The Baker's Blog

Celebrating Donuts

Today, Friday June 5, is National Doughnut Day. The day began more than 70 years ago—in 1938—with the help of the Salvation Army. But here at Baking Buyer, we like to celebrate donuts (we prefer to drop the ‘ugh’ from the spelling) more than once a year!

This past fall, editor John Unrein visited Mark Isreal, owner of the Doughnut Plant in New York City. John awarded Mark our top honor—2008 Retail Baker of the Year. Doughnut Plant features an eggless recipe, and the confections go for $1.75 to $2.73 apiece. And all glazes and fillings are made from scratch. Featured flavors include Vanilla Bean Glaze with Italian Plum Jelly; Pumpkin; and Peanut Butter and Jelly. John raved about the fillings (but, alas, donuts stale quickly, and I have yet to try one of the Doughnut Plant offerings). The story is featured in the November 2008 issue.

Also during November, I spoke with Mark Klebeck, co-founder of the now famous Top Pot Doughnuts in Seattle. Good news abounded as the recession deepened—turns out customers love their comfort food.

 Early this year, the Baking Buyer team was lucky enough to receive samples of new citrus-flavored donuts from Lamar’s. I tried the lemon flavor, which reminded me of a light, lemon cake. Lighter flavors have fewer calories, right?

 

Even our Small Town Baker Shiela has noticed the trend toward citrus and tropical flavors (especially pineapple). In March, she shared a recipe for Pina Colada Cake Donuts.

 

I hope you’ll take a minute to riffle through our past donut tales, which can be found at our online archives. And be sure to catch the June issue for even more donut goodness.

How did you celebrate your Doughnut Day, bakers?

Gluten-free and the Family

My father was sick for two years before discovering the culprit.

In 2006, we took a family trip—of a lifetime—to Yellowstone National Park. We’re not the lay on the beach with a Mai Tai kind of vacationers. And, thanks to my Irish/Welsh heritage that’s out of the question—I’d rather eat a lobster than look like one, after all. No, we’re those lay-around-on-the-couch-when-you-get-home-this-is-an-adventure-for-godssake vacationers. Fishing and hiking top our list. But of all the hikes we’ve taken, Purple Mountain Trail in Yellowstone stands out as our most trying trek.

This particular hike was dotted with stops so that my dad, stomach cramps and all, could use the bathroom. Well, not the bathroom, exactly. Mother Nature forgot to add bathrooms to her list of bountiful blessings. That’s probably too much information—too graphic a description for some. But it’s exactly the graphic nature of gluten intolerance that makes awareness of the illness so important—especially in baking. The utmost care must be taken if you are producing gluten-free products in a combined environment, as even a tiny amount of gluten can make celiacs and the gluten intolerant sick for weeks. And in my experience, it can make them crabby, too! No one likes to be sick.

I spoke with one industry expert who said it is nearly impossible to produce a gluten-free product with flour around. I don’t have to tell you that flour gets everywhere—vents, compressors, etc. It’s a good idea to private label at least one gluten-free product from a baker who is dedicated gluten-free. One of my favorites is Deerfield’s in Chicago.

I still feel bad for my dad when I look back at our pictures of our hike that day. He’s sprawled out under a tree, trying to rest, while my mom and I are taking in the views of the Gibbon valley below—full of greenery and geothermal wonders. Shortly after our vacation, my dad slowly eliminated some of life’s greatest reasons for living from his diet. Chocolate, beer and wheat were the final three foodstuffs to go. “Just kill me now!” was my dad’s response. But after eliminating wheat—and, necessarily, beer—he stopped getting sick. That little protein that is the foundation of baking was causing all of his aches.

Gluten intolerance, like all illness, requires some familial changes. It takes some substitutions in the pantry and a keen awareness of what one puts into his or her body. My mom, much to my chagrin, won’t keep any products that contain gluten in the house. Except, that is, when baking for holidays. But when my dad is on business trips, we sneak away for some pizza or sandwiches on good, gluten-rich bread. Man cannot live on rice flour alone.

Stay tuned for more on my parent’s pantry and the change to a gluten-free lifestyle. What about your customers, bakers? Have you seen a demand for gluten-free products, and how are you handling that demand?

My dad (at right) walks along a mountain lake during one of our many vacation adventures.

Such Decisions: Part Two

Part Two in a Series: Such Decisions

Please see below for Part One

 

Once I got past the mental image of the My Big Fat Greek Wedding reprise that was sure to ensue when the aforementioned bride held her 20-person cake tasting, I was free to dig into my box of cake samples.

 

Stacy is one mean cake-maker, and none of the flavors disappointed. Ever the traditionalist, my favorite flavor was white—closely followed by chocolate. Andy liked strawberry, lemon, orange and spice. But the thought of serving at least 50 slices of spice was too "out there" for me, and, being the bride—I won. No spice cake at our wedding.

 

Our favorite filling flavor was hazelnut. It’s a must. We’re not set on the cake flavors, but I’ll reveal our choices after the big day (sorry—you’ll have to wait about 5 months.) Speaking of revealing a decision, I’m still weighing the pros and cons of buttercream and fondant.

 

Stacy brought up a good point in the culinary battle between icings, and one that I hadn’t heard from any other baker. She told me not to worry about fondant. On a buttercream-iced cake, only the guests receiving a cut from the outside of a tier would get to enjoy a slice smothered in icing. The majority of party-goers would get buttercream on the top of their cake and between layers only. And with fondant, guests still would receive the same buttercream. They’d just have to cut the fondant from the top of the buttercream—if it proved unappealing. Fondant is edible, after all, and her's tastes like marshmallows.

 

But I’m still a little concerned. Should they choose to cut off the fondant, I don’t want my guests to lose any of that precious buttercream. Did I mention that I have an ornate design idea? I can't help myself—I get to look at your beautiful cake creations all day long. And though I love buttercream, I'm fond of ornate cakes, too.

 

So, bakers, do you agree with Stacy? Do you see fondant as an elegant wrapping that shouldn’t be a big concern? I’m eager to hear your reply!

Such Decisions

Part One in a Series: Such Decisions

I’ll start off by saying that I, by nature, am a staunch buttercream purist. I love a traditional white wedding cake slathered in a buttercream that is melt-in-your-mouth sweet, subtly crunchy and purely delicious. And for years I said I would never have a fondant wedding cake. But now that I’m getting married this fall, I might have changed my mind. You know the old adage—never say never.

 

Earlier this month, my fiancé Andy and I attended a wedding cake tasting with our talented baker (let’s call her Stacy to protect the innocent). The experience was so informative that I will regale you with the story over my next few blogs.

 

Stacy travels for more than an hour to get to Kansas City. So when in town, she schedules tastings and consultations with as many brides as she can handle. Each bride (I say bride because Andy was the only man for blocks) gets an hour with Stacy to discuss and sample. And she’s willing to meet again for no extra fee.

Stacy had sample boxes of more than 10 cake flavors. Andy and I each received our own box, along with a choice of fillings. We decided on the fudge, hazelnut and cream cheese fillings—because, really, what place does fruit have in a calorie laden confection such as wedding cake? (That is simply my opinion—nothing against fruit, of course. I just think it has a place. On pastries. On cheesecake. On the side of my breakfast omelet. But not sandwiched between two pounds of butter and ten pounds of sugar, thankyouverymuch.)

 

The sample cakes were more than enough. Andy and I could have easily split one box. But Stacy apologized that the samples were so small—she’d had a bride call that morning to add ten people to her tasting. So Stacy and her team had to make create more samples from the already-assembled boxes. “Wow, that’s a lot of people,” I exclaimed. To which Stacy replied, “Yes. She added 10 more. She already had ten people scheduled.” Call me crazy, but 20 people is a ridiculous number for a tasting. And I think that bride was quite rude.

 

Stacy was extremely nice to make room for that many people. But I fear that this nicety will not pay off. Unless she decided to charge for the extra mouths (and opinions), I don’t think Stacy will recoup the cost of those samples. What do you think, cake bakers and decorators? Would you allow 20 people to a tasting without a fee—and without at least a day’s notice?

What will ice my wedding cake—fondant or buttercream? Stay tuned to find out!

Spring Into Innovation

Thanks to Brenda and Cheri for joining in last week's buttercream vs. fondant discussion! I'll revisit the topic in a post later this week.

When Baking Buyer's Design of the Times E-Newsletter launched last month, we asked for pictures of your favorite spring-themed cakes. This week's spring cake comes from Soraya Balleydier, owner of Dream Pastries in Castle Rock, CO. The cake was created in March. 

Soraya is a very talented decorator, and we're happy to showcase her beautiful cake. She writes: "I made this dummy cake for a Chamber of Commerce Business Expo.  The theme was 'Sweet Sixteen.'  Hope you like it! I wanted to display different techniques possible: brush embroidery, pleating, imprinting, stenciling."
 To see more of Soraya's work, visit the Dream Pastries website. 

If you'd like to see your spring cake featured in our Baker's Blog, please send a picture and a description of the cake, as well as the decorator's name to my e-mail—stucker@sosland.com. Don't be shy! We'd love to show off your skills! 

Buttercream Dreams

I developed a healthy respect for bakers long before starting at Baking Buyer. My mother is a great at-home baker, and any coworker that has tried her pumpkin roll will attest to this fact. We bake cookies at nearly every holiday, and this Easter was no different. Well, it was a bit different. You—our bakers—inspired me to make a buttercream frosting for our spring-themed sugar cookie treats.

 

Buttercream has been a big part of the dialogue I've had with you over the past year. In July, I was introduced to Italian buttercreme at Swirlz Cupcakes in Chicago. Italian buttercreme is a meringue-based icing that is lightly sweet and fluffy. Swirlz is so fond of this style of icing that the bakery doesn't even keep confectioner's sugar around! At the September 2008 American Bakery Expo, I heard several wedding cake decorators discuss buttercream vs. fondant. It seems that many of you have perfected techniques for smoothing buttercream. And so, with echoes of buttercream in my head, I set out to make Wilton's Buttercream Recipe from the 2003 Yearbook.

 

I know there are buttercream purists among you that refuse to use shortening. I'll admit it—this recipe calls for half a cup of butter and half a cup of vegetable shortening (I used butter-flavored Crisco). But I'll gladly try any pure-butter recipes you'd like to send my way!

 

My usual family frosting is "buttercream light." I usually grab a fork and whip up some confectioner's sugar, a small dab of butter and a splash of milk. But for the Wilton recipe, I used my mom's trusty red Kitchenaid mixer. Although I dusted the room in a thin coat of confectioner's sugar, I was happy with the results. The icing was easy to spread, and it was nice to put a new spin on our old favorite. I've included picture here, though they aren't the prettiest cookies in the batch (those were eaten first, of course)! I think I may have started a new icing tradition.

 

Keep the buttercream dialogue coming! What do you prefer to work in: buttercream or fondant?

 

 

Think Tropical

Shiela Rabe

Cando Bakery, Cando, ND

Enough of the white stuff already! And no I am not referring to confectioners’ sugar! There is so much snow heaped everywhere that June will be half over before the biggest piles melt. Cando could pass for a remote Inuit village in Canada’s far north. There are snowmobiles snarling up and down the city streets and everyone leaves their pickups running to create a miasma of malodorous exhaust. The only things missing are seals and walrus!

As far as the arctic temperatures go, they can keep them in the Arctic. When the mercury dips to negative 35 F with a 10-mph breeze causing a wind chill factor of negative 60 F, even Antarctica is warmer than North Dakota. Yeah, I know that other places in the U.S. have had record cold temperatures this winter, but tell that to the collies. Even with their fur coats they are unwilling to set foot out doors except for the most urgent calls of nature. As for Bruce and I, well, we are wearing so many layers of clothing we look like two Michelin Tire men rolling along dragging the collies for some exercise. And that is really saying something as Bruce’s usual winter garb is a sweatshirt. Now he is even sporting woolen mittens and a balaclava.

Will spring never come to Cando this year? I for one am wondering what’s up with global warming. We could use some of that in this part of the globe. OK, I admit that is a silly statement. I am concerned about climate change, the destruction of rain forests and the polar bears losing their habitat. Being a child of the “True North Strong and Free,” I have always enjoyed the winter months, with short days of bright sunshine reflecting on the snow and even brighter night skies with the aurora and trillions of stars. But this winter has been way over the top.

Mind you, the bakery regulars – albeit their numbers depleted by the snowbird migration – show up every day for coffee talk and don’t seem to be too bothered by the cold outside. Perhaps they are attracted to the warmth of the bakery. We try to compensate for the frigid weather with the sights and tastes of the tropics. I display my most colorful quilts and tablecloths to dress up the front room. My favorite is an ensemble of bright tropical fish on a black background; those hot pinks, corals and turquoises really pop. You can almost feel the room temperature climb.

Bruce does his part by using tropical flavors in pastries and sweet goods. Instead of cherry and blueberry filling in his sweet rolls and Danish he opts for mango and guava. Some of our customers have never tasted these fruits and are reluctant to try something new. But most who do admit they really like the flavor. As one of our ladies is fond of saying, ”Change is as good as a rest”.

Pineapple and coconut evoke a vignette of white sand, palm trees, and azure seas. Imagine lying on a chaise under a beach umbrella sipping on a Pina Colada. As a matter of fact Bruce makes killer Pina Colada cake donuts. These scrumptious fried delights are redolent with essence of rum and pineapple. They are glazed and dipped in coconut, giving them a satisfying crunch.

Now all we need to complete this delightful picture is some hula music with Bruce in a grass skirt and two strategically place coconut shells. NOT! They would so clash with the balaclava.

PINA COLADA CAKE DONUTS

·         10 pounds of favorite brand of cake donut mix

·         20-ounce can of pineapple, well drained, and finely chopped. Reserve juice.

·         Replace some of the water with the juice.

·         Follow the directions to make up the batter.
To finish, dip donuts in a rum glaze and coat with sweetened flake coconut.

The Write Stuff

Since I began filling this space with tales from the Cando Bakery, I have had opportunities to talk with and even meet some of Baking Buyer’s subscribers.  Writing is a joy in itself, but to know that people are actually reading my stuff is the icing on the cake, you should pardon the pun. So this month’s scrawl is about some of those folks.

                One afternoon about six months after “Small Town Baker” first appeared, a woman came in to the Bakery.  I forget her name now, but she told me she had come to Cando to see her grandmother, a resident at Towner County Living Center. She said she recognized me from a photo in Baking Buyer. She was a baker from Casper Wyoming and could relate to some of the stories about the challenges of running a business in a small town.

                Then there was Don Kemps who wrote from Hilbert Wisconsin. Don worked for a company that manufactures food service packaging materials. He said he and his co-workers read Baking Buyer. They were particularly intrigued by the column about butter tarts. Since he and a buddy were going to be in Grand Forks for a weekend tournament they planned on driving to Cando to taste some butter tarts. The guys arrived on the appointed day in time for the early bird coffee group.  My father in law Erich kept the coffee and conversation flowing. Eventually, laden with boxes of tarts and other goodies, the fellows headed home to Hilbert.  I hope the butter tarts were a hit.

                Last year Linda Malo came home from Bountiful Utah to look after her mother, Maxine Hanson, who was recovering from surgery. Linda works the front counter at Parsons’ Bakery. We enjoyed comparing notes whenever she came to the Bakery to buy some sweets for her Mom.  Recently Linda was back in Cando on vacation. She and Maxine joined the Bakery Ladies for coffee most days so we had ample time to chat about the baking biz. Linda was intrigued by the column I had written about strawberries and the formula for strawberry triticale muffins that Bruce had developed. She had not been able to get her hands on any triticale so we gave her enough to make a batch of muffins.

                The story of Hot Cross Buns brought a query from Jane Ebert of Sparta North Carolina. This charming Southern lady called the Bakery one day with a request. Jane wanted Bruce to work out a homemaker-sized version of his hot cross bun formula so that she and the ladies of the Moravian Church could make them for fundraising bake sales. We began emailing and eventually exchanged recipes for hot cross buns and Moravian sugar cake, a delicious sweet bread.

                The Cavanaugh family popped in one late afternoon in July. Kevin, Tina and their four young children, Madison, MaKenna, Mariah and Zane, were on their way home to Bismarck. Since Cando was not far off their route they decided to stop by to say hello. Kevin said they always read Baking Buyer from back to front as they identify with “Small Town Baker”. The Cavanaughs own PHAT Brothers Bakery, formerly the Donut Hole, in Bismarck. They bought the business two years ago and are working hard to establish a niche market. Their signature item is the square donut, which is something you don’t see in most donut shops. By the way PHAT is an acronym for “pretty hot and tasty”. Bruce and I really love Bismarck so now we have good reason to visit North Dakota’s capitol – to see the Cavanaugh family and to sample a PHAT Brothers square donut!

                Audrey Collins of Minot does not own a bakery, but she has helped her daughter open one. Audrey, and Bea, her good friend, visited us in August. Audrey’s daughter Rochelle Van Ryn has always wanted to own a small business. After years as a background investigator she decided on a career change and prepared herself by taking a baking course at a Kansas college. With her husband‘s and Mom’s help Rochelle opened “The Sweet Life” in Wichita this past spring. Currently offering carry out desserts and pastries Rochelle plans to expand her product line and add a seating area. Audrey travels to Wichita frequently to lend a hand at “The Sweet Life”.

  I’ve never been to Kansas, so one of these days Bruce and I must close the doors at the Cando Bakery for a few days, pack up the collies and head south down the “yellow brick road”.              

Catching up with old friends

I have really missed John Sawchuk this summer. He has been a frequent visitor at the Cando Bakery since we opened nine years ago. During the winter John and his wife, Marilyn, live in Florida, but during the other three seasons we see John most every day. He arrives around 10 a.m. laden with mail, having made his first stop the post office. The usual greeting is in Ukrainian, something like "Yak shamiash!" to which I reply "Dobra!" Don’t ask me to translate please! Neither of us knows what we’ve just said but it sounds right.

John has a way of looking over his glasses at me, with a gentle smile that melts my heart. He scrutinizes the contents of the display case very carefully before making his choice, which is usually a fruit-filled pastry. Strawberry cream cheese turnovers are his absolute favorite. Then he finds an empty seat at one of the tables. I pour his coffee, being careful to supply him with creamer, which he uses liberally. In fact, we often joke with John that he likes coffee with his creamer.

The visits last no more than 20 minutes, just long enough to swallow a mug of coffee. Then John gathers up his mail and strolls home. Rain or shine, you can always count on John.

John and I have a few connecting threads beyond Cando and the bakery, for he hails from Winnipeg, my hometown. In fact, he is a physician who interned at the same hospital from which I graduated as an RN. Mind you, John was long gone from the hallowed halls of St. Boniface when I was a student nurse there. Someday I plan to write a few stories from my years in nursing, such as "Nurse Shiela of Surgery," a sort of Nancy Drew Mystery meets Harlequin Romance. But I digress.

John and Marilyn, his sweetheart of 50 years, were married right after John graduated from medical school. Following his internship, young Dr. and Mrs. Sawchuk moved south to Rolette, ND, where they lived happily for 23 years. John had a busy family practice. Marilyn was busy too, raising Ted, Cathy and Jennifer. All was as it should be.

Then in 1983, at the age of 51, John had a devastating stroke. This affected his memory and left him unable to communicate, effectively ending his medical career. There must have been some very painful times for the entire family while coming to terms with John’s condition.

In 1999 the Sawchuks relocated to Cando where their daughters had settled. Ted had followed in Dad’s footsteps and was practicing medicine in Fargo, a comfortable three-hour drive from Cando. The Sawchuks have a close relationship with their children, the grandkids, their church and the community. Marilyn keeps in touch with old friends from Rolette and Winnipeg, including some of John’s classmates.

For the past fourteen years the couple has motored to Clearwater, FL to enjoy summer all year round. But this year may be different. Perhaps worsening health may preclude such a long trip. So the plan for this coming winter may be to stay put in Cando and attend grandson Calvin’s basketball games instead.

Just when I began to think we would not see John at the bakery again, last week he walked in behind Cathy. He was unusually quiet. Cathy picked out the baked goods and suggested they sit down to have coffee. But when I brought the steaming mugs, and of course, the creamer to the table, I saw the old John emerge. "Dobra!" he said, to which I replied, "Yahniznyu!" Who knows what we said; it is enough to know that we said it.

In September the Sawchuks will be attending the University of Manitoba Medical School’s Class of 1958 Reunion. They will no doubt bring greetings from the Cando Bakery to John’s classmate Walter Syslak, my former anesthesia partner. There’s another connecting thread.

Responding to Price Increases

We knew the wheat crisis was a reality when we received a 25% increase on donut mix at the beginning of this year. 

Our first reaction was to quickly try to educate the public and our customers about why the price of flour and other common commodities were skyrocketing.  We knew without any question that a massive (by our standards) retail and wholesale price increase was inevitable.  The best way to prepare our customers for it was to go public about the wheat crisis.  We were successful in obtaining editorial articles in the local business journals and major newspapers in the city. 

Lucky for us, there has been no shortage of coverage about rising food costs from the national news media as well.  In order to survive as a business we simply had no choice but to raise our prices.  As much as we hope the commodity prices will stabilize, we are prepared for an additional price increase if necessary.