Dear Bread,
Kurt Vonnegut said that writers should write to a specific person. For him that was his sister, and when she died, he had to reorganize his approach. My first intended reader was my father, but I grew into wanting to reach many others. In my late teens and early 20s, my readers were my friends; I walked around with them in my head, gathering stories until a few pages were full, and then I sent the letter off in the mail. I also wrote & write fiction, and I think I’m the first audience for these stories.
I’ve put together this basket to think about bread, and muse about its many tastes, shapes and contexts. But who is reading these letters? I want to know who you are, and what you love about bread, baking, or the exchange that happens in a bakery – or when baked goods are shared, like birthday cakes, pancakes or pies. We share so much more than food.
That moment of connection really compels me. Our skin slips away. Our words. Food transfers feelings in times that are special or ordinary.
Last night, we ate at a Portuguese restaurant in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and while the meal was fantastic, what most intrigued me was learning what dishes our waitress liked, and her descriptions of the desserts. Do I know her now that I know she likes Pastel de Nata — a Portuguese egg custard? Will I ever go to Lisbon as she suggested? Who knows, but food is a bridge and I like to be at the crossings, watching faces and hearing stories.
About me: I’ve been baking since I was a kid. My mom taught me math on measuring cups, and I love to try to understand food & time. I wrote a book about fresh flour & I’m researching my next. The years 1900 to 1920 really appeal to me, as I try to understand how American bread became factory bread.
I live in Troy, New York with my husband Jack, who is a tree surgeon and a dancer. Our son Felix just graduated from high school, and he eats a lot of bread. I make Adrian Hale’s communal loaf, a sourdough whole wheat bread, in double batches to satisfy him. Our son Francis lives nearby and works at a local urban environmental education/sustainability center. I walk daily, and sometimes ride my bike.
I come from a long line of op-ed writers, so following the epistolary form is a reflex. I think these bread letters are like my grandmother’s, father’s, and uncles’ letters to the editor. We Halloran’s pen our opinions!
Please tell me your flour fancies. What fuels you as an eater, baker or both? If you’re too shy to leave a comment, please send me an email and say hello.
Yours, Amy
Thanks for the intro since I’m relatively new to your blog. I live in Maine on 80 acres but grew up in the very urban environment of Chicago. I’ve always made yeast bread for my family as my kids were growing, but absolutely fell in love with whole grain seeded sourdough loaves when my eldest son was living in Belgium. I knew right then that I had to learn to reproduce those amazing European loaves in my own kitchen, since there are few bakeries in the US (and none in Maine!) that generate that quality of whole grain goodness. After many professional lessons at King Arthur and over 10 years later I’m doing just that, and occasionally donating my bread services to local charity auctions (I.e. so many loaves/month for 6-12 months) and other fundraisers. I also learned where to source locally-grown rye , heritage wheats and other quality whole grain flours. I bake for the joy of it, since by myself I can’t possibly eat that much bread!
Hi Amy, We met briefly when staying in the same house during the 2019 Grain Conference in Maine! French trained, I teach breadmaking both online and in person. Always looking for inspiration and learning new things that I can share. I'm really enjoying baking with some YQ wheat (Population wheat) and some old heritage wheats too.