Rick van Valkenburg's on a Roll - Let's Toast to That!

By Jan Fisher

Jan writes and edits "Middle Notes" church newsletter at Middle Church, located in Manhattan's East Village.*

It was never a half-baked idea. Although when he whipped up his first batch of Coffee Can Bread while still in high school, Rick van Valkenburg (Br 5) never dreamed that he one day would be in touch with bakers around the world, casting bread recipes upon the Internet waters for all surfers to share. A few years back, Rick, an elder on Middle's Consistory and baker of Middle's bountiful golden loaves of communion bread, wanted to create some web sites and chose one of his interests, bread baking, as a topic. His wife Mary had found a favorite challah bread recipe written in pencil in an old cookbook, so he used that along with a couple of others. Now the site, Web Bread Edition of the Free Internet Bread Recipe Archive, contains notes, tips, and recipes from over 100 contributors, and is categorized into Traditional and Bread Machine recipes along with links to such sites as Web Bread Bookstore--definitely more than just a few crumbs of information.

Rick's introduction to the site: "This archive was started with the notion that although it is impossible to break bread with all the peoples of the world, at least through the global medium of the Internet we can share some recipes."

Check this out and you'll find recipes for Sweet Texas Sourdough from Sharon in South Africa; Tomato/Basil Garlic Bagels (that should be made in a bread machine) from someone who calls himself Chef Doogie; and Blueberry Pie (how'd that one get in there?) which is actually a yeast dough sweet bread sent in by Karen from Finland.

Jan K. of Orlando, Florida, tells all about sourdough and invites you to e-mail her with any problems that have "arisen" and promises to send bread recipes upon request.

Rick's expanded his bread interests into the fermented world of sourdough as well, and says he has three different types of starters in the fridge right now. "I think yeast cultures are the perfect pets for urban dwellers, " he insists. "You only have to feed them once every two weeks, they live in the refrigerator, and they've got plenty of personality, although most of that is in their smell."

The appeal of bread baking was mostly esthetic for Rick--his favorite thing about it even now is the aroma that fills his and Mary's and daughter Sophia's West Village, NY apartment while it's baking. But, he adds, "I think it's a sacred act. It symbolized the earth and sustenance and bounty."

After his late teen years when Rick was doing that "back to basics" thing, baking bread from recipes he found in Mother Earth News, he got away from this hobby until the early '90s when his twin brother, diagnosed with AIDS, became sick. Feeling helpless in the face of this devastating illness, Rick decided he would literally bake the bread of life for his brother. He dug out the bread recipes and weekly baked fresh, fragrant loaves for him. "I think it actually kept him alive, until he was no longer able to eat it," he says.

It was at this time he continued the bread of life tradition by baking and donating Middle's communion bread.

Rick admits that bread baking presents a particular challenge to the city apartment dweller who, like him, might have only 18 square inches of counter space on which to work. But Rick's no loafer. When the baking urge hits, he gets his buns in gear and washes up the dishes, putting everything away to maximize space.

And even though he's a "back to basics" guy--he's even looking at an ancient Essene recipe now that calls for mashing grains together and baking the flat loaf in the desert sun for hours--he will not look down his nose at bread machine owners. He didn't include these recipes in the web site originally because, "It didn't meet my need. Then I got an e-mail from someone requesting them, because he only had one hand."

A specific need right now on the site are recipes for people who have allergies and must eat only wheat-free, gluten-free, or yeast-free breads. But all favorite contributions are welcome. Popover to Rick's web site and soon you too will be sandwiching in a bread-baking time in your busy schedule, if only to taste the Apple Bread or the Focaccia, or if only to enjoy the aroma of Cheddar Crown Loaf as it bakes in your tiny city oven.

To access the bread web site: www.upword.com/bread

* Of note, Middle Church's congregation is the descendant of the Dutch Reformed Church that Lambert's son Jochem was baptized into in 1646. back