SOURDOUGH OBSESSION

BREAD-MAKING JUST GOT REAL

LOW-CARB FATIGUE, widespread anxiety and stay-at-home orders combined for a gluten-filled storm of bread obsession while people were on pandemic lockdown. These Oak Cliff home bakers turned their sourdough skills into cottage industries, producing small batches of loaves out of their kitchen ovens to satisfy a surging demand for homemade bread.

KULUNTU BAKERY

Stephanie Leichtle-Chalklen started Kuluntu Bakery in Coppell, where she grew up, upon returning to Texas after living in New York City and South Africa.

The business moved to Oak Cliff when she and her husband, Warren, moved here about a year ago.

Normally the bakery offers a variety of breads to order as well as pastries and cakes. But during stay-at-home orders, demand was so high that Kuluntu was only offering sourdough loaves via its “loaf of the week club.”

It’s an exclusive club. She only makes about 48 loaves a week. Customers pick up their loaves, which cost $8 each, at their home at 826 N. Bishop Ave. They devised a basket-drop

Story by RACHEL STONE

system from their second-story balcony for notouch pickup.

The couple also offers events in their home, normally. Stephanie teaches baking classes, including a full-day intensive sourdough bread course for as many as eight people at a time. Two online sourdough classes with 70 seats each sold out quickly when they were offered in April.

“Those are opportunities for learning something about baking but also a communal event,” she says. “I want people to get to know each other, and there’s a lot of time for socializing. It’s a fun, social class.”

She moved the classes online during stayat-home orders. But their other offering can’t be done online, hosting “supper club” dinners for eight people at a time, focused on South African cuisine and culture. Warren is from South Africa, and they lived there as a couple for six months in 2018.

“It’s a seated meal with paired wines,” she says. “Strangers sit around the table and get to know each other and learn about South Africa. It’s definitely my favorite thing to host.”

Before coronavirus hit, they were planning to launch a series focused on women in food, highlighting female chefs and business owners.

On post-coronavirus demand:

“It really has increased very dramatically, the demand for bread,” Stephanie says. “We had to start a new pickup date.”

On the bread trend:

“I’ve been baking bread for awhile, and just to see so many people baking and so many people making starters is kind of funny to me, but it’s great. There’s been a lot more interest in it lately. I think it also has to do with people supporting local products, local businesses and wanting cleaner foods.”

On low-carb blowback:

“It’s interesting hearing people’s responses to my business. They say, ‘Oh, no, I’m keto, I don’t eat any carbs.’ There are definitely people who are still on that wagon, but I do see that shifting.”

For more information, visit kuluntubakery.com

Department Of Bread

Bread-making was just a hobby for J.P. Hossley of Beckley Club Estates. That is, until the pandemic shutdown the businesses he owns with his wife, Erin, Neighborhood Store and Gallery and their AIRBNB rentals. Now he’s turned his pastime into a hustle.

At the end of March, he was producing 10

The Department of Bread’s tips for new bread-bakers

When working with wet sourdough dough, I like to keep my gloved hands wet. It keeps the dough from sticking to you as much.

My bread is this:

1000 grams flour

800 grams hydration

200 grams levian

20 grams salt or more loaves a day of several varieties — rye sourdough with caraway seeds; cranberry, orange zest and coriander sourdough; toasted walnut, lemon zest and herbes de Provence sourdough; and country white. With prices from $5-$9 each, and $2 for a ball of sourdough pizza dough, he’s not making a ton of cash, about $30 a day.

Always “autolyse.” That is, mix flour and water and let it rest for two hours.

I don’t knead the dough, instead I use the “pincer and fold” methods, which can be found on YouTube.

I normally use water that is between 85-90 degrees.

“I love that I can provide something made with love to people that need something to look forward to,” he says.

A friend who owns a restaurant is sourcing his flour. Most of his customers are his Beckley Club Estates neighbors, but he’s now supplying bread for the market at Oddfellows restaurant in Bishop Arts.

Hossley only started making bread a little over a year ago. His sourdough starter was born on Feb. 22, 2019. He found inspiration in Nancy Silverton’s book “Breads from the La Brea Bakery” and used her starter recipe. He also read Ken Forkish’s book “Flour Water Salt Yeast” and “Tartine Bread” by Chad Robertson.

“I taught myself how to make bread by reading from the pros and a whole lot of determination to get it right,” he says.

Always bake your bread to 210 degrees. That kills any bacteria and ensures a fully developed bread. Use a Dutch oven to get a nice rise out of your bread; the Dutch oven slows the bread to steam rise, much like a commercial steaminjected oven.

I bake at 500 degrees, 25 minutes with the Dutch oven lid on and then 15 minutes with it off.

Don’t burn your bread; cover it with tin foil if the edges start to burn. Things get very hot, so be careful. I’ve burned myself several times. Use long heat-resistant oven mitts.

All ovens are different, all kitchens are different, so you may have to adapt things to get your bread just right.

If you adapt a recipe, write it down just in case it works even better than your last.

AC & HEAT

Air Conditioning

Roofing + Insulation

Commercial + Residential Sales + Service

Putting the ‘i’ back into earth through integrity, innovation, inspiring change.

214- 330 - 5500

iiirth.com

TACLB29169E

APPLIANCE REPAIR

JESSE’S A/C & APPLIANCE SERVICE

TACLB13304C All Makes/Models. 214-660-8898

BUY/SELL/TRADE

CARS/TRUCKS WANTED!!! All Makes/Models. 2002-2019! Any Condition. Running or Not. Top $$$ Paid! Free Towing! We're Nationwide! Call Now: 1-888-985-1806

CABINETRY & FURNITURE

JD’S TREE SERVICE Mantels, Headboards, Kitchen Islands, Dining tables. Made from Local Trees. www.jdtreeservice.com 214-946-7138

CLEANING SERVICES

CINDY’S HOUSE CLEANING 15 yrs exp. Resd/Com. Refs. Dependable. 214-490-0133

WINDOW MAN WINDOW CLEANING.COM Residential Specialists. BBB. 214-718-3134

CONCRETE/MASONRY/PAVING

ADVANCE STONE ART CREATIONS Decorative Concrete Overlays. 214-705-5954

BRICK, BLOCK, Stone, Concrete, Stucco. Gonzalez Masonry. 214-395-1319

BRICK, STONEWORK, FLAGSTONE PATIOS Mortar Repair. Straighten Brick Mailboxes & Columns. Call Cirilo 214-298-7174

CONCRETE, Driveway Specialist Repairs, Replacement, Removal, References. Reasonable. Chris 214-770-5001

DJ. MUSIC SERVICES

D.J MAGNUM FOR YOUR NEXT Company Event, Reunion, Function. We Offer All Styles Of Music From 1920-2020. Wyatt 972-241-3588

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

ANNA’S ELECTRIC Your Oak Cliff Electrician Since 1978. tecl25513. 214-943-4890

ANTHONY’S ELECTRIC Master Electrician. TECL24948 anthonyselectricofdallas.com

50 Yrs. Electrical Exp. Insd. 214-328-1333

TH ELECTRIC Reasonable Rates. Licensed & Insured. Ted. E257 214-808-3658

EXTERIOR CLEANING

G&G DEMOLITION Tear downs, Haul. Interior/Exterior. 214-808-8925

FENCING & DECKS

4 QUALITY FENCING • 214-507-9322 Specializing in Wood. YourWoodmaster.com

AMBASSADOR FENCE CO. Automatic Gates, Fences/Decks, Pergolas, Patio Covers, Arbors. AmbassadorFenceCo.com 214-621-3217

FENCING, ARBORS, DECKS oldgatefence.com 214-766-6422

HANNAWOODWORKS.COM

Decks, Pergolas, Patio Covers. 214-435-9574

FLOORING & CARPETING

CALL EMPIRE TODAY To Schedule A Free In -Home Estimate On Carpeting & Flooring. 1-800-508-2824

WILLEFORD HARDWOOD FLOORS

214-824-1166 • WillefordHardwoodFloors.com

GARAGE SERVICES

UNITED GARAGE DOORS AND GATES Res/Com. Locally Owned. 214-251-5428

GLASS, WINDOWS & DOORS

EC0NOMY GLASS & MIRROR Mirror, Shower, Windows Repair. 24 Hr. Emergency. 214-875-1127

PRO WINDOW CLEANING prompt, dependable. Matt 214-766-2183

ROCK GLASS CO Replace, repair: windows, mirrors, showers, screens. 214-837-7829

HANDYMAN SERVICES

DANHANDY.NET Repairs Done Right For A Fair Price. References 214-991-5692

HANDY DAN The Handyman. ToDo’s Done Right. handy-dan.com 214-252-1628

HANDYMAN SPECIALIST Residential/ Commercial. Large, small jobs, repair list, renovations. Refs. 214-489-0635

HANDYMAN WANTS your Painting,Repairs, To Do Lists. Bob. 214-288-4232. Free Est. 25+yrs exp.

HOME REPAIR Small/Big Jobs. Int/Ext. Sheetrock, Windows, Kitchen, Bathroom 33 yrs exp. 214-875-1127

HOMETOWN HANDYMAN All phases of construction. No job too small 214-327-4606

ONE CALL WEEKEND SERVICES

Contractor & Handyman. Remodels, Renovations . Paint, Plumbing, Drywall, Electrical.469-658-9163

SHORTY THE HANDYMAN Remodel/Plumbing/ Painting/ HVAC repair/install 214.576.6824

HOUSE PAINTING

TOP COAT 30 Yrs. Exp. Reliable. Quality Repair/Remodel. Phil @ 214-770-2863

RAMON’S INT/EXT PAINT

Sheetrock, Repairs. 214-679-4513

KITCHEN/BATH/TILE/GROUT

BLAKE CONSTRUCTION CONCEPTS LLC

Complete Kitchen And Bath Remodels. Tile, Granite, Marble, Travertine, Slate. Insured. 214-563-5035 www.blake-construction.com

D & D TILE SERVICE

Residential/Commercial.30Yrs Exp. 214-724-3408. Rodriguez_tile@att.net

FENN CONSTRUCTION Full Service Contractor. dallastileman.com 214-343-4645

STONE AGE COUNTER TOPS

Granite, Quartz, Marble For Kitchen/Bath-Free Est. jennifer@gmail.com 214-412-6979

TK REMODELING 972-533-2872

Complete Full Service Repairs, Remodeling, Restoration. Name It — We do it. Tommy. Insured. dallas.tkremodelingcontractors.com

Pest Control

MCDANIEL PEST CONTROL

Prices Start at $85 + Tax For General Treatment.

Average Home-Interior/Exterior & Attached Garage. Quotes For Other Services.

214-328-2847. Lakewood Resident

NATURE KING PEST MANAGEMENT, INC

Squirrels, Rats, Racoon, etc. removal. Best Rates. Since 1994. Same Day Service Available. Rated 5.0 Star on Google. 214-827-0090 natureking.com

Plumbing

AC PLUMBING Repairs, Fixtures, Senior Discounts. Gary Campbell. 214-321-5943

STAGGS PLUMBING Water Heaters, Sewer Backups, Water Leaks. All Plumbing Repairs. 972-379-4000

THE PLUMBING MANN LLC

Women Owned, Family Operated For all Your Plumbing Needs RMP/Master-14240 Insured. Veterans And Senior discount. 214-327-8349

POOLS

CERULEAN POOL SERVICES Family Owned/ Operated. Weekly maintenance, Chemicals, parts & repairs. CeruleanPro.com 214-557-6996

LEAFCHASERS POOL SERVICE Parts/Service. Chemicals/Repairs. Jonathan. 214-729-3311

214-631-8719

WE REFINISH! www.allsurfacerefinishing.com

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

HELP WANTED Cole's Lawn Care 214-327-3923

Experience & Transportation Required

HOLMAN IRRIGATION

Sprinkler & Valve Repair/ Rebuild Older Systems. Lic. #1742. 214-398-8061

MAYA TREE SERVICE Tree Trim/Remove. Lawn Maintenance. Resd/ Commcl.Insd. CC’s Accptd. mayatreeservice.com 214-924-7058 214-770-2435

MONSTER TREE SERVICE DALLAS

Certified Arborists, Fully Insured 469.983.1060 Locally harvested wood!

JD’s Tree Service

RESPONSIBLE TREE CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Firewood/Cooking Wood

Full service trimming & planting of native trees. 214.946.7138

LEGAL SERVICES

A WILL? THERE IS A WAY! Estate/Probate matters.maryglennattorney.com 214-802-6768

PEST CONTROL

A BETTER EARTH PEST CONTROL

Keeping the enviroment,kids, pets in mind

Offering Mosquito Control. Termite & rodent control 214-350-3595

Remodeling

A2H GENERAL CONTRACTING,LLC

Remodeling, Painting, Drywall/Texture, Plumbing, Electrical,Siding, Bathroom/Kitchen Remodels, Tilling, Flooring, Fencing. 469-658-9163. Free Estimates. A2HGeneralContractingLLC@gmail.com

BLAKE CONSTRUCTION CONCEPTS, LLC

Complete Remodeling, Kitchens, Baths, Additions. Hardie Siding & Replacement Windows. Build On Your Own Lot. Insured. www.blake-construction.com 214-563-5035

FENN CONSTRUCTION Kitchens And Baths. Call Us For Your Remodeling Needs. 214-343-4645. dallastileman.com

INTEX CONSTRUCTION Specialty in Ext/Int. Bath/ Kitchen/Windows, Steve.33yrs exp. 214-875-1127

TK REMODELING 972-533-2872

Complete Full Service Repairs,Kitchen & Bath Remodeling. Restoration. Name it -We do it. dallas.tkremodelingcontractors.com

O’BRIEN GROUP INC. Remodeling Dallas For Over 17 Years www.ObrienGroupInc.com 214-341-1448

RENOVATE DALLAS renovatedallas.com 214-403-7247

TK REMODELING 972-533-2872

Complete Full Service Repairs, Kitchen & Bath/Remodeling, Restoration. Name It- We Do It. dallas.tkremodelingcontractors.com

TO ADVERTISE CALL 214.560.4203

ADVOCATE PUBLISHING does not pre-screen, recommend or investigate the advertisements and/or Advertisers published in our magazines. As a result, Advocate Publishing is not responsible for your dealings with any Advertiser. Please ask each Advertiser that you contact to show you the necessary licenses and/or permits required to perform the work you are requesting. Advocate Publishing takes comments and/or complaints about Advertisers seriously, and we do not publish advertisements that we know are inaccurate, misleading and/or do not live up to the standards set by our publications. If you have a legitimate complaint or positive comment about an Advertiser, please contact us at 214-560-4203. Advocate Publishing recommends that you ask for and check references from each Advertiser that you contact, and we recommend that you obtain a written statement of work to be completed, and the price to be charged, prior to approving any work or providing an Advertiser with any deposit for work to be completed.

Bob McDonald Company, Inc. BUILDERS/REMODELERS

30+ Yrs. in Business • Major Additions Complete Renovations • Kitchens/Baths

214-341-1155 bobmcdonaldco.net

ROOFING &

Gutters

BERT ROOFING INC.

Family owned and operated for over 40 years

• Residential/Commercial • Over 30,000 roofs completed • Seven NTRCA “Golden Hammer” Awards • Free Estimates www.bertroofing.com

214.321.9341

SERVICES FOR YOU

AIRLINE MECHANIC TRAINING – Get FAA Technician certification. Approved for military benefits. Financial Aid if qualified. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866-453-6204

DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. NOT just a discount plan, real coverage for [350 ] procedures. 1-877-308-2834 www.dental50plus.com/cadnet6118-0219

EARTHLINK HIGH SPEED INTERNET As Low As $14.95/month (for the first 3 months.) Reliable High Speed Fiber Optic Technology. Stream Videos, Music and More! Call Earthlink Today

1-855-520-7938

OLD GUITARS WANTED!!

GIBSON, FENDER, MARTIN, Etc. 1930’s to 1980’s. TOP DOLLAR PAID. CALL TOLL FREE 1-866-433-8277

STAY IN YOUR HOME longer with an American Standard Walk-In Bathtub. Receive up to $1,500 off, including a free toilet, and a lifetime warranty on the tub & installation! 1-855-481-3969. walkintubquote.com/national

TWO GREAT new offers from AT&T Wireless! Ask how to get the Next Generation Samsung Galaxy S10e FREE. Free iPhone with AT&T's Buy one, Give One. While supplies last! 1-866-565-8452

Worship

By SCOTT SHIRLEY