Hallelujah Bread

Photo by Sue Schulzetenberg-Gully

The Farm Market Café opened last June in Onamia, Minnesota. It specializes in dishes made-from-scratch with ingredients from local farms and small businesses, which are as close as possible to the area, mostly Minnesota and other Midwestern states. Visitor staff writer Sue Schulzetenberg-Gully interviewed Pat Root, chef and part owner, about this special eatery and its commitment to support local farms and gardens while serving wholesome, nutrient-rich food to the customers.

Pat developed the recipe for this nourishing, full-bodied bread after much experimenting and tweaking. She’s been baking it for more than 20 years but it didn’t have a name until four years ago when she served it at a woman’s retreat lunch at her church.

As the retreat began, she heard the Spirit of the Lord say, “Watch what I do with the bread.” That day several people asked for the recipe and others asked if they could purchase it. Shortly after, the Crosier priests and brothers of Holy Cross Priory in Onamia asked if they could buy loaves from her.

Her answer was to begin to seriously pray. She felt led to join the new Farmer’s Market that had formed in Onamia that spring — and began selling her “heavenly” bread through that forum.

Fast forward to this past June and the opening of the Farm Market Café.

“Hallelujah Bread was the main catalyst that brought me to the café,” Pat related. “Its title reflects my heart every time I make it, for it is a true work of my hands — made for the praise and glory of God and the good health of all who partake of it. God has used a simple bread recipe to lead me into a ministry that I never dreamed of and yet am so satisfied in. Indeed, God knows us better than we know ourselves.” CJK

Hallelujah Bread

(Pat Root)

Pat Root sets a loaf of bread to cool at the Farm Market Café in Onamia.

Photo by Sue Schulzetenberg-Gully 

1 cup oats (rolled or quick)

1/2 cup quinoa grain

1/2 cup amaranth grain

1 cup millet

1 cup cracked wheat

1 cup wheat bran

1/3 cup flax seed

1/2 cup potato flakes (or 1 cup mashed potatoes)

2 cups milk

8 cups hot water

2 tbsp. blackstrap molasses

1/2 cup honey

2 scant tbsp. active dry yeast

6 tsp. salt

2/3 cup olive oil

4 to 6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

10 to 12 cups whole-wheat flour

Soak the first 8 ingredients in the milk and hot water for at least an hour. Then blend in the molasses, honey and yeast. Mix in the salt, olive oil and all-purpose flour.

Add the whole-wheat flour gradually cup by cup until the dough is stiff, smooth and no longer sticky. (The last few cups of flour that the dough will accept will likely need to be kneaded in by hand. The amount of flour needed will depend upon humidity, temperature and the flour used — it will vary from batch to batch.)

Knead dough 6 to 10 minutes. Cover and let sit in a warm place, with no drafts, until the dough is double in size — about 2 hours. Punch dough down, divide it into 6 pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves in greased bread pans, cover and let rise until double in size — about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Place in an oven preheated to 375°F and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

Yield: 6 loaves

A note from Pat: For the all-purpose flour in this recipe I use Gold ‘N White flour from Natural Way Mills in Middle River, Minnesota. They specialize in organically grown whole grains, flours and cereals. I also order the quinoa and amaranth, millet, cracked wheat and wheat bran, flax seed and whole wheat flour for this bread from there.

A note from Carol: Pat co-owns the Farm Market Café with Barb Eller, Deb Rasmussen, Mary Kunesh and Ben and Karen Korte.

Pat and her husband, Brad, and four their children have been members of Holy Cross Parish in Onamia for about 18 years.