Day 56 weigh-in: 147.4 pounds
Day 63 weigh-in: 148 pounds
It seems strange to think I’m over a third of the way done with my 90 days. I’ve got about a month left of this bread eating journey, and I still have amazing breads from talented and innovative bakers rolling in. Wow! This week I got to try some really unique and tasty breads, some of which I may not have tried if not for my Eat Bread 90 challenge. Well, back to eating more bread!
Two huge boxes came to my office stuffed with awesome loafs of fresh baked bread from Rotella’s Italian Bakery. Rotella’s bakery is in Nebraska and they bake for many QSR chains. I am thinking this amount of bread may last me a while. So the next few blogs you read will include Rotella’s signature bread. The buns that arrived just looked awesome. Not only was the Brioche Bun high in profile, it had a great chew with an incredible shine to it. I had to make hamburgers just so we could eat it.
A delicious burger made with Rotella’s buttery Brioche bun, with a side of curly fries and corn on the cob.
I saw something really interesting in their line-up of buns that I’ve never seen before. It looked like a bun, but tasted like a biscuit. So yes, they call it their biscuit bun. You know how you’ve tried to make a sandwich with your biscuit, and it falls apart because it’s too crumbly? Well, Rotella’s has the solution.
This particular bun, rich in butter with a biscuit-like taste, actually holds together very well.
So, that I put it under further stress by grilling it. Why grill a biscuit bun? Because I felt it would crisp up real nice with all that fat, and it did! When I served a grilled ham and cheese on this biscuit bun at breakfast, there were calls for seconds. Least to say, this bun was a hit!
Grilled ham and cheese on a biscuit bun makes a great breakfast offering.
I am also impressed by the different sweet breads that Rotella’s offers up. The blueberry toast, cran-multigrain and raisin bread were great with just butter. It was also wonderful when used to make french toast.
Rotella’s raisin bread.
| Food | Portion | Calories |
| Day 62 | ||
| Sesame Bagel | 100g | 200 |
| Honey Wheat Nugget Bread | 3 slices (45g) | 285 |
| Rotella’s Cranberry Grain Bread | 2 slices(45g) | 210 |
| Rotella’s Blueberry Toast | 2 slices (40g) | 200 |
| Rotella’s Raisin Bread | 4 slices (38g) | 360 |
| Fruit Cup | 1C | 50 |
| Ricotta Cheese | 1/4 C | 100 |
| Apricot Sugar-Free Jam | 2 Tbsp | 40 |
| Butter | 2 Tbsp | 200 |
| Stewed Pork and Rice | 1 C | 500 |
| Stir Fried Greens | 1C | |
| Coconut water | 2 C | 100 |
| Run | -600 | |
| Total | 1645 | |
| Day 63 | ||
| Everything Bagel | 1(100g) | 210 |
| Wholegrain Sourdough | 80g | 103 |
| Baguette | 100g | 255 |
| Rotella’s Biscuit Bun | 90g | 200 |
| Rotella’s Raisin bread | 1 slice (40g) | 90 |
| Rotella’s Brioche Bun | 80g | 270 |
| Nutella | 2 tbsp | 200 |
| Butter | 2 Tbsp | 200 |
| Cherries | 1C | 74 |
| Hamburger | 114g | 200 |
| Corn on Cob | 90g | 80 |
| Grilled ham and cheese | 1 | 335 |
| Curly Fries | 15 | 140 |
| Pineapple | 3 oz | 41 |
| Calcium Supp | ||
| 2398 |
| Day 64 | ||
| Bagel | 200g | 520 |
| Rotella’s Cranberry Grain Bread | 4 slices(45g) | 420 |
| Whole Grain bread | 4 slices (38g) | 320 |
| Butter | 2 Tbsp | 200 |
| Ricotta Cheese | 1/4 C | 100 |
| Berry Cream Cheese | 2 Tbsp | 50 |
| Strawberry Jam | 2 Tbsp | 100 |
| Stir Fried Vegetables | 125g | 36 |
| Sweet sour chicken | 86g | 219 |
| Rice | 50g | 48 |
| Calcium Supp | ||
| Total | 2013 |
I received some hearty and wholesome naturally leavened bread today from Columbia County Bread & Granola. This is a wonderful bread, from a wonderful company. They bake organic flourless sprouted breads and flax-based granolas, as part of their mission to help make the world a little better. This is reflected in part of their name, Columbia.
Throughout the history of America, Columbia has been a symbol of forward thinking and inspiring change. As they put it in their brochure, the company “revere(s) Colombia as the embodiment of what we aspire towards. She symbolizes our efforts to craft the world’s finest breads and granolas and our belief that, working together, we can help shape a better world.”
Country Bread and Pita Bread from Colombia County Bread & Granola.
Their take on sprouted bread is a little different than most other bakeries. During the sprouting process, gluten chains are degraded. So, many sprouted-grain breads have vital wheat gluten and yeast added back in to the formula. However, CCB&G want to stay true to the old-time traditions of sprouting and fermentation. Their sprouted wheat mash ferments a wild yeast culture, lactobacillus and bifidobacterial. And no gluten is added back in.
This gives their bread a truly unique flavor. It also makes it an ideal choice for gluten-sensitive people.
Today we also celebrated out podcast launch, and dined on bread from Little T bakery, Rotella’s, Bob’s Red Mills, Eat the Ball® and Columbia County Bread & Granola. Quite a few people turned up to honor our launch.
I’m so grateful for my podcast team, and all their hard and excellent work!
I was really happy to see so many people enjoy the bread we brought in. We also brought in some of my favorite donuts from Blue Star Donuts to celebrate National Donut Day! Oh wait, maybe that’s why they all came….oh well.
We brought in my favorite donuts from Blue Star Donuts. Unfortunately, it was all gone before I was able to get to it.
| Food | Portion | Calories |
| Day 60 | ||
| Everything Bagel | 2 (100g) | 420 |
| Oroweat Whole Grains Double Fiber | 6 slices (38g) | 480 |
| Ricotta Cheese | 1/4 C | 100 |
| Butter | 2 Tbsp | 200 |
| Pineapple | 8 oz | 80 |
| Apple | 1 | 95 |
| Coconut water | 2 C | 100 |
| Pizza Slice | 1 | 220 |
| Orange | 1 orange | 45 |
| Calcium Supp | ||
| Total | 1740 | |
| Day 61 | ||
| Everything Bagel | 1(100g) | 210 |
| Wholegrain Sourdough | 80g | 103 |
| Croissant | 240 | |
| Baguette | 100g | 255 |
| Columbia Sprouted Country Wheat Loaf | 3 slices (45g) | 150 |
| Columbia pita bread | 1 pita (85g) | 100 |
| Honey wheat Nugget Bread | 2 slices (45g) | 190 |
| Meatloaf | 5 oz | 241 |
| Corn | 150g | 155 |
| Ricotta Cheese | 1/4 C | 100 |
| Apricot Sugar-Free Jam | 2 Tbsp | 40 |
| Butter | 2 Tbsp | 200 |
| Steamed Broccoli | 1C | 35 |
| Strawberries | 1C | 50 |
| Calcium Supp | ||
| Total | 2069 | |
This must be the most amazing thing I’ve seen since I started my bread eating journey. As much as I know about fermenting dough, these smooth football shapes just intrigued me to no end!
Made with only natural ingredients (no preservatives or flavor enhancers and non-GMO) and real butter from grass fed cows, the Eat the Ball® line features various sport shaped balls from football to soccer and even hockey pucks. Honestly, it makes bread eating fun again. The balls of bread were all consumed when I arrived home. My kids just ate them plain. It was that good.
How did they create a fermented product taking on the shape of a football mold without air bubbles on the skin? How do the words on the ball appear so distinct and sharp? How is the interior so unbelievably uniform without the use of emulsifiers?
Have I gotten your attention yet?
The secret? Their patented Pro.ferment.iced ® technology. I wish I can tell you all about it, but I haven’t spoken with the founder of this technology yet. As far as I can guess, it must be using some kind of low stress manufacturing utilizing or low temperature fermentation over a long period of time. One thing for sure: the aroma from this bread is strong and yeasty.
Soccer balls from Eat the Ball.
Eat the Ball® is the vehicle for a new technology. Their patented system is an example of a novel food processing system with the primary purpose of feeding our future generations sensibly. A bread with a long shelf life in combination with all natural ingredients is the key to avoiding bread waste and to providing the ever-growing world population with healthy and nutritious food.
The best part about this bread company is that they have founded the ONE BALL FOUNDATION to provide funding for novel food technology projects.
| Food | Portion | Calories |
| Day 58 | ||
| Bob’s Red Mills Spelt Bread | 4 slices (52g) | 800 |
| Bob’s Red Mills 10 Grain Bread | 3 slices (47g) | 330 |
| Olive Ciabatta | 200 g | 420 |
| Onion bun | 78 g | 190 |
| Hot Dog buns | 2 (43g) | 270 |
| Hot dogs | 240 | 240 |
| Ricotta Cheese | 1/4 C | 100 |
| Apricot Sugar-Free Jam | 2 Tbsp | 40 |
| Butter | 2 Tbsp | 200 |
| Roasted Vegetables | 1 Tbsp | 100 |
| Cauliflower | 1 C | 60 |
| Coconut water | 2 C | 100 |
| Calcium Supp | ||
| Total | 2850 | |
| Day 59 | ||
| Football | 135 | 360 |
| Baseball Roll | 90 | 230 |
| Hockey Puck | 90 | 240 |
| Oroweat Whole Grains Double Fiber | 4 slices (38g) | 320 |
| Salami | 6 slices | 110 |
| Ricotta Cheese | 1/4 C | 100 |
| Meat loaf | 4 oz | 260 |
| Cauliflower | 1 C | 60 |
| Pineapple | 3 oz | 41 |
| Total | 1721 |
If there’s one thing I love more than bread, it’s a good bread origin story. Knowing the backstory and passion behind the loaves and baker really does make you appreciate the bread all the more.
Bob’s Red Mill traditional and dedicated take on flour has been a long time in the making. Back in the 1960s, Bob Moore read a book about an old stone-grinding flour mill. The book sparked an idea to use this old-time practice to create a healthy and nutritious product. His family was already focused on eating wholesome natural foods.
So why not share that with families everywhere?
So Bob and his wife Charlee started tracking down their own millstones and soon opened a mill in Redding, California. By the late ’70s, the couple were ready for retirement, so they left sunny Cal for Oregon City. But Bob couldn’t move on from milling just yet. He found an old mill for sale, and soon Bob’s Red Mill reopened in Oregon.
A few years later, tragedy struck. An arsonist started a fire that destroyed the mill. Still, Bob preserved and built his stone-grinding flour mill from the ground up once again. It is still grinding out flour today, stronger than ever!
Through the years, the company has stayed true to Bob’s original vision of using Old World technology to make a nutritional, healthy flour.
The quartz millstones are similar to early Roman mills. The speed and temperature help preserve the goodness inside whole grains, resulting in a flour that you can just taste the freshness!
Today, Bob’s Red Mill sells flours and meals, cereals, granola, mixes, oats, grains, beans, seeds and nutritional boosters at their Oregon location and their online store. The company is now employee owned. As Bob put it, “It was just the right thing to do. I have people that have worked with me for over 30 years and each and every one of them deserve this.”
I love stories like these. As I munch on their 10 grain bread, I feel honored to be in Oregon and eating bread from Bob’s Red Mill.
Hearty stoneground 10 grain bread.
| Food | Portion | Calories |
| Day 56 | ||
| Bob’s Red Mills Spelt Bread | 4 slices (52g) | 800 |
| Bob’s Red Mills 10 Grain Bread | 3 slices (47g) | 330 |
| Bob’s Red Mills ENglish Muffin Bread | 3 Slices (42g) | 300 |
| Mozerella Cheese | 3 oz | 180 |
| Tuna Salad | 2 oz | 108 |
| Grilled Chicken | 1 thigh | 95 |
| Grilled Salmon | 4 oz | 100 |
| Fruit Cup | 1 C | 70 |
| Coconut Water | 2 C | 100 |
| Grapefruit Avacado Salad | 1 oz | 40 |
| Clafouti | 100g | 131 |
| Run | -750 | |
| Total | 1504 | |
| Day 57 | ||
| Bob’s Red Mills Spelt Bread | 4 slices (52g) | 800 |
| Bob’s Red Mills 10 Grain Bread | 3 slices (47g) | 330 |
| Olive Ciabatta | 200 g | 420 |
| Ham and Cheese on Onion Bun | 1 | 320 |
| Scrambled Egg | 1 | 90 |
| Dark Chocolate Penut Butter | 2 Tbsp | 170 |
| Hot dogs | 2 | 300 |
| Grilled Salmon | 4 oz | 100 |
| Grilled Zucchini | 2 oz | 30 |
| Pineapple | 4 slices | 120 |
| Cherry Soda | 180 | |
| Bike | -610 | |
| Total | 2250 |
Day 49 weigh-in
Day 56 weigh-in
Traveling this week to the International Symposium on Bread made the last few days busy and full. But even with flying across the country, not having time to fit in all of my regular exercise, and good food and bread everywhere, I STILL did not put on a significant amount of weight. The deeper I go into this diet, the more I get used to what works and what doesn’t, and I feel I’m really hitting my stride.
I met Bob Moore of Bob’s Red Mill many years ago when he took us on a tour at their Milwaukee mill. Bob believes that only a stone mill can create a superb whole grain flour. Using quartz millstones, Bob’s Red Mills uses this method of stone milling to produce whole grain flours. Stone ground flour ensures that the most nutritious parts of the whole grain remain, packing in the wholesome goodness of wheat.
In addition, millstones grind at a slower speed and cooler temperature than their high-speed steel mill counterparts. This way, there is less impact on the inherent nutrients and flavor of the grains. This may not seem like the easiest way to produce flour efficiently with modern technology. However, it is their passion to mill flour this way, and as passion goes, it is what feeds Bob’s Red Mill success today.
The first whole grain loaf of bread that came out of my wife Charlee’s oven on our five acre farm back in the 60s was the most delicious loaf of bread I can ever remember smelling and eating.
— Bob Moore
This success is seen at Bob’s Red Mill 325,000 sq. feet world class manufacturing facility and headquarters in Milwaukie, Oregon. It there that they produce thousands of products every day, with the same high quality, old-fashioned techniques that their customers have come to trust.
I stopped by their Whole Grain Store & Bakery to pick up loaves of freshly baked bread. I believe no Portland bread diet should ever miss the opportunity to give this special place a try. I do have to admit though, I never leave without buying bags and bags of different flours. My passion in bread baking at home has made me a regular to this store.
Strawberry jam with Bob’s Red Mill spelt bread.
It is truly a bread baker’s dream to shop in this store. You should definitely visit the next time you’re in Portland. You might even see Bob there visiting with customers or playing the piano.
| Food | Portion | Calories |
| Day 54 | ||
| Bob’s Red Mills Spelt Bread | 4 slices (52g) | 800 |
| Bob’s Red Mills 10 Grain Bread | 3 slices (47g) | 330 |
| Bob’s Red Mills English Muffin Bread | 3 Slices (42g) | 300 |
| Bob’s Red Mills Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie | 1 cookie | 210 |
| Apricot Sugar-Free Jam | 2 Tbsp | 40 |
| Justin’s Almond Honey Nut Butter | 1 Tbsp | 190 |
| Nutella | 1 tbsp | 100 |
| Ricotta Cheese | 1/4 C | 100 |
| Chocolate lemon cake | 300 | |
| Pork Stew | 300 | |
| Sauteed Spinach | 1 C | 48 |
| Coconut water | 2 C | 100 |
| Calcium Supp | ||
| Run | -510 | |
| Total | 2308 | |
| Day 55 | ||
| Bob’s Red Mills Spelt Bread | 3 Slices (47g) | 600 |
| Bob’s Red Mills 10 Grain Bread | 4 Slices (47g) | 440 |
| Bob’s Red Mills ENglish Muffin Bread | 3 slices (42g) | 300 |
| Scrambled Eggs, Bacon and Hash browns | 300 | |
| Apricot Sugar-Free Jam | 2 Tbsp | 40 |
| Justin’s Almond Honey Nut Butter | 1 Tbsp | 190 |
| Nutella | 1 tbsp | 100 |
| Ricotta Cheese | 1/4 C | 100 |
| Chocolate lemon cake | 300 | |
| Quesadilla | 1 slice | 100 |
| Kale (cooked) | 1 C | 33 |
| Chicken noodle soup | 2 C | 250 |
| Coconut water | 2 C | 100 |
| Calcium Supp | ||
| Walk | -200 | |
| Total | 2653 |
Today at the International Symposium on Bread, Mike Pappas from The King’s Kitchen hosted our private bread tasting party. What is unusual about this bakery? The King’s Kitchen operates as a public restaurant, serving local, healthy, Southern cuisine and the profits and proceeds from “The King’s Kitchen” goes toward feeding the poor.
A delicious array of bread available for us to taste. Made from 100% natural levain.
In addition, The King’s Kitchen works with “The Restoration Program,” a five-part training program to employ, train and minister the gospel of Jesus Christ to the homeless, the poor, troubled youth, rehab graduates and other members of our community who need employment.
Mike Pappas is a traditional baker who wants to bring historical products, in a modern context, that meet global standards. At the tasting party, I got to try a bread he developed: 50% organic whole wheat flour that also has a bit of semolina, butter, fennel, anise, red wine vinegar, and mountain honey. It was delicious!
Mike told me he uses 100% natural, multi-grain liquid levain, “that has some other fun bells and whistles that I add to it.”
Mike Pappas, an Executive Chef, a Yeast Trapper, an On the Bench Baker, a Mature Pastry Maker and a Highly Developed Savory Chef, showcases the bread he baked for our private bread tasting party.
In other bread news, I have volunteered to take the title of Crumbassador for the Portland region! What does that mean? Well, Dr. Nedezhda Savova-Grigorvova, a cultural anthropologist has created a game called Bread without Borders.
After seeing so much hurt and conflict in the world, Dr. Savova-Grigorvova begin to wonder if there was a simple solution to bring unity and happiness.
She saw one way to unite people around the world with through something they have in common—bread.
Many countries see bread as way of friendship and sharing. So starting in the middle east and Africa, she hosted bread baking events across the globe until 7 years later it became the Bread House Network. Now, she is releasing the game Bread without Borders. Built from her knowledge and experience, it’s an educational game she knows will help individuals and communities.
We will be working with partners like the Wheat Marketing Center, and other local bakeries to play this game, and bring our local communities together. I just jumped at the chance that Team BAKERpedia could be part of this new wave of community development around bakeries.
My favorite: a 50% organic Lindley Mills Whole Wheat (the other nearly 50% is Sir Galahad) that also has a bit of semolina, butter, fennel, anise, red wine vinegar, and mountain honey.
| Food | Portion | Calories |
| Day 52 | ||
| Whole grain sourdough | 6 slices | 600 |
| Egg Challah | 6 slices | 660 |
| Mozerella cheese | 3oz | 240 |
| Apple | 1 | 95 |
| Apricot Sugar-Free Jam | 2 Tbsp | 40 |
| Nutella | 1 tbsp | 100 |
| Ricotta Cheese | 1/4 C | 100 |
| Handmade Beef Noodles | 1 C | 300 |
| Total | 2135 | |
| Day 53 | ||
| Whole grain sourdough | 6 slices | 600 |
| Egg Challah | 2 slices | 660 |
| Jim Little’s Croissant | 50g | 230 |
| Fried Kale | 1C | 120 |
| Apricot Sugar-Free Jam | 2 Tbsp | 40 |
| Nutella | 1 tbsp | 100 |
| Ricotta Cheese | 1/4 C | 100 |
| Chocolate lemon cake | 300 | |
| Walk | -240 | |
| Total | 1910 |
My podcast co-host, David Deblauwe and I tasting the fabulous bread (and goofing around).
It is the bread-lovers dream! This week Peter Reinhart from Johnson and Wales University hosted the first ever International Symposium on Bread. I was honored to be invited to this event and hang out with crazy bread-heads like myself. Peter is true to his vision in bringing together so many bakers, and lovers of the bread trade. It’s a great event that gathered bread experts, milers, agriculturists, bread historians bakers, and more.
The speakers were amazing!
Stefan Cappelle gave a talk, “The Future of Bread Lies in its Past,” about how we are re-discovering sourdoughs as a solution to more than just flavors by having a sourdough library.
Bread Heads pack the lecture hall at the first ever International Symposium on Bread
A whole host of other topics were touched on like Dr. Ann Madden’s talk on microorganisms, “New Microorganisms from Strange Places for Better Breads,” Tom Gumple’s presentation “Innovation, Compromise and Real Life—Finding the proper Balance in a Multi -Unit, Growing Company, or Francisco Migoya’s “Insights from Modernist Bread—Shaping the Future of Bread through Science. The days were packed full of speakers, socials and Q&A Panel.
Peter Reinhart, Executive Director, International Symposium on Bread
Puratos was the main sponsor of this event. So of course we got to taste phenomenal sourdough breads from them. I even got to tour their Sensobus!
Hats off to Eric and Tom from Panera bread. I was not expecting such push back from bread heads on me consuming so much bread. Eric questioned the philosophy behind me eating so much bread and was concerned that I was sending the wrong message to people who have diabetes. Again, to concur with Eric, this is not a diet meant for diabetics.
Though, I do think diabetics shouldn’t give up on eating bread. They should look for options like the Alvarado St. Bakery Diabetic Bread. In addition, Tom said what I’m doing is not anything new; it’s an exclusion diet. I agree with this too because what I have been doing is following the information that science has given me.
| Food | Portion | Calories |
| Day 50 | ||
| Whole Grain Bread | 6 slices (40g) | 500 |
| Whole Grain Baguette | 250g | 300 |
| Bread from King’s Kitchen | 6 slices | 400 |
| Butter | 2 Tbsp | 200 |
| Honey Butter | 2 Tbsp | 200 |
| Chicken Salad | 1 C | 105 |
| Salad | 1 C | 120 |
| Fruit Salad | 1C | 150 |
| Macaroon | 2 | 200 |
| Walk | -200 | |
| Total | 1975 |
| Day 51 | ||
| King’s Kitchen Rye Bread | 4 slices | 300 |
| King’s Kitchen Ciabatta | 4 slices | 400 |
| King’s Kitchen Egg Challah | 3 slices | 400 |
| Puratos Whole grain roll | 1 roll | 150 |
| Pesto | 1 Tbsp | 80 |
| Mrs T’s Bloody Mary Mix | 1/2 Can | 35 |
| Greek Salad | 1 C | 150 |
| Dry Airline Pretzels | 2 bags | 160 |
| Chicken skewer | 1 | 200 |
| Baklava | 200 | |
| Sugar Free Strawberry Jam | 1 Tbsp | 20 |
| Nutella | 1 tbsp | 100 |
| Justin’s Almond Honey Nut Butter | 1 Tbsp | 190 |
| Calcium Supp | ||
| Total | 2385 |
Day 42 weigh-in.
Day 49 weigh-in.
Weigh-in time again! As these two pictures clearly show, yes, you can maintain or even lose weight on a bread diet. Of course, exercise, the other food you eat, and how much you eat is important. That’s why I post my daily food and calorie logs, so you can see just how possible it is. Now if you will excuse me, I have some bread to go eat.