses that are aromatic, ranging from Cantal to Camembert; and strong cheeses (blue and sheep cheeses, for instance, or smelly Epoisses). A Brie or a Mont d'Or can be perfect alone. Space your cheeses well apart on a serving board so their flavors do not mingle, and make sure that they are at room temperature. There is no rule to amounts, but I find 3 ounces per person is about right. " The Country Cooking of France by Anne Willan

Be sure to check back with us.....we will be posting more Thanksgiving ideas in the days to come!

A Special Thanks

2009-11-17T12:21:00.000-08:00

Today is the Feast Day of our dear heavenly friend, St. Elizabeth of Hungary. St. Elizabeth is the patron saint of bread bakers and we ask for her prayers and intercession daily for our business. Below is the story of St. Elizabeth, our friend and helper.

Birthplace: Bratislava Hungary
Date of Birth and Death: 1207 – 1231

St. Elizabeth was a Hungarian princess who was betrothed at an early age to a German prince and was married at 14 years old. Although she was surrounded by luxury, she a deep concern for those less fortunate than herself and provided bread for hundreds of people at the castle gate every morning and visited the sick twice a day.

St. Elizabeth was a lifelong friend of the poor and gave herself entirely to relieving the hungry. She ordered that one of her castle should be converted into a hospital in which she gathered many of the weak and feeble. She spent all her own revenue from her husband's four principalities, and finally she sold her luxurious possessions and rich clothes for the sake of the poor. http://www.catholicculture.com/

St. Elizabeth of Hungary, pray for us!

Tomato Basil Soup

2009-11-16T12:32:00.000-08:00

Here is our one and only Tomato Basil soup recipe. We think we could make more money selling this recipe than baking bread! Forget making money....here it is! At our cafe, we tried having other soup specials but the customers wouldn't hear of it. People would eat this daily with a side salad or half sandwich. This along with our crusty bread with butter would be a delicious treat for your family this holiday season. Enjoy!

Village Baking Co. Tomato Basil Soup
(Aunt Ha Ha's recipe)

Ingredients:
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic minced
2 peeled carrots, diced
2 (14.5 ounce) cans of diced tomatoes
1 (12 ounce) can of tomato puree
4 cups chicken broth
3 tbs basil
1 tsp salt
4 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2- 1 cup of half and half
Parmesan cheese

Combine first eleven ingredients over medium heat until softened. Process until smooth. Add half and half. To serve later, store pureed ingredients in refrigerator, heat and add half and half right before serving. Add Parmesan cheese.

WEDNESDAY SPECIALS

2009-11-11T12:46:00.000-08:00

The Village Baking Co. wednesday specials sold at Sprouts today are the Super Tuscan Bread and Ciabatta Rolls. Who needs a NYC Deli when you can have a mouth watering sandwich people would spend hours in line for right in your own kitchen? Consider dinner done tonight in just a few minutes.

Sopressatta Sandwich

Ingredients all sold at Sprouts:

Sopressatta sliced thin

Pepperoni

Canned Roasted Red Pepper or roast your own

Fresh Mozzarella

Directions:

Cut ciabbatta roll in half then layer the following,

4 slices of sopressatta

2 slices of pepperoni

1/2 of a roasted red pepper

fresh mozzarella

Move wire rack to middle of your oven. Put layered open faced sandwich on cookie sheet, place top side of sandwich next to it. Broil until cheese is bubbling....around five minutes.

Enjoy! This would be delicious with some salt & vinegar chips, a glass of red wine or a cold beer.

Happy Birthday to The Village Baking Co. Sourdough Starter!

2009-11-10T05:30:00.000-08:00

Six years ago today, The Village Baking Co. began with the birth of our Sourdough Starter. As Clint returned to Dallas from the San Francisco Baking Institute, he had one thing in mind, to start baking the best sourdough bread in the South. Six years later the sourdough continues to rise as we "spread the loaves" across Texas. Pick up the birthday bread at Sprouts today and celebrate!

HISTORY OF SOURDOUGH
Sourdough is the oldest and most original form of leavened bread. The oldest recorded use of sourdough is from the Ancient Egyptian civilizations.
It was probably discovered as most things are by accident. The first recorded civilization we know about that used sourdough was the Egyptians around 1500 BC. There are many stories as to how they first discovered it, but you can probably imagine that some bread was left out and some of the wild yeast spores that are in the air at all times got mixed in the dough and they noticed that it rose and was lighter than the usual flat breads. The Egyptians also made a lot of beer and the brewery and the bakery were often in the same place. a batch of flour may have been mixed with beer and produced a light loaf of bread, or the wild yeast spores were thick from the brewing and they got into the bread doughs and caused them to rise considerably more than the usual wild sourdoughs. Through trial and error they found out that some of these sourdough cultures worked and tasted better than others. They could keep this culture alive by saving from their baking a little raw dough and adding more flour to it, and it would produce the same flavor. This is known as a sourdough starter. A good sourdough culture became very important to day to day living, and even taken by explorers when they went on expeditions around the world.

During the gold rush days in California, some of the Boudin family who were well known master Bakers from France came to the San Francisco area. They found out that the sourdough culture there was very unique and they became very famous for their bread with this special flavor. The miners flocked to this bakery every morning for this special tasting bread. Since 1849 they have been using the same sourdough culture, which they call a "Mother dough" and the same recipe, flour, water, a pinch of salt and some of the this "Mother Dough".So important is their "Mother Dough" it was heroically saved by Louise Boudin during the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906.
Sourdough also came in handy 'when old timers had to tan hides. They rubbed it into the skin, fur side down till soft and dry. Some claim there starters to the fame of originating in the old country or from the Klondike era. Recently a sum of $600.00 American was paid by a restaurant desiring the authenticity of Alaskan sourdough from the gold rush days.

DID YOU KNOW....Sourdough turns Carbohydrates into Proteins?
They say that Sourdough contains the greatest amount of protein for it's weight and size of any comparable food. "Hmm" I thought "just how does that come about when it's ingredients are all carbohydrates?" Apparently a wild yeast forms in the fermentation process of the starter. At that stage, a starch food is turned into a protein dynamo food.

Bakers Breakfast- Soft boiled egg with crusty baguette

2009-11-05T06:51:00.001-08:00

This is a family favorite around our house. Even Ben (4) & Clementine (2) eat this up! We have cute little yellow "chicken" egg cups from Anthropologie that makes breakfast extra cute, fun and easy. Try this breakfast at your home. Swing by Sprouts and grab one of our delicious crusty breads and some farm fresh eggs & enjoy a classic french breakfast.

Recipe: Soft Boiled Egg
1 egg
water
village baking co. artisan bread (baguette or sourdough)

Place egg in saucepan and bring water to a boil. Boil for 1 minute & remove egg. Open top of egg (you can find egg shell cutter at Williams Sonoma or cut with jagged knife). Take small spoon (we use baby spoons at our house) and mix inside of egg to dip bread in. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toast your bread and start dipping.

WHAT IS ARTISAN BREAD?

2009-11-04T06:18:00.000-08:00

Artisan: A person working in a skilled trade or a craftsman. "For bread to be considered "artisan", at least one part of its production must be performed by hand. Beyond that, artisan bread is most likely to be crusty European-style bread, sometimes sourdough, sometimes not; hopefully weighed, rounded, shaped and slashed by hand; and baked directly on a hearth in a "deck oven." Artisan Baking Across America by Maggie Glezer

Cinnamon Rolls

2009-11-03T12:53:00.000-08:00

Almost every morning, our cinnamon rolls were gone in less than one hour after opening the doors. People would drive from all over the area on a saturday to eat them. They are soft & gooey & absolutely delicious! I am not a very experienced baker, unlike my husband, and I can make these taste just like the way we use to make them at our shop. So if I can do this, anyone can! I will never forget being so tired of working 18 hours a day 6 days a week. One morning as I was walking into the bakery to open the front doors, the sun was coming up and I smelled my Grandma Fanny's kitchen .....it was the smell of our cinnamon rolls bellowing out the door. My Grandma Fanny was famous for her cinnamon rolls and I thought at that moment it was her saying..."Keep up the hard work. Hang in there!" I hope these will fill your kitchen with sweet smells & possibly memories of your childhood. Enjoy!

Village Baking Co. Cinnamon Rolls

3 oz. Butter (1/2 stick)

6 1/2 tbs sugar

1 egg

3 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp yeast

1 1/4 cup milk

Cream butter & sugar in mixing bowl. Add one egg. Switch to dough hook and add flour, yeast & milk. Put on slow speed for 4 minutes and then on second speed for another 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl, put towel over it & let ferment for 2 hours. After fermentation, roll out dough, pour 1 /4 cup of melted butter on dough & sprinkle sugar & cinnamon generously. Roll dough into log, cut in 2-3" pieces & place in greased dish. Bake at 350 until top is golden brown.

Icing:

Bring 1-2 tbs of water to boil. Pour into bowl add 1 to 2 cups of powdered sugar. Whisk until made into icing. Take knife & spread over rolls.

Baking Early in the Morning.....

2009-11-02T13:36:00.000-08:00

There might not be anything better in life than the smell of a bakery early in the morning. I use to come into our cafe around 6:30 AM to get everything ready to open up and the smells that drifted out the door into the parking lot was pure heaven on earth. Clint had been baking since 2:30 AM and as I entered through the back door of the kitchen, there would be racks of fresh bread, chicken stock boiling for the soup, homemade cinnamon rolls hot out of the oven as well as scones, quiches, pain au chocolates, pain au jambons and much more. This was all done from scratch that very morning by Clint's hands alone. I remember thinking it was almost miraculous that one person could have produced such amazing food to sale that very day for he & I and our little dream to survive. And that is what we did.....barely survive.

This picture was taken early in the morning as the sun came through the back door. Hard times but sweet memories....