A new year calls for new bread (and cookies)
2020 was actually a good year for us. We got to know each other better, Pops got a little brother, and we met hundreds of wonderful people (like you). As I commercialize Jinx Bread, I never forget who’s getting me there, and I absolutely truly appreciate you.
Because I have learned what usually works and what doesn’t in product marketing, I like to offer you just a few products that are of the highest quality as possible. I could probably do a lot of products well in the short term, but I’d lose the fun of this job along the way and quality would suffer and my head would explode all over your dough.
So instead of adding products, I’m culling. I’ll continue to do limited seasonal releases like the Winter Heritage and already have something interesting in mind for Spring. Thanks to one of my early customers for the idea (you know who you are)!
Also some housekeeping things you should know about after the product announcements.
Pullman’s Honest: Heritage Whole Wheat
If I were going to enter a bread in a competition, it would be the new Heritage Whole Wheat Pullman’s Honest. For a bread with so few ingredients (three) and no added sugar or fat, it has everything: tender texture, balanced flavor, and thanks to the very high hydration, exceptional longevity and low calorie density. If you’re looking for something more healthful but don’t want to sacrifice flavor, this is your bread. I just pulled one out of the oven and the smell is of warm roasted nuts - sublime. In addition, our last bread stayed fresh a week in the breadbox!
Because it’s whole wheat with almost 100% hydration, it requires a minimum of 24 hours before slicing and its peak flavor arrives after 48 hours. This whole wheat version uses Rouge de Bordeaux Whole Wheat and a small percentage of Sonora 00, and is replacing the dairy version of Pullman’s Honest.
coming in February: Ginger Revenge
You remember my Ridiculous chocolate chip cookies: it took me 37 tries (and pounds) to get the recipe and technique where I wanted. But all good things come to an end; Ridiculous will sunset as the pricey chocolate stocks are depleted, and replaced with what I think is the most interesting gingerbread cookie I’ve tried. You can only order by the half dozen, in case more people would like to try them before they go.
“Ginger Revenge” is a thin and soft cookie which includes hand-crafted bourbon and pepper extract created by Jinx. The concentrate is made from Still Austin’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey and smashed fresh pink and black peppercorns. Because my palate appreciates blunt objects, if I see “bourbon” in the description, I want to taste the damn bourbon—especially if it’s as good as Still Austin’s bourbon, which is just a couple of miles away. But I need some layers of interest - hence the “revenge” part.
Why is it called, “Ginger Revenge”? Well, a large branch of my family are gingers, who are smiley, friendly people until you wrong them. Then they’ll exact their revenge before you know what hit you with a velvet hammer, saunter away, whistling with hands in pockets. This cookie starts out sweet and bourbon-smokey before the soft, savory gingery middle lulls you into complacency. But the finish is that velvet hammer, surfacing long after the ginger is gone: sweet heat from the pink and black peppercorns.
These will be ready for V-day (vindication day).
Housekeeping: Delivery is a necessity
Because Jinx falls under the Texas Cottage Food law, I can produce the food from my home but cannot sell it from my residence. You’ll see more official looking disclaimers on the site and the packaging. I’d think about fudging on this but some kindly neighbor informed the City and a code compliance official educated me on the zoning laws. So, online orders can be accepted as long as they’re delivered. On checkout, you’ll see options for “Free, within 5 miles” and the prices for 5-10 miles away. If you are farther than 10 miles, you can buy from Jinx at Vinder, which is a kind of virtual Etsy/Farmer’s Market, bringing that food to your doorstep. Vinder marks up my prices but delivery is free - still a good deal for you.
Next, you may have noticed that your bread is not quite as tall as it was in the summer. This is because I’ve added more hydration to the mix so your bread will stay fresh longer. I am working on my skills continually, and the bread will get taller eventually.
Thank you again so much and please feel free to get in touch with any criticisms and suggestions!