For the January 25, 2007
Carefree… by Joyce McCombs

Homestead Hearth..

How does a dream begin? According to local baker Rebekah Holbrook, it all started at the breakfast table on April 14, 1995. “I remember it perfectly,” she said. “My dad said, “I’ve been thinking….” and the dream of having a brick oven bakery business was born.

The dad in question, Joel Holbrook, remembers it this way. His own father was visiting from Michigan and told the Alaska branch of his family stories of a wood fired brick oven that produced wonderful sourdough bread. “That seemed like a good idea to me” says Joel, and he started researching ovens, bread and all the details that go along with starting a home based business.

More than ten years later, Homestead Hearth is a reality. The Holbrook clan produces an amazing variety of wood fired brick oven products, including whole grain and combination loaves, cookies, and cinnamon rolls.

The oven lives on the ground floor of the Holbrook home out on Main Street USA just off the Tanana Loop Extension. Mom Rachel told that when the oven is fired up and loaded with loaves, the smell of fresh baked bread drifts out over the fields. “It’s our best advertising - that good smell - we don’t even need a sign!”

I must agree. The oven was working hard during my recent visit and I knew I’d arrived at the right house long before I reached the basement door. I’ve been writing this column for a very long time, but this time words fail me. I am absolutely stumped about how to describe the fragrance of 24 loaves of bread toasting away in a scorching hot brick oven. Overwhelming, delicious, intoxicating - none of those words do the experience justice. Can we find a way to bottle this lovely smell?

The oven itself is wonderful, too, and is a truly elegant, stylish, and functional example of the bricklayer’s art. Joel researched wood fired ovens and building procedures for more than two years just to make sure he’d get it right the first time. I loved that he went to libraries and bookstores to begin his quest> He even contacting the author of his favorite oven reference book, who kindly answered questions and offered advice during the oven building phase.

Joel explained that each firebrick is precisely placed and there is a specific ratio of oven floor space to door to inside arch that must be followed exactly so the oven performs correctly. Thermally stable refractory mortar is used instead of regular concrete to hold the oven together. Even the seal on the door must be tight so the water the bakers spray on top of the loaves to create steam for the crispy crust stays inside. An imbedded thermometer helps the bakers know when to load the bread or when to wait for the oven to cool down.

I asked Joanna and Joel how long it took to fire up the oven and they just laughed and laughed. “We never know!” Joanna said. “Some times its hours before we can bake, other times we can do the breads that like a hotter oven, like our barley loaf, right away.” There are many factors - humidity, how well the wood is seasoned, even the outdoor temperature, and how long the oven has been cold. The Holbrooks have learned most of the oven’s tricks, and Joel has kept a detailed journal notes since the planning stages so every procedure stays consistent and every success is celebrated and every challenge resolved.

I was so curious about the whole firing up procedure, and this is how it works. After loading the oven with fifteen poles of 3 foot long, 4 inch round fire killed spruce and letting them burn down to ash, the inside of the oven is swept clean. When I first looked inside, I was startled at how spotless the bricks were. I thought with all the fires that everything would be black with soot and smell of wood smoke, but that is most certainly not the case. “It’s the best self cleaning oven you’ll ever see,” Joel advises. With temps as high as 650 degrees, everything burns clean, even bits of stray bits of dough are vaporized. A special broom used only for the oven floor tidies up any stray flour between loads.

I learned so many things during this visit, including the proper name for the tool that slices the top of each loaf. It’s called a “lame” and bakers use it to open the loaves on top prior to baking so they burst in the right place. I also found out that if the bread dough is under proofed, the loaves will be heavy and if over proofed they can fall. “Timing is everything”, says head family baker Rebekah.

Watching Bekah use the bakers peel to place 24 loaves in the oven was amazing. It takes real strength to use the long pole, keep it level, face the blasting heat of the oven, reach all the way to the back and not crowd the bread inside. In order to keep the heat in the oven, she has to work very fast and I loved watching the whole process. The area around the oven door was cleared of clutter and traffic and Bekah went into her well orchestrated ballet of pick up, place, reach and arrange - really an amazing sight.

I had to ask - had any bread ever burned? Everyone laughed at once and it seems that one time, and one time only, Bekah forgot she had an extra six loaves working in the oven. When she finally remembered and flew down to get them out, they were burned to a crisp. Somehow one fell on to the floor and pretty soon someone thought it would be a good idea to jump on it. Apparently it made the MOST satisfying crunch, relieved the tension, and a family legend was born.

Of course, mixing up so many kinds and quantities of bread involves some serious amounts of ingredients, the main one being Montana wheat. 5,000 pounds a year come up the Alaska Highway for the bakery and I was astounded to learn that each batch of flour is freshly ground right before each baking. Other ingredients such as walnuts, prunes, raisins, apricots and assorted specialty flours and spices come from a co op the Holbrooks use, all coordinated and ordered by Rachel, who was eager to report she’d just ordered a big batch of new cinnamon for the very popular raisin loaves.

And while great ingredients do make great bread, all the Holbrooks agree with Joel’s philosophy: “The highest quality bread doesn’t come from the ingredients, but from the entire process. You can’t rush good bread - a slow ferment is the key.”

I know you’re wondering, and yes, I was given samples. Many samples. Lovely samples, delicious samples, crunchy, chewey, whole grain, tangy, fragrant, warm from the oven samples and each bite was a total delight. My favorite of the evening was the flax seed topped loaf baked in a pan. Just the right density, superb crust and so filling that the smallest slice is satisfying. There’s no smokey flavor or even a hint of anything but pure grain goodness and the tang of yeast or sourdough - absolutely the best of what bread should be.

While Bekah and Joanna both work together running the bakery, Joanna advises that she likes having Bekah run the show and plan the bakes and which loaves to create. “I don’t like to be in charge” she says. “I don’t mind that my big sister is my boss!” Both girls sell the finished products with Joanna handling Delta sales and Bekah taking care of their many customers at the Farmer’s Market in Fairbanks. Joel chimed in about this time to say “I used to call the shots down here when we first started, but now when I show up, I’m told what to do to help out!”

Homestead Hearth is a success because of the hard work of the entire Holbrook family, who were obviously inspired by Joel’s dedication to a quality product made with careful attention to detail. It was obvious to me that these talented bakers have grown to simply love bread and everything associated with mixing, kneading, baking and eating it. They understand the quirks and needs of an often tempermental medium, and they take genuine delight as each loaf emerges from the oven. Watching Joel, Bekah and Joanna work so intently and harmoniously together, it’s no wonder their products are so terrific. Their bread is a living thing that nourishes them and others, and it needs the right environment, a little encouragement, and a lot of warmth to grow - just like a good family.

Homestead Hearth features a variety of wood fired oven baked sourdough and yeast risen breads, occasionally has cinnamon rolls and cookies, and may soon branch out into pre-baked pizza dough. Watch for the launch of the Homestead Hearth website coming soon. Visitors and special orders are welcome - call 895-1909. My deepest thanks to all the Holbrooks for wonderful and informative evening of bread lore, wonderful samples and incredible oven facts - this was a visit I’ll never forget! JMc
 

Index to Carefree Gourmet Articles

Sourdough Sensations June 29, 2007

Kitty Treats June 29, 2007

Dog Treats April 20, 2007

Sandwich Plan March 23, 2007

Carefree Wacky Ingredients March 8, 2007

Homestead Hearth January 25, 2007

Carefree Cooking 101 January 11, 2007

Holiday Punch December 23, 2006

Holiday Treats December 12, 2006

Thanksgiving II November 20, 2006

Standby Favorites October 16, 2006

Cabbage October 11, 2006

Apples September 22, 2006

Kids Cook July 6, 2006

Wacky Tips June 8, 2006

Graduation May 11, 2006

African Cuisine April 13, 2006

A Bit of Irish March 23, 2006

Crazy for Carrots March 9, 2006

February Vacation February 23, 2006

Easy Budget January 12, 2006

Christmas Treats December 22, 2005

Sweet Surprises December 8, 2005

Turkey Times  November 22, 2005

Grand Champions - Part 2 - October 13, 2005

Janet Boyer September 22, 2005

Grand Champions September 5, 2005

Blueberries  August 12, 2005

Halibut and Zukes July 28, 2005

Orange Juice July 14, 2005

Happy Birthday June 30, 2005

Honey June 9, 2005

Picnic Dishes May 26, 2005

Celebration Salads May 12, 2005

Kraft Foods April 21, 2005

Shrimp April 7, 2005

Carry on Airline snacks March 25, 2005

Sandwiches March 10, 2005

Back from Vacation February 24, 2005

Super Bowl Snack Attack  January 14, 2005

Ginger Snaps December 29, 2004

Christmas Memories - December 12, 2004

Thanksgiving November 23, 2004

Glen and Meat  October 29, 2004

Blueberry Pie Champion  September 30, 2004

Fair Winners  September 2, 2004

Glen's Knives June 11, 2004

Aunt Aggie Tells All... May 13, 2004

Crazy About Catsup April 29, 2004

Carefree Clearance Special April 8, 2004

Seattle Adventure March 26, 2004

Vegas, part 2 March 12, 2004

Vegas Wind February 12, 2004

Casserole Bonanza January 11, 2004

No Fuss Dishes  December 19, 2003

Fake and Bake Christmas  December 11, 2003