After many years of talking about it, three of my dearest friends from high school and I managed to uproot our yearly girls’ weekend from the streets and hubbub of New York City to the kitchens of King Arthur Baking in Norwich, Vermont. We took a baking class—Buns and Rolls—and in doing so, expiated our long-ago less than stellar performances in home economics class at Saint Benedict’s, and expunged most of our haunting memories of Sister Christine’s vocal disapproval.
If you haven’t had the pleasure, know that people “from away” yearn for these classes that are located right here in the UV’s backyard, and that KAB and the Norwich Inn have partnered to provide a substantial discount for accommodations at the Inn for KAB students. You will want to register well in advance. The classes are empowering, enlightening (yes, you really ought to weigh your ingredients), and fun. Among the four of us, we ended up with a total of 96 sweet and savory items to bring home. We could have had an impromptu bake sale in front of Dan and Whit’s. We didn’t.
Except for the gluten-free and carb averse among us (and even then) bread—in its many forms—is nourishment and above all, pleasure. It seems to keep appearing in my own recent daily life, to wit: say yes to the homemade English muffins when breakfasting at Lou’s in Hanover, and to the homemade multigrain toast if you find yourself at Lindy’s Diner in Keene, NH. From an OSHER class on regional Italian cooking, my husband brought home some excellent focaccia. Word has it that Katie’s Cookies in downtown Lebanon has the best, if occasional, croissants and pains au chocolat. Muriel’s Doughnuts in Lebanon closed recently for a short and no doubt well-deserved vacation; we who just happened to have sought out her jelly sticks during this time were bereft.
Fire Dog Breads in Keene, NH is a surprise. Located on Emerald Street in the shadow (literally) of an enormous coal silo, one opens the door not to the expected baker’s racks of loaves and display cases of pastries. Rather, it is a working bakery with workers making breads in front of your eyes. To the left is a table piled with numerous brown paper packages marked as pre-orders, awaiting the arrival of knowing local customers.
Of its breads and pastries that “never see the inside of a plastic bag,” the owners say,
“Our goal is simple: make the best food we can for the community we live in. For us, this means baking with a ferocious commitment to flavor and freshness. We source our whole grains from New England farms and mill it in-house. Wild yeast starters, long fermentation, and blazing hot ovens create our signature rustic breads.” Click here and scroll down for a short video.
The display is minimal; the taste divine. Bring home everything, but especially a loaf of the Danish rye known as rugbrød.
(Quoted text, above, from Fire Dog Breads website. Photos by Susan B. Apel)
A final note for I Love Lucy fans: It was a real loaf of bread, not a prop.
“Lucille Ball wanted the scene to look realistic, so instead of using a fake prop, the producers had L.A.’s Union Made Bakery whip up a giant loaf of rye, and the cast and crew literally broke bread together with the audience after the taping.”
#ilovelucy You remember. If you don’t, or if you want to relive the moment:
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And in case you are wondering . . . Susan B. Apel shuttered a lifelong career as a law professor to continue an interest (since kindergarten) in writing. Her freelance business, The Next Word, includes literary and feature writing; her work has appeared in a variety of lit mags and other publications including Art New England, The Woven Tale Press, The Arts Fuse, and Persimmon Tree. She connects with her neighbors through Artful, her blog about arts and culture in the Upper Valley. She’s in love with the written word.