Hewn, the premier bakery serving hand-forged, artisan bread and pastries in Evanston, Illinois, announced its first cookbook, Hewn Heritage Baking, to be released through Chronicle Books in the fall of 2018. Created by Co‑Owner Ellen King and her team at Hewn, and written in conjunction with award-winning food writer Amelia Levin, the book features recipes made with heritage wheat and stone-milled flour for the at-home cook to enjoy real bread and delicious pastries. On a mission to revitalize the grain economy in the Midwest, King pays homage to the small, sustainable grain farmers and artisan millers her bakery works with on a daily basis.
“This cookbook is really focused on bringing baking back to its roots,” says King. “It all starts with the wheat we use, and my goal is to educate at-home cooks on the importance of these heritage grains. While many look for organic and sustainable fruits, vegetables, meats and more, shoppers hardly question the flour available on the store shelves. It is important we ask ourselves where the flour came from, how it was milled, and how the wheat was grown in the first place in order to create better bread products.”
Hewn’s partnership with Chronicle Books provides the opportunity to spread awareness on this topic. Hewn Heritage Baking, photographed by John Lee, is the first step in building the demand for heritage wheat, with easy-to-make recipes and first-hand stories from King on her journey as a baker, relationships with local farmers, and deep-rooted passion in learning about the past.
“This very timely bread book stars the wide range of artisanal flours now available to bakers everywhere, but it is so much more,” says Sarah Billingsley, Executive Editor of Chronicle Books. “We love Ellen’s passion, the farm-to-table integrity of her baking, that her breads are delicious, nutritious, and better for the gut because of her starter, the flours she uses, her baking methods – all shared here. We think this will be the bread book of the season, because home bakers will love the new techniques and information that lead to better loaves and more flavor.”
The cookbook will be released in the fall of 2018.
