Wood-fired, wild-yeasted, whole grain
In 1998, Jennifer and I spent time in Scotland, home to relatives and ancestors on both sides of our families. It was a journey into the old world, perhaps more for me than Jen.
My ancestors hailed from Perthshire, generations of them. My father’s parents left their old homes in Perth in 1919, made a new life in New Westminster and raised a family there.… Continue reading
“The best bread you can eat,” I always say, “is the bread you made yourself!”
Long-time readers of the Happy Monk blog could be tired of hearing me say that! But it’s been a while since I last said it, and it bears repeating! I stand by the statement as firmly as ever!
Let me explain:
… Continue reading• Bread is elemental.
I realize the recent “atmospheric river” event caused much damage to property and lives. I saw YouTube video footage of rivers of brown water gushing down driveways in West Vancouver, where I grew up. An earthbound river surged through carefully manicured gardens, pounding homes, flooding basements. The frightening power of nature.
Jennifer and I sustained no harm to our property here on South Pender, though we had that sense of endless rain.… Continue reading
A few months back, a Vancouver Island baker reached out after reading my blog post about Cranberry Pecan Bread (June 5, 2025), which featured a purple-tinged crumb, dried cranberries and toasted, chopped pecans.
“Now, try CAP Bread!” he said. “Cranberry, apple, pecan! It was my best seller!”
The baker was Kees Docter, the former head baker and owner of the Utopia Bakery Cafe in Chemainus, B.C.,… Continue reading
The last Happy Monk bake day, September 20, was two days after the Harvest Moon, the last full moon before the Autumn equinox. I missed it! I was oblivious! Instead, shaping loaves, mixing the next day’s sourdough, cleaning out the dough bins.
But when I looked up at the moon at 4 a.m. that morning, it sure looked like something special.… Continue reading