How did we get here?
I guess it all started a couple of years ago when we got all of the managers and many of the staff at the bakehouse together to write a Bakehouse Vision for 2020. We all got talking about how the work we do here at the Bakehouse impacts the environment and our world. While having an inspirational vision is a nice thing, what I find amazing is what it helps you accomplish. Suddenly we had all kinds of input about how we could do a better and more effective job of recycling (which we had already been doing for about 10 years). Next we got started separating our compostable waste and found a partner to make good use of it. Then, since we work here 24 hours a day, we decided to look at our electrical usage and see what improvements we could make. So a bit more than a year ago we replaced all of the light fixtures in the Bakehouse with bulbs that consume a fraction of the electricity as well as putting in sensors that shut off the lights when there is no one nearby.

The logical next step was to consider the energy use of our delivery fleet. The bakehouse delivers our cakes, pastries, and breads throughout much of southeastern Michigan 363 days each year. Our vehicles log approximately 150,000 miles per year making those deliveries. So last spring when I knew that the lease for 3 of our vehicles was coming to term, we acted on the opportunity to try and make a difference in our consumption of fuel and the contributions to greenhouse gasses.

Why propane anyway?
With the help of the Clean Energy Coalition I discovered that liquid propane was a viable option for our fleet. We found that liquid propane is a low-carbon alternative fuel that produces significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions than diesel and gasoline in our vehicle application.

• Propane auto gas exhaust creates 60 to 70 percent less smog-producing hydrocarbons than gasoline.
• Compared to gasoline, propane yields 12 percent less carbon dioxide, about 20 percent less nitrogen oxide, and as much as 60 percent less carbon monoxide (World Liquid Propane Gas Association, January 2003; California Energy Commission, January 2003).
• Propane auto gas cuts emissions of toxins and carcinogens, like benzene and toluene, by up to 96 percent when compared to gasoline (Southwest Research Institute).

With the help of Ferrell Gas, Jake Haas (our landlord), Pittsfield Township, and the DEQ we were also able to build a fueling station nearby. The first vehicle in our fleet was delivered in February 2012 and as of March 15th, we’ve had 3 new Ford Econoline trucks on the road running on liquid propane. We are excitedly looking forward to continuing to investigate alternative fuel vehicles as we have a chance to replace another vehicle this December. I’ll keep you posted.

Frank Carollo – co-managing partner, bread baker and propane truck promoter

Here at Zingerman’s Bakehouse, we work with wheat every day. Flour is one of our most important ingredients. We often talk about how it feels in our hands, how it responds to mixing, the extensibility and elasticity of the dough once the flour has been mixed with the other ingredients, the flavor of the flour, the protein content of the flour, and the price. These are the things we focus our attention on daily. More recently, we have felt an urgent need to ask ourselves a couple questions of place. Where is this flour from? Is there any way we can use more local flour?

The white all purpose flour we use for most of our breads and pastries has been on quite a journey since it was harvested: grown in the plains (Kansas, Nebraska, the Dakotas), it is milled in Minnesota by a company based out of Quincy, Massachusetts. We do not expect this to change overnight, but at the same time the questions that we have asked have led us to a couple of interesting realizations. Firstly, before cheap gas and interstate trucking and the railroad system, most flour used in America was sourced fairly locally. There were ways that enabled the farmer to get his wheat to the miller, who then milled it and got it to the baker. Those foodways have largely disappeared. With the growth of industrialized food production and processing, local mills have withered and most bakeries are using flour that has traveled thousands of miles. Our second realization is that if we want to re-establish some local foodways and use flour that is both grown and milled locally, we are going to have to rebuild those foodways ourselves.

For some of our pastries we use a Michigan grown and milled soft wheat pastry flour, which is proudly milled for us by Star of the West Milling Company, based out of Frankenmuth, MI. This flour is featured in our brownies and some of our pie crusts.

Additionally, for over a year now, we’ve had the great fortune of using some whole rye flour that is grown here in Michigan and milled for us just an hour’s drive from our bakery. This has made us feel like we’ve got our toe in the door of the local grain economy, and has also added a special element of flavor and local integrity to our rye breads. It has made us very eager to do more.

In the fall of 2011 we got in touch with an agent from MSU’s extension office to see what we could do. Phil Tocco, our contact, said he had been working with a couple farmers on growing hard wheat in Michigan, and had a small sample to work with. He had the wheat ground into flour at West Wind Milling and brought us the flours. We used the samples and made very fragrant, tasty, and beautiful loaves of bread! Excited by our experiment, we asked Phil what our next step might be. That has led us to contract a farmer to grow one acre of hard wheat for us. We have agreed to pay that farmer for growing that single acre of wheat, no matter what the outcome. The risk is real, but is more than offset by the opportunity that we have been given to participate in the process of hopefully building a more local food economy which would feature more and more local farmers choosing to grow wheat because they feel confident that we and other local bakeries will buy it and use it well and that the prices that we will pay are better than they could fetch on the bulk commodities market.

It is a small first step but we are extremely excited to be involved in this process! Nothing would make us happier than to be using more locally grown grains and baking breads and pastries that are more amazing and full-flavored because of the care and attention of the farmers, the millers, and our dedicated staff of talented bakers. We hope this is just the beginning of a path that will eventually impact hundreds of local lives and positively impact all of our customers. We’ll keep you all posted!

—Shelby Kibler, baker and BAKE! principal

Lángos (lon-gohsh), a deep-fried flat bread eaten with a variety of toppings like sour cream and dill or cheese and ham, is Hungary’s most popular street food. Who doesn’t love fried dough? Hungarians certainly do. There are lángos stands in many food markets and they are regular features at street fairs and public events. It’s common to see people standing at counters eating hot fried dough mounded with an amazing combination of meat, cheese and vegetables. Some lángos dough is very simple: water, flour, salt and yeast. A slightly more complicated version includes mashed potatoes and sometimes even chopped cabbage. Ours is made with potatoes.

Lángos didn’t start as a fried treat made in a public setting. It was originally a snack made at breakfast time on bread making day in traditional Hungarian homes. The bread dough was mixed, a fire was started in the wood fired oven and then small pieces of the proofing dough were baked near the flames. It was a morning treat, to sustain the bakers and probably their children, while the bread making process continued.  It’s been a long time since most Hungarian homes baked their own bread and as that tradition faded lángos evolved into a fried street food.

Every Tuesday at the Bakehouse, from 11:30am until 1:00pm, we’re going to have our own lángos “stand” of sorts. Initially we’ll be offering two choices: simply brushed with garlic or with the classic topping of sour cream and dill. Expect to eat lángos soon after it’s fried. Come on by the Bakeshop and try some today!

Dios Torta (dee-ohsh) is quite different from the Rigó Jancsi and the Dobos Torta both in flavor and history. It’s a combination of layers of soft walnut and orange meringue (very similar to the layers in the Marjolaine) filled and iced with walnut butter cream and decorated with a thin layer of embossed fondant. Different from the other tortes we’ve made, Dios Torta comes in many varieties of flavor combinations. The only constant is the walnut cake layers. So the name actually refers to a category of cakes rather than a very particular cake like the Rigó Jancsi or the Dobos.

There is a famous “named” cake, which is a version of a Dios Torta. It is called an Esterhazy Torta. It has walnut cake layers (no orange), walnut rum butter cream and a poured fondant decoration on top, which looks like a traditional French Napoleon. It was created in the late 19th century just like the other famous coffeehouse desserts and was named after an Austrian Prince and diplomat Paul III Anton Prince Esterhazy.

Why didn’t we make Esterhazy Torta? Well we made it and tasted it and although we think it’s beautiful to our taste it was very sweet. So with all due respect for Prince Esterhazy we decided to pass on this particular version and to create our own.

Egészségedre! (Cheers!)

Amy Emberling- Co-owner, baker and cake lover

Dobos Torta or Dobosh Torta is a famous and delicious Hungarian torte made of layers of light vanilla cake, chocolate butter cream and garnished with caramel slices. It was created in 1887 at the height of the Austro-Hungarian empire, and it evokes the elegance of Vienna and the traditions of Hungary. And we’re now making our own version at the Bakehouse.

The renowned Hungarian chef József Dobos created this Hungarian treat. He was born in 1847 and is often said to have been one of the most influential chefs in Hungarian culinary history. In the later part of his career, Dobos opened a fine foods shop in the Hungarian capital of Budapest. It is during this period that he created the Dobos Torta. Selling it in Budapest wasn’t enough for this entrepreneurial chef. He even found a way to package the torta so that he could ship it to customers all over Europe! The torta was so popular that there was an entire pavilion devoted to making and selling it at the Millennium Exposition in 1896 (a celebration of Hungary’s 1000 years of economic and cultural development).  Since the cake was frequently copied but not always as well as Mr. Dobos would have liked, he generously donated the recipe to the Budapest Pastry and Honey- Bread Makers Guild in 1906. It then remained a Hungarian tradition.

It was the Hungarian restaurateur George Lang who called Hungary the land of 10 million pastry lovers. Proof of his description was demonstrated by the festival held to honor the 75th birthday of the Dobos Torta in 1962. For three days, the city of Budapest celebrated and honored the cake and its creator.

How could we resist making a version of this famous cake? This torta is an example of how delicious simple and classic flavor combinations can be. It has five thin layers of light vanilla cake with chocolate butter cream between the layers and on its exterior. Our version of the butter cream is a rich combination of Valrhona Satilla chocolate flavored with a little espresso. The torta has a very distinctive garnish. The top layer of cake is covered in caramel rather than icing and then is cut to use as garnish for each individual piece. It originally allowed the cake to stay fresher longer which was a problem in the late 19th century. Today most Dobos Torta are round, but in many of the older recipes it was actually rectangular so we chose to go with history and make it rectangular. The sides of the cake can be left plain or covered in a wide variety of nuts. We decided to use crunchy chocolate crumbs to keep the torta nut-free. Join us for a delicious taste of the past.

Amy Emberling, Bakehouse co-owner, baker and lover of cake

It’s lots of fun, full of choices and it’s going on right now! It is this time of year when all those couples who became engaged over the holidays start planning the many details of their wedding day. What else is there to do during a Michigan winter?

For many, choosing the cake is one of the first things on their to-do list. Calls are coming in to the Bakehouse daily inquiring about wedding cake consultation appointments. We specialize in totally custom, hand-made cakes that taste as good as they look! Whether you want an traditional white cake or a totally unexpected creation, we’ll help you dream up your one of a kind cake. We offer really cool groom’s cakes and tasty wedding favors too! We take care of every detail from our first meeting to taste cake samples to the moment it’s delivered to your reception.

Don’t take our word for it. Here’s what some of our brides had to say:

“We got comments from a dozen guests that our cake was the best they ever had.” -Lauren K.

“Thank you so much for making our wedding day even more lovely and delicious!” -Katy G.

“Everyone went out of their way to make sure we were happy. You worked with our ideas to design a beautiful cake that tasted excellent!” -Amber R.

“Taste is the most important factor for us when it comes to food. The cakes tasted amazing. It was also beautiful, the ordering process was a breeze and the service was top notch.” -Holly O.

If you’re in need of a great cake for any celebration, wedding planning season or not, give us a call!

Is your New Year’s resolution to eat more whole grains? Here’s 7 ways to get your grains in at Zingerman’s Bakehouse. One for every day of the week!

1. Maple Bran Muffins -A better tasting bran muffin! Sure these muffins are made with bran, but also toasted sunflower seeds, Michigan maple syrup and sweet tart dried cranberries.
2. 8 Grain 3 Seed bread -Totally jam packed with whole grains and a touch of Michigan honey. Bonus…on special in January for $5.99 a loaf! (reg. $6.99).
3. Country Scones -A tasty way to start the day. Our heartiest scone, made with organic oats, toasted pecans, juicy red flame raisins and cinnamon sugar.
4. Pain de Montagne bread -The chestnut colored crumb of this bread comes from the wheat germ-restored whole wheat flour. Great for every meal and lasts for days.
5. Country Wheat bread -100% whole bread, made soft and moist with mashed potato, local Moo-ville milk and a touch of butter and honey. Kids like it too.
6. Vollkornbrot -A substantial loaf made with whole rye chops and rye flour, rolled in toasted sunflower seeds. Best sliced thin.
7. Mary’s Wild Oats -We make one tasty granola! Fresh baked organic oats with toasted almonds, dried cranberries & Michigan honey. Give it a try.

Of course, if your resolution is to eat more chocolate, we can certainly help you out with that too! And we’re baking up more than a week’s worth of chocolate choices! Hope to see you soon. Happy new Year!

All you should have to worry about this New Year’s Eve is how to count down from ten. So let us do the baking for you! We’re baking fresh baguettes, rolls, pretzel sticks, mini pastries, cupcakes, cheesecakes and much more! Visit our neighbor Zingerman’s Creamery to build a cheese board!

What will get you out of bed on New Year’s Day? A thick slice of Sourcream coffeecake, an enough already bagel with cream cheese, or a ham and cheese croissant? If you really over did it the night before, maybe a chocolate challah french toast would do the trick. Visit our neighbor Zingerman’s Coffee Company for a cappuccino and a bag of fresh roasted beans.

Holiday hours
Saturday, New Year’s Eve 7 AM – 7 PM        Sunday, New Year’s Day  7 AM – 6 PM

Give us a call to place your order. We look forward to seeing you and here’s to a tasty 2012!

Chanukah, Christmas, New Year’s, office potlucks,  school parties, gift exchanges…this time of year is full of opportunities to serve tasty food and give memorable gifts. But don’t stress. We’re working round the clock to make it fresh and make it great, just for you!

Chanukah Treats
Olive oil cake with fresh lemon zest, $19.95 each
Rugelach- currant walnut or apricot, $0.95 a piece, $19.95 1 LB gift box
Zzang! candy bars- super size original bar with Chanukah wrapper, $15.95 each

Great gifts under $20
Cranberry Pecan bread, $9.99 loaf
Brownie 4 packs, $12.95 each
Gift boxed coffeecakes, $15.95 (small)
Zzang! original super size candy bar, $15.95 each
Zzang! candy bar holiday 4 pack, $19.95 each

Stocking stuffers under $5
Ornament shaped decorated cookies $3.95 each
Magic brownies, $3.95 each
Zzang! candy bars, $4.95 each

Holiday specialties for the table
Christmas sweet breads- Panettone or Stollen, $24.95 each
Christmas cakes- Buche de Noel, Snowman, or Poinsettia (pictured left), $35 each
Pies (pecan, cranberry walnut, jumbleberry, apple, pumpkin, chocolate chess), $19.95-$26.95 each
Cheesecakes- new york or pumpkin, $30.00 each

Give us a call to reserve your favorites or stop in and ask for a taste! We hope to see you soon. Have a great holiday season!

Special Holiday Hours:  Christmas Eve 7 AM-5 PM       Christmas Day, CLOSED

Moo-ville Creamery. What a great name! And more importantly what delicious dairy behind the name.

About a month ago we unexpectedly completed a two-year search for delicious Michigan butter. Doug Westendorp, the owner of MOO-ville Creamery, Nashville MI arrived, unannounced, at the Bakehouse with a treasure of dairy treats in his truck — 60 pounds of butter, real buttermilk, creamline milk., egg nog…Now we’re buying about a quarter of our butter from Mooville. The quest for fine Michigan butter is over!

Frank and I met Doug and his wife Louisa about two years ago. I can’t quite remember the circumstances of our encounter and neither can they, but somehow Frank, Doug, Louisa and I found ourselves sitting in a tight (somewhat awkward) circle in our office discussing butter. I’d been trying to buy Michigan butter and Mooville, was making some. Yes, a credible lead! Doug was sorry though, he could only make enough to sell in his own store. That was the story of my search, either the local butter was made in such small batches that the producer wasn’t able to share any with us or it was being made in a large plant and we were too small a customer. I was feeling bold or maybe I ought to call it entrepreneurial and I told Doug, (which he reminded me of last week) that I could buy as much butter as he could make. Was he interested in increasing his batches? He didn’t commit but he heard me. Recently because of an arrangement he made with someone else for large quantities of skim milk he found himself with a lot of cream and so he turned it into butter and drove it to us! You can imagine our delight (and surprise) since we hadn’t spoken since that one meeting. MOO-ville can make about 300 pounds of butter each week and just like I said we can buy it! That said I’ll be careful what I say to Doug in the future.

MOO-ville butter is very high in fat 85-86% compared to what we can normally buy which is 82%. It’s got a rich yellow color and it makes a significant improvement in the taste and texture of our pastries.  Right now we’re testing the MOO-ville butter in many of our pastries. In January we’ll choose a few to feature it in and we’ll let you know which ones they are. Stay tuned.

Thank you Mooville! Besides the great quality of the butter it’s a real pleasure to work with the Westendorps and to support a Michigan family farm.

Amy Emberling- Bakehouse baker & co-managing partner