From wheat to bread in Durham

It’s impossible not to be passionate about bread after meeting Robert Shafer and Jim Wills.

Both men practice centuries-old crafts, producing some of Durham’s most fascinating --and tasty -- foods.

Shafer owns Tyrone Mills, an 1846 water-powered mill north of Bowmanville, where he grinds organic wheat into whole grain flour on antique millstones. Wills, the proprietor and head baker of Mary G’s Artisan Breads, bakes some of tastiest breads you’ve ever eaten, in his backyard brick oven near Port Perry.

At Tyrone Mills, antique flour bags and vintage machinery evoke a 19th-century general store. On a recent visit, the scent of newly-fried apple cider doughnuts teased my appetite as I perused shelves stacked with dozens of specialty flours. When the thunderous machinery groaned into action, it was fascinating to see the old mill in action; Shafer pouring grain into the eye of the millstone, as gears and belts whirred, carrying the milled flour up to the sifter. Call 905-623-0733 for milling times.

Flour leads to baking and Wills’ hands-on baking workshops attract brick-oven bakers from across North America. Last week’s class included a doctor and banker who traveled halfway across Canada to learn the finer points of starting wild yeast, shaping loaves and building a superior wood-fired oven. Over the course of two days, we produced bagels, baguettes, cheese-and-chive potato bread, ciabatta, olive boules and cinnamon buns -- all baked in the brick oven.

Although his craft is ancient, Wills uses many modern tools including an instant-reading digital thermometer.

“It’s not voodoo; it’s science,” he emphasized.

The baking was serious, but the joking never stopped.

“This reminds me of a vasectomy I did the other day,” quipped the doc as he slashed the boules before baking.

There is still space in April workshops; visit www.marygbread.com.

If you think you’ve had a long wait for spring, imagine how the poor wood frog feels. Hidden under a scant covering of dead leaves, it freezes almost solid in winter. This rare cryogenic feat enables it to survive in a wide of Canadian habitats, including the far north. They also thrive in Oshawa’s Second Marsh.

Since 2008 is the Year of the Frog, a visit to hear their spring chorus seems especially timely. Wood frogs begin their mating calls at the first real thaw, with spring peepers and leopard frogs taking over later in the month.

Visit  www.durhamtourism.ca and www.durhamregion.typepad.com/explore_durham for more information on these and other attractions.

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Betty Zyvatkauskas is a Durham Tourism writer. Look for her columns each month