Going with the Local Grain
Here's a localvore update on wheat bran from Meg...
...Local wheat bran has arrived!
"We were excited to get local white flour for the first time in City Market’s Bulk department in May. The wheat was grown on Aurora Farm in Charlotte. Red Hen has been using the flour for months now in their Cyrus Pringle bread so we invited Randy George, owner of Red Hen, to teach us how to best bake with the new local flour. The workshop was a “welcome party” of sorts for the new local flour and we had a great time, but we also found out that the story doesn’t end with the local white flour.
White flour, of course, is produced by removing the bran and the germ from the grain. I was excited to hear from Randy that local wheat bran, produced when the local flour was milled, is also available! We filled a Bulk bin with the bran in mid-June and it’s amazing. Matt Lauer, our wonderful baker, made extraordinary muffins using the bran. Here’s his recipe:
...Local wheat bran has arrived!
"We were excited to get local white flour for the first time in City Market’s Bulk department in May. The wheat was grown on Aurora Farm in Charlotte. Red Hen has been using the flour for months now in their Cyrus Pringle bread so we invited Randy George, owner of Red Hen, to teach us how to best bake with the new local flour. The workshop was a “welcome party” of sorts for the new local flour and we had a great time, but we also found out that the story doesn’t end with the local white flour.
Honey Bran Muffins
2 cups local wheat bran
2 cups all-purpose flour (the new local white flour would work well)
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
½ cup light brown sugar
3 local eggs
1 cup local milk
1/2 cup oil
½ cup local honey
1 cup raisins
Heat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, combine wheat bran, flour, salt, baking soda, and brown sugar. Set aside. In another bowl combine eggs, milk, oil, and honey. Whisk together. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and gently fold together using a spatula. Stir in the raisins. Fill greased muffin tins. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
Makes 18 muffins