Justin Birt

One of the most common questions artisan bakers hear is surprisingly simple: "Why doesn't your bread stay soft as long as store-bought bread?" It's a fair question. Many people are accustomed to sandwich bread that remains soft for days—or even weeks—after purchase. When they bring home a freshly baked artisan loaf, they sometimes notice that it begins changing within a day or two. The crust softens. The crumb becomes firmer. The bread feels different. For artisan bakers, this isn't a flaw....

When most people think about bread, they think about ingredients. Flour. Water. Salt. Yeast. While ingredients are important, they are only part of the story. What often separates an ordinary loaf from an exceptional one is time. More specifically, fermentation. Fermentation is one of the oldest and most important processes in bread making. Long before ovens, mixers, and commercial yeast existed, bakers relied on fermentation to transform simple ingredients into flavorful, nourishing bread....

Among the many grains available to bakers today, few generate as much curiosity as khorasan wheat. Its kernels are noticeably larger than modern wheat. Its flavor is rich and distinctive. And despite becoming increasingly popular among artisan bakers, many consumers have never heard of it. At Manna Mill Bread Co., khorasan is one of the foundational grains in our Signature Blend. We don't use it because it's trendy. We use it because it contributes something truly special to the flavor and...