All Happy Monk bread is made with wild-yeast sourdough and left to ferment for hours to develop flavour and strength. Commercial yeast is added to bolster the rising power in some rye loaves. Breads are available by order, which you can do at the Shop page.
Each week, the Happy Monk Baking Company bakes a sourdough loaf we call the Salish Sourdough, and a seed loaf that we call the Seed Feast. We also make a “Baker’s Choice” each week, which is whatever inspires Brother Geoffrey. A weekly listing of breads is posted here or emailed to our customers.
Here is a list of some of the Happy Monk’s favourite loaves that you will see at the market or in your subscription:
Salish Sourdough Country Loaf – A lofty country loaf with a gentle sour taste, shattery golden crust and tender creamy crumb. Made with freshly milled Red Fife and bread flour.
Ancient Grain – Long before the GMO varieties of wheat we consume today, there were luscious grains that were beautiful to taste: einkorn, spelt, Kamut®, emmer, durum. Every week Happy Monk will feature one of these wheats as they are available. Mixed with Red Fife and bread flour for further nutrition and strength.
Porridge – Similar dough to Salish Sourdough, but with the addition of a porridge to bring different flavours to the loaf. Fermented steel cut-oats, toasted millet or nixtamal corn.
Seed Feast – Our Red Fife and bread flour loaf bolstered with handfuls of toasted seeds that are soaked overnight. Handfuls of flavour, too, with sunflower, pumpkin, sesame and flax seeds.
Seedy Rye – A substantial loaf with the tangy flavour of rye and sourdough. This is a dense bread loaded with seeds and made to be sliced thinly and savoured as an open-faced sandwich. Long-lasting, the flavour comes into its own after one week.
Rugbrøt – A Danish bread, the one the Danes choose above all others. Made with coarsely milled rye grain, flour and sourdough This is rye, unadorned, celebrating the grain’s old world flavour and character. Best enjoyed as smørrebrød, Danish open-faced sandwiches.
Desem – One of our favourites, this simple loaf is made with nothing more than Red Fife flour, salt and water and tastes creamy and wholesome. Belgian in origin, it makes superb toast and can handle any topping you love.
Baker’s Choice – When a sack of spelt grain comes our way, we’ll make something delicious. Or Kamut or Emmer grain. Occasionally, we will venture into the gluten-free realm. Sign up for the weekly newsletter below.
Seasonal – The Happy Monk likes to stay close to home. Pender Island is full of promise with its locally grown produce and artisanal creations. Brother Geoffrey loves experimenting. Look for Pender Island Apple Bread in the fall, Panetone in December, fruit breads in the summer.
![Happy Monk Tidings - September 28, 2022 🍞 - Baker's Choice: The Approachable Loaf; Blog: This Island of Apples; South Pender Growers and Makers Market [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
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#apples #applebread #applelove #approachable #approachableloaf #breadlabcollective #breadlab](https://i0.wp.com/happymonkbaking.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed-pro/img/placeholder.png?w=980&ssl=1)
Happy Monk Tidings - September 28, 2022 🍞 - Baker's Choice: The Approachable Loaf; Blog: This Island of Apples; South Pender Growers and Makers Market [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
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#apples #applebread #applelove #approachable #approachableloaf #breadlabcollective #breadlab
Happy Monk Tidings - September 21, 2022 🍞 - Baker's Choice: Harvest Bread; BLOG: Greetings from St. Francis and Mildrith; The Wood-Fired Oven's Back in Business [ See LinkTree in Profile]
Introducing this bread, Raven Ring Bread (a take on Hapanleipä, a Finnish bread) a recipe borrowed from @ravenbreads. The stand is made by my neighbour, Ken, a gifted woodworker. See you at the South Pender Growers and Makers Market, if it don’t rain too hard!
Happy Monk Tidings - September 2, 2022 🍞 - Baker's Choice : Volkornbrot (German Rye); Blog: The Golden Loaf of Gorsefield Rye; NOTE: We're closing two weeks for Mildrith Maintenance [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
Happy Monk Tidings - August 24, 2022 🍞 - Baker's Choice this week: Spelt and Honey Sourdough; Blog: The Great Kind Mystery; SPECIAL NOTE: Mildrith needs an upgrade [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
Happy Monk Tidings - August 10, 2022 🍞 - Baker's Choice: Double-Fermented Oat Bread; BLOG: Resuscitating Mildrith; Reminder: No Bread Next Week! [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
It was a dirty day, Wednesday. The sky hadn't been washed, the ocean was soiled, and the air was muggy and smelled oily. Then, moments before the rain started, the sun shone through and a glorious slash of colour opened up. And a rainbow! No unicorns, sadly.
Happy Monk Tidings - August 3, 2022 🍞 - Baker's Choice: Anadama Bread; BLOG: Dog Days of Summer; Special Note: No Bread August 19 [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
Dog days. The beginning of summer mellowness. Baked in languor. But sometimes it's hard to let go. Shouldn't I be baking something? [See LinkTree in Profile ]
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#penderisland #southpenderisland #happymonkbaking #happymonkbakery
#happymonkbakingcompany #dogdays #dogdaysofsummer #southerngulfislands
#southerngulfislandsbakers #southerngulfislandsbakeries #southerngulfislandsbc
Happy Monk Tidings - July 27, 2022 🍞 - Baker's Choice: Whole Grain White Wheat; Blog: Call Me Ishmael; Video: How the U.S. Ruined Bread; Announcements [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
Happy Monk Tidings - July 20, 2022 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE: Rye and Currants; BLOG: Blessed; EXTRA: World's Oldest Sourdough? [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
Happy Monk Tidings - July 13, 2022 🍞 - Baker's Choice: Bird Seed Bread; Blog: Down to the Crossroads, Medicine Beach; Baking your own bread guides - [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
This is James Morton, my father, who would have been 100 years old today if we hadn't lost him 36 years ago. I've surpassed him in living age and spent more years without him than with him, yet he still whispers in my ear and is a great listener when I talk to him. Taken at 14th Ave. and Burgess St., Burnaby, 'round about 1955. Handsome devil, ain't he?
Always time for a quick selfie at 4 a.m. while the bread puffs up and its aroma fills the darkness. This Friday morning the scent was deep and floral from the Cinnamon Raisin Loaf. Makes the juices flow, rumbles in the tummy, drives you crazy for a hot slice and schmear of butter.
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#cinnamonraisinbread #cinnamonraisin #woodfired #woodfiredoven #woodfiredovenbread #bread #realbread #naturallyleavened #baker #bakery #bakerslife #bbga #artisanbread #breadhead #breadmaking #breadmaking🍞 #sourdough #sourdoughbread #coboven #earthoven #earthenoven #penderisland #southpenderisland #happymonkbaking #happymonkbakery #happymonkbakingcompany #southerngulfislands #southerngulfislandsbakers #southerngulfislandsbakeries #penderisland
Happy Monk Tidings - July 6, 2022 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE: Cinnamon-Raisin Bread; BLOG: Filling the Belly: Words vs. Loaves [ See LinkTree in profile ]
How many times have I seen these loaves tumble out of the oven! If I’m not in a rush, I like to pile them up and just stand near them a moment, feeling their heat, hearing them crackle, their glorious warm aroma! Seems like a miracle, been working hard since the dark hours of morning, heard the first birdsong, seen freighters moving silently through Boundary Pass, a gentle breeze coming up from the ocean. I know I’ll pay for all this later in the day with fatigue and there’ll be several days catching up with sleep. Is it worth it all? Three years into Happy Monk Baking, I still say yes. Happy sleeping, everyone!
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#woodfired #woodfiredoven #woodfiredovenbread #bread #realbread #naturallyleavened #baker #bakery #bbga #artisanbread #breadhead #breadmaking #breadmaking🍞 #sourdough #sourdoughbread #rusticbread, #breadhead, #coboven #earthoven #earthenoven #penderisland #southpenderisland #happymonkbaking #happymonkbakery #happymonkbakingcompany #southerngulfislands #southerngulfislandsbakers #southerngulfislandsbakeries #penderisland
Happy Monk Tidings - June 29, 2022 🍞 - Baker's Choice: Rustic Peasant Bread; Blog: A Pinch of Salt, A Pinch of Life [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
Happy Monk Tidings - June 22, 2022 🍞 - Bakers Choice: Sprouted Rye and Seed Bread; BLOG: Henry Miller and the Staff of Life — [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
Happy Monk Tidings - June 15, 2022 🍞 - Baker's Choice: Cranberry-Pecan Sourdough Bread; Blog: Breakfast on Bloomsday https://mailchi.mp/4c924688ed54/happy_monk_tidings_june15
Fun at 4 in the morning … first load of bread in the oven, first light, first birdsong, making the treacherous walk back inside with a tower of bannetons. In the rain.
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#bakerslife #bakersofinstagram #baking #baker #woodfired #woodfiredoven #woodfiredovenbread #coboven #earthoven #earthenoven #bread #sourdoughbread #sourdough #bbga #realbread #naturallyleavened #artisanbread #artisanbreadbaker #rusticbread #breadhead #breadlove #breadhour #penderisland #southpenderisland #happymonkbaking #happymonkbakery #happymonkbakingcompany #southerngulfislands #southerngulfislandsbakers #southerngulfislandsbakeries
Synchronicity! Happy to see our beloved Nootka Rose bush in fine fettle, thriving beside Mildrith, the wood-fired oven for the Happy Monk Baking Company. Which reminds me of our number one provisioner of grain goodness and organic flour, Nootka Rose Milling of Metchosin B.C. They keep us hooked in with the best locally sourced grain, and expertly milled flour, not to mention great advice and customer care! Thanks, Nootka Rose, from the Happy Monk and all of us on Pender Island.
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#bread #breadbaking #artisanbread #woodfired #woodfiredoven #woodfiredovenbread #coboven #earthoven #metchosinbc #stonegroundflour #stonemilled #stonemilledflour #stonemilledbread #realbread #naturallyleavened #baker #bbga #artisanbread #breadhead #breadmaking #sourdough #sourdoughbread #penderisland #southpenderisland #happymonkbaking #happymonkbakery #happymonkbakingcompany #southerngulfislands #southerngulfislandsbakers #southerngulfislandsbakeries
Inspiration at 3 a.m. on bake day. A customer had announced there was a 40th birthday in her family this weekend. She was looking forward to some good bread with which to celebrate. Found my precision X-Acto blade and cut out the letters. Laid it over the nicely domed top of a panned loaf (Salish Sourdough) and sprinkled a light dusting of bread flour. I ain't no crafty artiste, but the thought was there. A half-baked idea, but the loaf … it was perfectly baked. 😇 (Thanks for the picture, Laura!)
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#woodfired #woodfiredoven #coboven #bakinginspiration #Mildrith #Mildriththeoven #woodfiredovenbread #sourdough #sourdoughbread #bread #realbread #naturallyleavened #baker #breadbaker #bakery #bbga #artisanbread #breadhead #breadart #stencil #stencilart #breadlovers #breadofinstagram #sourdough #sourdoughbread #penderisland #southpenderislands #happymonkbaking
Happy Monk Tidings - June 1, 2022 🍞 - Baker's Choice: Fig and Fennel Sourdough; Happy Monk Blog: The Golden City [ LinkTree in Profile ]
Post to The Happy Monk Baking Company
Happy Monk Tidings - May 25, 2022 🍞 - Baker's Choice this week: Sprouted Kamut Bread; Blog: A Paean to Rye Bread: Deeply Felt and Honest [ See LinkTree in Profile ]