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We’re back from Kansas following a terrific learning, baking, and video-shooting trip with our new sponsor, Gold Medal Flour. Many of you know that we;ve used Gold Medal flours for years. We even tested our books with them–they work beautifully and the loaves always turn out great. So we were thrilled to fly to Kansas with the Gold Medal team to visit one of their wheat growers and see their largest mill, and shoot a fantastic video.
It was hot down in Kansas, and that reminds me– it’s time to re-post the links to our summer outdoor-baking ideas (at the bottom)…
Jay Armstrong…
….is a fourth-generation Kansas farmer, working 2,700 acres with the help of some very cool machines, like this combine…
….which strips whole-grain kernels of wheat from the straw and chaff of the wheat stalks:
Despite all the technology available to him, Jay’s preferred method for testing the wheat to see if’s ready for harvest is to pick a stalk, rub away the chaff in his hands until he has kernels, and then chew them. If it turns to gum in his teeth,he knows it’s got too much moisture to harvest (and he won’t get his full price). If it cracks, it’s ready for the combine…
Don’t worry, he didn’t let either of us drive…
Our two acres harvested, off we went to the KC mill (third-largest in North America)…
…where the wheat’s ground into flour…
… and loaded onto the trains (which come right into the building).
Then off to the Culinary Center of Kansas City for a Bake-Off–the rules were that we each had to bake one of the other blogger’s recipes…
Our workstation…
Jenny Flake of Picky Palate drew our recipe, for Raspberry Braided Danish…
… and she beautifully executed the all-important (but simple) dough-cutting step. We’d mixed the dough for Jenny the night before (and stored it in a hotel-room refrigerator!).
Zoe and I drew Jamie Lothridge’s recipe (from My Baking Addiction) for fabulous Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream and Toasted Coconut, and Zoe adorned them with candied bacon and sugar lace…
The Gold Medal bloggers, from left: me, Maegan Brown of Gold Medal’s BakerMama (link’s not up yet), Jamie Lothridge of My Baking Addiction, Lori Lange of Recipe Girl, Maria and Josh Lichty of Two Peas and Their Pod (plus their adorable baby), Jenny Flake of Picky Palate, and Zoe.
… and our handiwork, from left, Jamie’s cupcakes that Zoe and I made, Jenny’s Oven-Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts, Lori’s Cookie Dough Brownie Bars, Maegan’s Apple Crumb Pie, Maria and Josh’s Over the Top Brownie Bars, and the Braided Raspberry Danish from us.
Maegan Brown of Gold Medal’s BakerMama (link’s not up yet), .
It was an awesome dessert table. But I did say something about a Gold Medal giveaway, didn’t I?
The prize will contain: a Gold Medal Flour apron, a Wilton Elite three-tier cooling rack, a Silpat non-stick baking mat, a Norpro stainless steel cookie scoop, some Over the Rainbow cupcake liners, and some Gold Medal measuring cups and bowl scraper. We’ll be selecting one random winner sometime in the next two weeks (we’ll give a heads-up when we’re about to close the contest on Twitter and Facebook). To enter, just comment below (our usual contest rules apply, US residents only, only one comment per entrant, etc.). We’ve Picked a Winner!!!
Now, the links to our summer outdoor-baking recipes:
- In a Dutch Oven
- Grilled pizza
- Pumpernickel done on the grill
- Rustic fruit tart on the gas grill
- Brioche on a grill
- Bread on a Coleman stove (camping)
- Kohlrabi Greens Pizza on the grates
- Fruit pizza on the grill baked with the stone
- Grilled flatbread, workhorse summer bread
- Whole wheat pita on gas grill, on a stone
- Limpa, in a cloche, on the grill
- Baguette on the gas grill
looks like it was great fun! And your cupcakes looked beautiful
That danish looks delish! It’s going on my to-bake list!
Wow! How fun was that! Looks like a great time, and the Raspberry Danish looks yummy.
that looks like so much fun! especially getting to try the other bloggers’ recipes.
I have to try that danish recipe! I have baked hundreds of loaves of bread and other bread products, and made hundreds of pizzas using Gold Medal flour – glad you are connected to them!
that danish recipe looks AMAZING.
Thanks to you all we grill pizza ALL the time! I can’t wait to try the fruit pizza too.
I’m new around here and just made my first batch of you’re master recipe yesterday. It’s wonderful! I can’t wait to try more. No more store bought bread for my family. Thank you!
Love your books. Looks like an awesome trip.
What an amazing experience! I wanna go next time!
It all looks so good. I made a version of your raspberry for a camping trip with friends.
Love love LOVE the photos taking grain from field to table. Thank you for sharing!
Been making bread baked in my Crockpot now that it’s hot; thanks for turning me on to the idea a few weeks back! Also making pizza and flatbread on the gas grill outside.
I just can’t get enough of everything you guys are involved in. This is a fabulous giveaway!
What a neat experience! Thanks for sharing. And those desserts are making me hungry…
As a Kansan, I wish you had better weather to visit our beautiful state. It has been crazy hot here over the past week. That sounds like a fascinating trip.
The desserts do look awesome and the Raspberry Braided Danish sounds amazing!!
I keep meaning to try the bread in crockpot method. it’s too hot outside to be baking!
Oh that’s a great give away! I really need a cooling rack like that…
I had a fear of yeast until I discovered your recipes. I have all of your books and use them often. Looks like you had a fun and creative time! Wish I could have been there to see everyone in action!
Great partnership. I tell all my friends about abin5
It sounds like you had a fun trip. And thanks for starting another contest.
What great prizes! Count me in!
Such great trip pictures and I loved the lace topped cupcakes, great way to make them look even more delicious and special.
What a great prize!
What a fun time!
How exciting 2 acres of wheat!
The Kansas trip looks like it was a lot of fun. Congrats on your new sponsor.
What a fun post- and a very tempting dessert table! Thanks for the giveaway.
Nice photo set!
You look like you had so much fun! Thank you for the giveaway
Sounds like a lot of fun! I would love to win this gift!
I use Gold Medal Organic flour for all of my bread.
Must’ve been an awesome sight seeing the trains roll right into the mill to pick up the freshly ground flour!
I love that 3-tiered cooling rack! That would save a lot of counter space when baking. She did a beautiful job on your Danish
Such inspiration. Off to check ingredients so I can get started ASAP!
Ooh, I hope I win! I’ve used nothing but Gold Medal for years!
What a great giveaway, and what a delicious dessert table you had
Fun contest! You know, if you *really* baked bread from scratch, I guess you’d have to grow your own wheat…
Now you know how to harvest it!
I have tried the Danish recipe (with a savory filling) and was pleased by how well it turned out. The instructions were excellent.
I am lusting after everything on the table. Those desserts all look delicious!
My home state! I hope you had a great time in Kansas!
Wow I was salivating just looking but would like to know if there is a place to get all these recipes?? They ALL sounded so wonderful. Thanks for sharing all the details on Gold Medal also… very interesting.
Those are some delicious looking desserts! Did you get to taste them all? Great giveaway, btw!
Thanks for the summer baking ideas (again). I’ve been going through withdrawal. I did try the crockpot method and thought it was pretty good.
Oooh, what a great prize! I’m in!
What a great experience. We should all know how our food is grown and processed!
What a great group to cook with! Looks like fun.
I love the braided danish recipe – it’s one of my favorites!!!
Looks like great fun! Now I understand why you had posted on facebook about mixing up bread dough in your hotel room. I thought you were crazy at the time.