BIG SUR BAKERY HIDE BREAD
Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 12:30PM 
There are premature wrinkles around my knees. My mom always thought the tan kids were cuter than the pale ones, so sunscreen went to the extent of a quick swipe of Bullfrog across the lips and nose. People would throw stones at her with the research they have now. My sister and I were adorably bronzed through our childhood, at the cost of the aging knee caps I have now.
I studied my face in the mirror the other day, not out of vanity, but out of amazement that it has changed. This face has taken me through falling in love, loss of family, disappointment, living abroad, challenging jobs, late nights with girlfriends over bottles of wine, moving… you have a list of your own I’m sure. Somewhere in all of that, I’ve grown up. By no means do I feel I’ve suffered hardship, but lessons have been learned that changed me.
There is more life to look forward to, and for that I am grateful. Ambitions float around my head, unorganized, and mixed with the fear of failing. My face will continue to evolve; there will be more love and more loss. The wrinkles on my knees will get deeper; a reminder to me of long Sundays at the beach with my family, tuna sandwiches and boogie boards. I appreciate the momentum that life has, that things change beneath your feet and you don’t always realize it until the ground has since shifted.
So, in honor of wrinkles, we made bread. A hearty compact-english-muffin-type bread, full of texture. It takes time and some unique components, but completely worth it. Just like life.
BIG SUR BAKERY HIDE BREAD // Makes 16 //
The recipe is straight from the Big Sur Bakery Cookbook (of which I won from Dana! The astriks indicate what I used of the options).
5 Cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour
½ Cup Flax Seeds
½ Cup Sesame Seeds (I used toasted seeds)
2 Cups Oat Bran
¼ Cup Sunflower Seeds
½ Cup Millet*, Quinoa, Poppy seeds or Amaranth (or any combination)
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/3 Cup Beer
2 ½ Cups Buttermilk*, Milk or Half and Half
Oven to 375, Middle Oven Rack
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
2. Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the beer and buttermilk (or alternative). Use a wooden spoon or your hand to mix the wet batter. Sprinkle some flour on top, and put it on a floured work surface. Gently roll is out to form a loose log, about 2-3 inches in diameter.
3. Cut the log into 1 ½ inch slices and give them a little pat into a patty form. Don't make them too small, they get dry. Lay on the baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack for 40 minutes until golden. Remove and cool.
4. For serving, slice open and toast. They have a raw bread flavor inside (like a bagel or English muffin) so toasting is crucial. Goes excellent with a schmear of Butter/Jam/ Soft Cheese!
Reader Comments (35)
Sweet Sara you still have stretch marks and saggy boobs ahead of you! I wonder what you will make for that?
n
x
Sara, how lovely and how right you are! As I ponder my 39-year old face, I too see all that I have lived (including not wearing sunscreen because I am "dark-skinned"). I am grateful for it all and I too am thankful for and fearful of the future. You put it all beautifully!
Someone told me that before I gave this book away, I had to make this recipe. I didn't so I'm glad you did!
What a wonderful way to honor having lines on your face - otherwise known as wisdom.
@MsGourmet ha, oh nannette. I curse that day now. I will have trained my kid to be cooking for ME at that point.
@Dana You look quite young my friend! Thank you for the book. They were good, but not a 'make this immediately' kind of recipe.
As usual, the pictures are beautiful.
This was a beautifully-written post! You write so well about you wear the life you've lived on your face. It is interesting/slightly sad to see your body begin to buckle and wear from all of the experiences that life sends your way. Thank you for your lovely words and this yummy recipe.
What a beautiful post, Sara. I love these B&W photos. The rest of us haven't taken that leap, and now we're sorry :) At 35, I'm noticing the wrinkles around my eyes (my knees are just fine), and haven't sprung for any expensive lotion yet. I plan not to, but don't quote me on that...
So many good things in the bread, looks so healthy and good.
I promise you, this will be on our table this weekend. Love all the goodness packed inside. Just like the goodness in you.
Growing old gracefully is still a characteristic I'm trying to acquire. At this moment I have a box of hair color on my coffee table waiting to be returned to the drugstore. I'm not ready for it yet, though I thought I was last Saturday. Bread helps, though. Bread always helps.
I bought this cookbook and can't wait to test it out. I love all the photos and rustic recipes. This one will be damn good with some peanut butter and jam!
Sara, I had to laugh at the thought of your mother prefering tan children! Great written post!
Looks delish! Also I love the b&w.
this is such a beautiful piece. i love the image of the face as the scrapbook of our lives. your honesty rings true for me and i'm sure most people.
This is quite a lovely post partnered with gorgeous photographs. And, this recipe is the perfect tribute to the beauty of life and aging. I'm finding a quiet comfort in the glints of parental traits that are appearing in my face as time passes. It's all so wondrous, isn't it? :)
You are beautiful Sara! In heart, mind, and knees! ;) And this bread looks substantial and satifying. Perfect as summer fades into fall. Thank you!
love this, sara. embracing the wrinkles of life -- that's what it's all about, isn't it? because with each wrinkle is a story, a laugh, a love, a loss, a slice of life. the black and white photos here are so fitting! you and hugh are so incredibly talented, it amazes me with every post.
This bread sounds so yummy and healthy! And I really like the choice of black and white photos. It seems to especially fit the mood of the post. Beautiful thoughts. Also - I have heard of the Big Sur cookbook and thought it looked great. What is it like? Have you made any other recipes yet?
I love bread...it's my favorite food:)
Isabelle - it is the only thing I've made thus far. To be honest, my taste is not intrigued by many of the recipes. Most are meat, which is not my thing. The stories of purveyors are great, pictures are lovely. I wouldn't consider it a must have but it is beautiful!
Nutmeg Nanny is speaking my language.
What a great story. You packed so much honesty and emotion into a few short paragraphs. Really made me think...
As usual, incredible photography. I always so enjoy your posts.
This bread looks absolutely delicious.
I love the recipes. I really love the pictures. But I think my favorite part is the stories. And this one is the best! Just wait, Sara, you have LOTS of life - and wrinkles - ahead of you! And it just gets better (the life, not the wrinkles!)
Sara, my kitchen smells amazing right now. Thank you for sharing this, and for your insight!
I did! It's such a hearty bread, and really filling. You can't eat more than a little at a time. I'm going to use it to dob up the vegan chili leftovers tonight. Thanks!
Beautiful post! I love the black and white of these photos. And I love the bread with all the seeds and grains. Yummy!
It's bread baking time, isn't it! This sounds interesting and different, and I'm going to have to give it a try.
your very right, we were using tanning oil at age 7
I love the black & white photos...like a little storybook! Beautiful.
love this! love you! to wrinkles!!! xo
Wonderful! A fresh batch of these just came out of the oven and they are delicious. So warm and hearty. Thank you for sharing!
[...] Big Sur Bakery Hide Bread adapted from Sprouted Kitchen [...]
How wonderful to run across this old article. My sweetheart is Terry Hide and we live on his Hide bread and feed all of our friends it as well! We've even made it in a cast iron skillet with a lid on a one burner propane stove while camping, and most recently Terry bakes it in our toaster oven to save on propane in the larger oven. It's a great recipe aboard a boat or for mountain top living. Our mix is kept in a 5 gallon pickle bucket with a lid ready for a road slide or other natural disaster which seem to be common in our area.
Till now I have made this bread three times and everytime it wins our hearts! Thanks for the recipe!