At Farmstand Baking, we hope to capture the best of the seasons by baking with and preserving organic fruits and vegetables from Hudson Valley and Tri-State area farmers. We try to utilize whole farm cooking and baking, using blemished produce or otherwise overlooked ingredients to help create a market for an organic farmers’ whole operation, rather than just the most prized items. Eating locally is about more than just savoring a strawberry at its ripest; it is also about knowing how to preserve it so one can enjoy local strawberries in the winter.
Why fresh milled?
At Farmstand Baking, all our breads and pastries are made with freshly milled flour. Just like wine and coffee, wheats have terroir. Their different flavor profiles come from the environment they’re grown in, and often reside in the bran, germ, and endosperm of the wheat berry. Most flour on supermarket shelves comes from grain that is ground through an industrial roller mill, which removes the bran, germ, and the very source of flavor and nutritious. While this process creates a shelf-stable product that makes it easier for bakers to work with, it is also bland and strips different wheats of their unique characteristics. When flour is stoneground, the bran, germ, and endosperm are left intact.
While we purchase local when possible, we also believe in supporting grain farmers who work with interesting varieties or millers who are restoring the lost art of milling regardless of where they’re situated. Good farming is worth supporting and highlighting wherever it is done.
