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Bakehouse News

Freshly made from scratch in small batches, our bakehouse produces traditional, vegan and gluten free quick breads, muffins and pastries. Many of our cakes are vegan. Our baked selection is rounded out by plenty of other local favorites from RockStar Bagels to a delicious array of Skull and Cakebones vegan cupcakes.

Our own Bakehouse artisanal breads are hand-shaped by our bakers and baked with love each morning. All of the breads are made with 100% organic flours.

Local Vendor Spotlight:Kosmic Kombucha

What was the origin of Kosmic Kombucha?

Kosmic Kombucha is lovingly brewed in the heart of Austin by Omar and Mina Rios, who made their separate ways to UT back in the ’90s. Omar studied business administration and came from El Paso. Mina traveled even further to earn her degrees in education, as she hails from Maracaibo, Venezuela. After college, Mina pursued a career in math education, and Omar served as a paramedic. Thanks to their shared passion for yoga, it wasn’t long before the yoga community of Austin introduced them to kombucha. For years, they purchased home-brewed booch from a fellow yogi. When she decided not to brew her own tea anymore, Omar and Mina jumped in to fill the void—and in the summer of 2010, Kosmic Kombucha was born.

What is kombucha?

Kombucha is a fermented tea with a rich history that began in China, where it has been celebrated for millennia as an “immortal health elixir.” The heart and soul of this living drink is a layered culture of yeast and bacteria (called the scoby) that grows on top of the tea throughout the fermentation process. After a short period, fermentation yields raw kombucha, a lightly effervescent tea with unmistakable notes of vinegar. The flavor of raw kombucha can range from tart to sweet based on the amount of sugar fed to the culture, the duration of the fermentation process, and other factors that are tremendously interesting to those who brew the beverage and tremendously dull to those who simply enjoy it. The key takeaway for people who want to know what they’re putting into their bodies, however, is that raw kombucha is made with nothing but tea, water, sugar, and the all-important scoby.

Is kombucha good for you?

Skeptics doubt that kombucha is an “immortal health elixir” because it’s tough to find people who are celebrating their two thousandth birthdays. Okay, so maybe “immortal” is a bit hyperbolic. Nevertheless, kombucha contains beneficial acids, probiotics, antioxidants, and amino acids. Kombucha is claimed to promote digestive health, support liver function, and alkalize the body. Some proponents of the drink even believe that it may help fend off cancer, arthritis, and other degenerative diseases, but you don’t have to verify any of the more grandiose claims to feel refreshed by a glass of kombucha after a bike ride or a long walk.

How are the flavors developed?

As Kosmic’s brewmistress, Mina goes through meticulous testing (and tasting!) procedures when developing new flavors with a variety of fresh, organic, and delicious ingredients. Kosmic developed an exclusive flavor just for Wheatsville. It’s called “Wheatsville’s Pear of the Dog” and it’s got a prickly pear Mexican martini flavor that was named and flavor tested by the Wheatsville staff. With its beautiful dark pink color and refreshing flavor it’s a staff favorite!

photos by Kelly Stevens

Visit Kosmic Kombucha's website at https://kosmickombucha.com/ !

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Staff Highlight: Meet Ricketta the new Bakehouse Manager

Tell us about you and your history with Wheatsville.

Hey everyone!  I was born and raised just southeast of Austin in Beaumont, Texas. I had never really traveled much outside of Beaumont, which in my opinion is a small town where everyone is either related or knows one other. I always wanted to move and live in more of a city environment so at the first opportunity I relocated to Austin with my girlfriend at the time. Since moving to Austin, I find myself the happiest I have ever been! The people here are very friendly and the attractions are never-ending. I have lived in Austin for about 8 years and think it will be my forever home. 

I interviewed with Wheatsville before I moved here and received the job in 2014. I started at the deli counter making sandwiches, smoothies and coffee drinks for the awesome customers here at the co-op. After a year or so, I decided to branch out and learn how to cook in the Wheatsville kitchen. In March of 2019 I decided to see what I could learn in the Bakehouse department. I began making our delicious vegan donuts and moved from the donut team to the pastry chef team. I then went from making pastry to making our amazing from scratch baked daily bread. I have truly enjoyed working in every role that I have had at Wheatsville and feel they have all given me a greater perspective and insight I would need to be successful in my newest position.

What is your favorite product at Wheatsville?

I love all our house-made products, whether it is our delicious freshly squeezed juices we offer in our produce, or any of the freshly made ready to go compound salads from the deli. I love to eat tasty, fresh homemade food and if for some reason I am unable to make it myself I know I can always hop over to the deli and find something good and flavorful  to eat. I also enjoy our in-house desserts. They’re always looking so yummy and smell delightful when I walk by the displays, I grab something
every time!

What is something most people don’t know about you?

Something most people do not know about me is that I come from a big family! I have one older brother, two older sisters and two younger brothers. We are all close with each other, my sister especially. My mom had us literally one year after the other, so we grew up very close and still are to this day. My oldest sister just turned 31 in September of this year, my other older sister will turn 30 in January of next year, and I will turn 29 in March of next year...yeah, really close.

Why Wheatsville?

I am so glad you asked me this question now and not when I first started eight years ago because I had no idea that I had found the best job in the world!  Wheatsville has been my workplace home for almost a decade and I can honestly say every single day working here has been a great, fulfilling experience. The culture and work environment were a shock to me, having worked with corporate companies my entire life, so coming into this place where I am not just another cog in the machine really made me feel a part of this Wheatsville family. Wheatsville cares about making their employees and the community happy any way that they can, and that dedication and warmth gives you the sense of being included in something bigger than yourself. Everyone is so helpful and nice and not just in certain departments, but store wide. They say when you do what you love with people you love and respect, it doesn’t even feel like work, and they could not have been more correct!  Thank you!

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Local Farmer of the Month: Buena Tierra Farm

Steve Kramer and Carey Burkett have been farming for 25 years. For 17 years they’ve been farming 100 acres of fertile, high-iron, red sandy loam near Fredonia, Texas about 107 miles west of Austin.

A jack-of-all-trades, Steve taught himself how to farm. He and Carey incorporate their Do-It-Yourself spirit and solid values into everything they do on their land. They take great pride in the quality of the produce they provide for the community and it shows.

  • Buena Tierra Farms brings spring items such as
  • Lacinato and Green Curly Kale
  • Red and Green Leaf Lettuces
  • Zucchini and Yellow Squash
  • Bunched Basil

We are proud to share the fruits of their labor with Wheatsville shoppers. Buena Tierra Farm is our favorite example of what hard work, integrity, and honesty can do for the local food community. Wheatsville Produce Coordinator Elias Valerio appreciates that Buena Tierra will not ship unless the produce is superior quality.

Favorite uses of Buena Tierra Basil:

Buena Tierra Basil is really extraordinary. Fresh, local and organic, it is lovingly hand bunched and ready to make you and your favorite basil recipe extremely happy.

The classic combo of basil, tomato and fresh mozzarella is a favorite. Make cute little appetizer stacks of tomato, basil and fresh mozzarella drizzled with a flavorful cold-pressed olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.

If you're wanting something more substantial, go with a grilled caprese sandwich on a fabulous Wheatsville Bakehouse Baguette. Lightly chop the basil and add some fresh garlic, olive oil and sea salt then just layer it with tomato and mozzarella slices and into the grilling pan. Both of these quick recipes are super easy, super delicious and super snazzy.

Be sure to check out the Buena Tierra Basil next time you stop by. It is the best. You and your stomach will be glad you did!

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The History of Our Wheatsville Bakehouse

When we opened our South Lamar location in September 2013, we not only achieved the dream of a second location, but the vision of our very own Bakehouse. Six years later, Bakehouse supervisor Robin Roosa, and her talented team, make not just our delicious pastries and one-of-a-kind vegan donuts, but hundreds of fresh bread loaves and rolls daily. Our breads are made with all-organic flours and no preservatives. Nearly all of our deli sandwiches are made using Bakehouse sourdough and whole wheat sandwich breads, rustic rolls, and of course, French rolls for our famous popcorn tofu po’boys!


Our journey to bread production began the summer before South Lamar opened, when Robin traveled to Wild Oats Co-op in Williamstown, Massachusetts. She worked side by side with the bread bakers there to perfect the art of Pain d’Ancienne, the inspiration for our rustic breads.


Though the dough itself is quite simple (flour, water, salt, and yeast), the process is anything but. Once the dough is mixed, it must be proofed overnight. The proofing process creates air bubbles in the dough as the yeast works, creating the tender, open crumb that is the hallmark of our rustic bread.


The following day, the dough is cut into portions and hand-shaped, using a twisting method that looks easy but takes some practice to master. Finally, the loaves are placed in a 500°F deck oven directly on the stone.
At Wild Oats, the old deck oven did not have steaming capability, so the loaves were misted with a spray bottle of water. Steam allows the crust of the bread to remain soft for the initial stage of baking so that the loaves can expand. It also dissolves sugars on the surface of the dough so that they caramelize during baking to create a crisp golden brown crust.  Our deck ovens have steaming capability and humidity control to ensure a perfect result every time.


When Robin returned to Austin, she immediately got to work creating our very own sourdough starter, feeding and it twice daily for several weeks and allowing it to ferment before beginning to develop our sourdough bread recipe. We use this very same starter to this day and aspire to match the bakeries in San Francisco that have been using the same starter for over a hundred years. We once heard from a transplanted Northern Californian that our sourdough is the best she’s had outside of the Bay Area—high praise indeed!


In addition to the sourdough, rustic, and whole wheat breads that we make year-round, we are proud to offer featured seasonal breads that are totally unique to Wheatsville! In September, we will be featuring apple challah bread, a beautiful braided egg loaf studded with peak-of-season apples and a hint of cinnamon. In October, we will be featuring mesquite flour bread. Mesquite flour is milled from the dried pods of the mesquite tree and has a distinctive flavor reminiscent of dark chocolate and molasses. We’ll also reprise last year’s delicious pumpernickel, reimagined this year as rolls topped with everything bagel seasoning.
We are so proud of our amazing breads and the bakers who put care and love in making them everyday! Please ask at the deli counter for a sample anytime!

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Co-op Month Vendor Spotlight: Equal Exchange

What is your origin story? Who started the business and why?

Equal Exchange started with an idea: what if food could be traded in a way that is honest and fair, a way that empowers both farmers and consumers? Our founders – Rink Dickinson, Jonathan Rosenthal and Michael Rozyne – asked this question as they envisioned a trade model that values each part of the supply chain. So they took a big risk and plunged full-force into changing a broken food system. In 1986, they started with fairly traded coffee from Nicaragua and didn’t look back.

Three decades later (and with several product lines in the mix), we still face vast challenges. Consumers have been overloaded with labels and certifications, while the Fair Trade movement has been watered down in favor of corporate interests. The whole food industry has continued to consolidate into the hands of just a few big players, allowing concentrated power and deception of choice.


Tell us about Fair Trade.

Fair Trade is a voluntary program utilized by coffee importers and food companies to create an alternative market for traditionally disadvantaged producers in developing countries, usually small scale farmers. The components include:

  • Targeted purchasing of coffee through democratically organized farmer co-operatives.
  • Agreed upon commodity floor prices that provide for a dignified livelihood.
  • Direct exports by producers.
  • A promise by importers to make affordable credit available to the farmer cooperatives.
  • A world-wide network of non-profit certifying organizations.
  • A fee paid by importers and wholesalers to cover the cost of certification.
  • A seal that assures consumers that the product was fairly traded.

Your purchase of fairly traded coffee helps build pride, independence and community empowerment for small farmers and their families. A coffee processing plant in El Salvador, community stores in Colombia, the training of doctors in Mexico, new schools in Peru – these are examples of initiatives co-ops have taken in their own communities with the income from Fair Trade.


Is your coffee certified organic?

All of Equal Exchange’s organic coffee is certified by Oregon Tilth. Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO) is an internationally recognized symbol of organic integrity. The purpose of organic certification is to ensure that the agreed upon conventions of organic agricultural systems are being practiced not only by growers, but also by all the people who handle and process organic food on its journey to the final consumer. To accomplish this, OTCO provides a system which combines strict production standards, verifiable third party inspections and legally binding affidavits to protect the producers and buyers of organic products.


What steps does Equal Exchange take to ensure top quality coffee?

Our concern for the quality of farmers’ lives is matched by our concern for the quality of our coffee. Through our long-term relationships with the farmers and yearly visits to the co-ops, we maintain an intimate knowledge of the coffee harvest and the quality of the beans.

We have a rigorous system for quality control from bean to cup. Each pre-shipment sample is evaluated to meet our standards. When the approved shipment arrives, it is evaluated again for consistency and preparation. After each coffee is roasted, it is individually “cupped” to ensure consistency in the roast and the flavor profile needed for that particular coffee.


Other than coffee, what other products does Equal Exchange produce and what makes them unique?

Most teas come from large plantations where workers have little say. Our delicious organic, Fair Trade teas are sourced from small-scale farmer co-ops in India, Sri Lanka, and South Africa. We are helping to build a different system that values the voice of small farmers, their products, and democracy in trade.

Equal Exchange tea, bag, tag and string are compostable. Or if tea leaves are removed, the bag, string and tag can be recycled. No glue or staples are used in our tea bags.
Our Fair Trade chocolate bars are rich in flavor with a smooth, creamy texture that melts in your mouth. Our organic cacao and sugar are sourced directly from small-scale farmers co-ops in Latin America.


Anything else we should know?

At Equal Exchange we believe that we should expect no less from ourselves and each other than we demand of our farmer partners. For that reason we have organized ourselves as a democratic worker cooperative, now one of the largest in the country.

A worker cooperative is an alternative for-profit structure based upon standard democratic principles. It is not designed to maximize profits, nor returns to investors, but rather to bring to the workplace many of the rights and responsibilities that we hold as citizens in our communities.

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Cooking Wings for Your Football Party

Click for Game Day Party Planner and Snack Ideas!

Wings Know How

Few things in life say football and party like chicken wings. Hot wings are a staple menu item in sports bars all over the US and deep frying or roasting are the most popular methods of cooking wings. Some BBQ joints offer smoked wings.

I think wings have been relegated to sports bars and wing shops for far too long—wings are amenable to many flavor profiles and cooking methods. I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t braise them and let them crisp up in the pan! I don’t follow a recipe but boldly mix flavors and techniques to achieve wings that are specialized beyond the humble sports bar wings. Here are some ideas to fix wings your own way.

Rubbing and Marinating

The great thing about chicken wings is they can take more intense flavors. You can easily use rubs and marinades that are designed more for red meat and pork rather than poultry.

Rubs

Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning  is what I use the most for a wing rub. It has great flavor, no MSG, and it is always in my kitchen. Also carried here at Wheatsville, The Paleo Powder is a no-gluten no-MSG product made here in Texas, and the Salt Lick makes a couple of rub options. Lemon Pepper is another great flavor.

Marinades

Like rubs, you can use just about anything for marinating wings. Try one of the Wheatsville Marinades like Teriyaki or Mojo. Howard Miller, S. Lamar Meat Dept. Supervisor, likes to mix ranch dressing or buttermilk with Yellowbird Sauce.

Sauce

I like to make a kitchen sink sort of sauce, but Sriracha is pretty much always an ingredient. Vinegar is always a good addition, along with some sort of fat. I usually use a mild oil like canola, but butter is the traditional way to go. I then add a little mustard and honey and start adding hot sauces like Yellowbird.

If you don’t want to make your own sauce, there are plenty of excellent premade sauces. I really like the Stubb’s Wing Sauce. The Texas Texas Dang Good Sauce is an all around good sauce for anything and goes well with wings.

Bringing It All Together

If you are deep frying wings, use a rub, fry them, and then toss them in sauce,
but I usually roast them. I rub them and put them in the oven without sauce until they start to dry out, about 10 minutes, then I start basting them. I remove them from the oven and toss them in sauce several times during cooking. 
You can also dredge them in a flour and rub mixture and just let them be in the oven. The flour gives them a nice crust that is like fried chicken. The rub added to the flour kicks up the flavor.

I cook them for no less than 45 minutes at 375°– 400° F, but I open the oven four times to baste and my family likes a little carbon on their wings. If you leave the oven closed, use the lower temperature for a few less minutes.

Sometimes having loose suggestions rather than a set recipe is intimidating but wings can be a great way to stretch out and share some adventure with your family and friends—especially with beer and sports!

Howard’s Yellowbird Buffalo Wings

1 lb chicken wings, separated at joints, discard the tips
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup ranch dressing
several squirts of Yellowbird Habanero Sauce
¾ cup flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder

Mix the butter, ranch dressing, and Yellowbird sauce. Coat the wings and let the wings marinade in the mixture for a couple hours in the fridge in a large storage bag.

Preheat Oven to 425°F.

Coat wings with with seasoned flour (flour, salt,  black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder) and arrange a single layer of wings on a lightly greased baking sheet. Adorn each wing with a little melted butter.

Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and crispy on the outside, about 35-45 minutes. Turn the wings over halfway during cooking so they cook evenly.

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Gluten-Free Bing Bongs

Skull & Cakebones  just delivered GLUTEN-FREE Bing Bongs to both of our Wheatsville locations. These Too CUTE! Look at our LOGO, how cute!

Yauss and Sasha worked with Bona Dea,  a local company that makes Gluten Free Flour mixes.  This type of local combining is what is at the core of how Skull & Cakebones drive their mission. You can see this in how they work with Johnson’s Backyard and Jester King to use both companies’ brands on their own Skull& Cakebones packaging. This commitment is one of the ways that makes Skull& cakebones unique. Below is part of their mission statement:

“…... We partner with foodies and drinkies within our community to bring their flavors to our cakes because it’s fun, but also because we love our people. As a community we can grow together and make the world a tastier place in the process.”

Yauss and I met to talk about bringing in Gluten Free Cupcakes. Since they are not made in a certified gluten free kitchen, we really wanted to make sure to get the word out there in a way that made sense to folks. Below is straight from the packaging for the GF Bing Bongs, written by Yauss and Sasha

“We may not work out of a gluten free kitchen, but our process and our cakes are free from wheat. Approved by the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America, our procedures are clean and mindful. We keep everything in a sealed tub that only comes out when it's time to bake and we never bake wheat-free when making our other cakes. Tested on Celiacs, gluten lovers and gluten avoiders, we are proud to give you all our best selling cake, now without gluten."

Staff and customers have been super excited  to see and TASTE these exclusive cupcakes on Wheatsville’s shelves. So grab a 4 pack – we are the only place in town to sell them so you gotta come here!

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