about
me
Hi, I’m Jill. I’m the heart and hands behind crumb.
A few things about me...
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I grew up in a small rice farming community in Northern California, which probably explains my love for small farms and local businesses.
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I value community. Being part of a small town gave me an appreciation for relationships with neighbors and my community.
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I firmly believe that our bodies deserve health, love, and nourishment through eating wholesome food.
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I feel creativity can be expressed through what you are passionate about. A loaf of bread is the perfect canvas for expressing that creativity.
My hope is that people who buy my bread will gather around their table, slow down, share about their day, and nourish their bodies and souls.
about
sourdough
What are the main reasons people are turning to authentically made sourdough? Because it contains the same friendly cultures as homemade yogurt and other naturally fermented foods. The sourdough cultures work chemically on the whole grains during the fermentation process, making the most of flavors and nutrients, while making it much easier for the body to digest. Sourdough promotes gut and metabolic health, keeps you fuller for longer. My wild sourdough culture (I call her Laverne) was born from flour, water, and slow natural fermentation that took several weeks of constant discarding and feeding sessions. Years later, she is still going strong with daily feedings on the same flour and water diet to keep the process going. There is no substitute for the traditionally fermented sourdough made from three simple ingredients: flour, water, and salt.
FACT:
life is better
with
freshly baked
SOURDOUGH
~laverne
about
fresh milled grains
In addition to using premium quality organic bread flours, I blend between 15-25 percent of freshly milled grains into my breads. Stone grinding these in my home mill before mixing the flours is a great way to provide unique and flavorful breads not found in most bakeries or stores. In keeping with my goal of supporting local farms and businesses, I have come across three LOCAL CALIFORNIA grown wheat grains that I am very excited to incorporate in my breads:
SUMMIT Hard Red Wheat:
This prized Hard Red wheat gives a hearty boost of nutrition and a deep complex flavor. The phenols from the bran give this wheat a reddish color and make for a beautiful dark crust.
PATWIN Hard White Wheat:
Patwin is an exceptional wheat variety developed by UC Davis that is particularly well-adapted to our region. It makes beautiful aromatic loaves of bread, with a toasty exterior and a moist crumb. Hard white wheats blend well with the more robust red wheats, making them the perfect duo in the majority of my breads.
White SONORA Wheat:
This soft white wheat is organically grown in California's Central Valley. Introduced in the early 1700s, White Sonora has been a staple wheat in the United States for over 200 years. It is an heirloom variety with a buttery yellow color and a sweet, nutty flavor, making it ideal for many of my cookies and breads.
Other GRAINS used: In addition to my predominant use of local grains listed above, I blend in a portion of specialty grains including the following: Khorasan, Rye, Spelt, Einkorn, Emmer, Durum, and others. Additions of these grains can bring out a crispier crust, flavor, or other characteristic I am looking for. It’s always fun to see how small adjustments can change a bread.
about
the farmers
FRITZ DURST, TULE FARMS
CAPAY VALLEY, CA
Fritz Durst, is a sixth generation farmer and owner of Tule Farms. I have had the pleasure of personally meeting Fritz and learning about his forward-thinking farming practices, most notably his no-till, dry farming, and innovative planting techniques. As a farmer's daughter, I have great appreciation for the effort that goes into growing wheat using organic and sustainable methods. Patwin and Summit are at the heart of every single loaf of bread I make, and Fritz's wheat is some of the best I have ever used.
KENNEY ENNEY, ENNEY RANCH
PASO ROBLES, CA
Established in 2010, Enney Ranch is an 850-acre, family-owned cattle and grain ranch situated on a ridge overlooking the wine country of Paso Robles, California.
One of the goals of the Ranch is to revive the heirloom grains of California’s past and re-introduce ancient and landrace varieties from around the world. They have nurtured and cultivated unique varieties of heirloom grains – most notably Sonora White Wheat, which I use a portion of in all of my cookies.
