This Sunday I hope you will join me in a Slow Sunday celebration by baking bread. The editor of Resurgence Magazine began a campaign called Slow Sunday and is a great concept that can create some real change.  Think Globally, Bake Locally. The intention is to spark a resurgence in local production and to commit a small act of defiance against highly processed bread.

“The Resurgence Slow Sunday is inspired by two of the most profound philosophies of our time – Schumacher’s “Small is beautiful” and Gandhi’s “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Big change is possible through small, meaningful actions at a local level. It is only by changing our immediate environment that we can pave the way for change on a larger scale. We can make the world a better place, but it will only happen when large numbers of people join together and practice what they believe in.”

Three reasons why baking bread is a seemingly small step, with potentially enormous environmental consequences:

1. Only 4 percent of bread is baked in small, neighbourhood bakeries.
2. Bread is a symbol of cultural diversity. Regional varieties represent grain diversity as well as diversity of style.
3. Baking bread is an act of meditation. With this simple action we are able to slow down, pay attention and reconnect with tradition. It is something to share and to celebrate.

So slow down and bake a loaf a bread, I think you will be suprised where it may take you and how it will remind you where you came from. Our good friend Brian from Red Truck Bakery has given us a bit of inspiration with an easy bread to start with. Yum! Happy Baking!

Red Truck Bakery’s Cranberry Orange Nut Bread
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 Tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 large egg
1 cup coarsely chopped cranberries
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
In a food processor or in a bowl with a pastry blender blend together the flour, the sugar, the baking powder, the salt, the baking soda, and the butter until the mixture resembles meal and transfer the mixture to a large bowl. In a small bowl whisk together the zest, the juice, and the egg, add the mixture to the flour mixture, and stir the batter until it is just combined. Stir in the cranberries and the walnuts and transfer the batter to a well-buttered 9- by 5-inch loaf pan. Bake the bread in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 1 1/4 hours, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes and turn it out onto a rack.