Loaves of Love

This week while visiting family in Santa Rosa California, I had the distinct pleasure of visiting a one of a kind artisan bakery located in nearby Rohnert Park California and couldn’t wait to share this unique family run business with you. Grindstone Bakery was founded in 1999 by owner Mario Repetto in a small garage where he experimented with alternatives to modern wheat and commercial yeast products, as well as stone milling his own flours using natural pink granite stones. The end result was a nutrient dense, highly nutritious bread which contains substantially less gluten and more water soluble protein, minerals, natural anti-oxidants and essential phytonutrients than modern wheat bread products. In July of last year the product line was expanded to include several gluten free breads and cookies, a transition that came naturally and has been very well received. The gluten free items are prepared in a dedicated facility by a dedicated staff, all following the same time honored artisan traditions used with their original products.

Arriving at the bakery for my early morning appointment with Mario, I was 0verwhelmed by the wonderful aromas that greeted me as I entered the facility. There is nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked bread and this was no exception. I was curious and looking forward to learning more after reading about their approach online. I was excited to hear that somebody was making an artisan quality gluten free bread that is actually nutritious! After learning that I was gluten intolerant nearly 2 years ago, I quickly discovered that there are a plethora of products now on the market that I call “Betty Crocker goes gluten free” which are highly processed, loaded with refined sugar, and have little or no nutritional value. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that if its gluten free it must be good for you and it’s no wonder that many people gain weight in response to making this change. Although I personally choose to limit the grains in my diet, I really miss enjoying fresh baked bread from time to time so I was very hopeful and my nose was telling me that I would not be disappointed.

Devin

Mario

Not only were the smells of the baking bread warm and inviting, so were each of the individuals I encountered during my visit. Grindstone’s owner, Mario, is passionate about his product and clearly loves talking about what he does as well as growing up amongst the grain fields in Argentina where his father was a partner in a flour mill. During our interview an employee’s young child, Devin, happily ran into the room and promptly climbed into Mario’s lap – something he was clearly quite used to doing! 

I also had the privilege of watching, hair net and all, as he and his team mixed, kneaded and shaped completely by hand the loaves of love which were being prepared that morning. It was explained to me that this hand processing and focused attention is considered to be a very important ingredient which will never be replaced by conveyor belts or assembly lines. An hour later we were gathered around the ovens waiting with excited anticipation for the golden loaves to emerge, and again I watched as they were turned out of the cast iron bread pans one loaf at time, all by hand and with obvious loving care.

But beyond all the wonderful qualities I’ve just described, there are some technical details that make this bread not only unique, but highly nutritious and full of life. Only the best organic, non-GMO ingredients are used and the flours are all made from whole grains which have been stone milled into dense and creamy flours. This is a gentle process that preserves all the beneficial and health giving parts of the grain as it is homogeneously transformed into flour, retaining all of the original proteins, oils, vitamins, sugars and starches. Spelt is used in many of their breads, which is an ancient grain and nutritionally superior to modern wheat. Something new I learned in my time with Mario is that modern wheat was actually engineered to have higher levels of gluten to accommodate the fast rising industrial yeast being used, which he believes has contributed to the rise in gluten intolerance we are currently experiencing today. Oat, Barley and 100% Rye are also used and the gluten free loaves are comprised of primarily Quinoa and Millet.

A further point of distinction worth noting is that there is absolutely no commercial yeast used in any of the breads baked at Grindstone Bakery. Although very time consuming, leavening is achieved through a fermentation process which utilizes wild microorganisms. These cultures are the result of years of experimenting with wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria harvested from the region’s vineyards, farms and wetlands and have been aptly named “Sonoma Cultures”. The end result is bread that is dense and chewy with highly developed and satisfying flavors. In addition, these cultures not only increase the availability of the nutrients, it also increases the digestibility of the grains by breaking down or predigesting any gluten present. In addition, this natural fermentation process also produces bread with a lower Glycemic index that is resistant to spoilage without the use of any preservatives.

Another interesting point made by Mario more than once during our conversation, was that a number of their customers are gluten intolerant individuals which are successfully eating their whole grain, wheat free (not gluten free) breads with absolutely no adverse reaction. Based on the testimony of these clients and his extensive research, he speculates that the lower gluten content of the grains in combination with the natural fermentation process may substantially reduce or possibly eliminate the toxic amino acid sequence responsible for the adverse reaction in many individuals. He is very clear however, that he does not recommend that anybody diagnosed with celiac disease consume any of the breads made with gluten based grains.

You may be wondering about the availability of these breads (and cookies too!) in your area. You’re in luck if you live in Sonoma County, the home of Grindstone Bakery, as it is readily available in many local markets including Whole Foods. Not to worry though if you don’t. They have developed complete and easy to use program for shipping anywhere in the domestic US utilizing flat rate shipping. The bread will keep well for 4-5 days after it arrives and freezes well for later use. Click on the links provided below for detailed information as well as a complete product list.

Shipping Information       Product List      Gluten Free Product List

I left the bakery that day with a box full of bread and cookies, several of them right out the oven which I left with my sister and her husband in Santa Rosa to enjoy. I headed back to my home in the foothills with a box of goodies which I was anxious to try, and I’m pleased to report that I was not disappointed. Grindstone Bakery definitely has a new customer and advocate in me and will be looking forward to their flat rate boxes of goodness arriving at my door in the near future!

Until next week, remember to enjoy the love that is in every bite!

Love and blessings,

Dawn

all photos by Dawn Adams