How Sweet It Is...

The product which caught my attention is called Besti by Wholesome Yum. It's a blend of Monk Fruit (my favorite sugar substitute) and Allulose. It has zero calories, zero net carbs, and zero glycemic index.

If Monk Fruit is such a good natural sweetener, why does it need to be blended with Allulose?

Monk Fruit is indeed a great sweetener; it's 300 times sweeter than sugar! 1/32 of a teaspoon is enough to sweeten the 1 tablespoon of bitter organic dark cacao we use in our Chocolate Chill dairy-free, sugar-free chocolate drink! But when it comes to baking muffins and cookies, you need something that acts like sugar to obtain the chemical reaction that results in a caramelized flavor and texture.

Allulose handles that part of the process, and it does it 1 for 1—using the same amount of Besti as you would use for sugar. And it bakes like sugar, with one exception: it doesn't get as crispy as sugar; it's more chewy. This is perfect for our keto-friendly Blueberry Muffins and our cookies that are chewy which I call "Chookies!"

So Besti seems to tick all the baking boxes. But where does Allulose come from and what makes it safer than other sugar substitutes?

Allulose was first discovered to exist, in its natural state, in figs. However, the amount of usable Allulose in figs is so small that figs are not a good source of the isolated product. A process was developed to create Allulose from corn. Wait a minute... corn? Most corn is GMO and corn is definitely on The Plant Paradox "NO" list of foods to avoid. 

Turns out, that of all people, Dr. Steve Gundry, former heart surgeon and author of the bestseller, The Plant Paradox, did a recent video where he rates several sugar substitutes and guess which one ended up at the top of his list? Allulose.

The biggest difference that sets Allulose apart from most other sugar substitutes is that, unlike sugar alcohols (like erythritol, xylitol, maltitol, etc.) which need to be broken down by the liver to be eliminated from the body, Allulose is a prebiotic which feeds your microbiome!

And the final factor: Besti is totally non-GMO, so that box is ticked as well.

I'm excited to be creating new sugar-free and grain-free items using Besti. Our muffins and chookies have filled the need for customers who prefer the best (and healthiest) low-carb and keto foods for themselves and their families. And having Besti as my go-to sweetener, the next challenge will be creating Nut Toffees featuring organic skinless almonds and organic macadamia nuts. Definitely want to have these ready for the holidays...

It was just another Sunday at Random Acts of Breadness. But something was amiss. A phone order for 2 Artisan Sourdough Batards, sliced medium-thick, had not been picked up by the customer and it was closing time. Attempts had been made to contact the customer, but there was no response.

I knew this customer had previously picked up a couple of his orders from our house, so I brought the bag of Breadness home and placed it on the chest freezer under the awning in our backyard patio. Surely the customer would be by to pick his order up by 7pm.

But 7pm came and went. And when I finally did hear back from him via a text, he wrote that he hadn't placed an order for that day. Very strange... If he didn't place the order, how did it get on our "orders to fill" stack?

I went outside on the patio to check on our customer's Breadness bag and to my dismay, it was tipped over and had been ripped apart at the bottom of the bag! The phone order paper was torn. A Frequent Flour Rewards Card was now out of the bag. And it looked like one of the loaves had a missing slice!

Sure enough, after carefully removing the loaves, still sealed in their BPA-free plastic bags, one of the bags had been slashed open and the end slice was gone! Who on earth would do such a dastardly deed?

Close examination of the scene of the crime revealed suspicious paw prints. The only creature I knew that would be so bold, so brash, and so clever had to be a SQUIRREL! But there was no way to prove this. Whoever it was, the visible trail ended beyond the chest freezer protective cover.

A few days later I was leaving the house via the patio and the strangest thing happened... a squirrel appeared, looked at me as if to ask, "Got something for me to eat?" Squirrel was about 6 feet away from me at first; pretty darn close as squirrels go (they usually run and hide at the first sign of a human). But this squirrel came closer... and closer... and CLOSER! Soon he was right at my feet. And he STOOD UP on his hind legs with that oh-so-cute expression that hungry squirrels are so good at! (I have no photos of this confrontation so you'll just have to take my word for it.)

During this time, I was having a conversation with Squirrel. I said, "Hi there. You looking for food?" "I don't have any food at the moment." "Did you like the sourdough bread?" "I'll bet it was you who snatched the sourdough slice!" "Was that you?"

Squirrel looked at me hopefully and then, realizing I really didn't have any food, walked away. But Squirrel didn't run away like most squirrels would have.

So that's the Case of the Sourdough Snatcher! Although no hard evidence was found that would have pinned the theft on said Squirrel, this investigator has a hunch that he indeed found the culprit. Or should I say, the culprit found the investigator and "confessed"!

As for how that phone order ended up on at the bakery with a Sunday pickup circled? Do you think Squirrel was clever enough to pull that off?

That's one mystery that may never be solved...

Spooky Sourdough Continues...
Most of our Country Loaf boules this month have Alyssa's Halloween Handiwork on display. Be sure to ask for a Jack-o-Lantern design when picking up your loaf/loaves (while supplies last...).

This Week's Fresh & Frozen Breadness...

Here's what's available from our hand-crafted kitchen this week:

> Choco Chip Chookies! - Gluten-free, Sugar-free, Keto/Plant Paradox-friendly (4 per bag)
> Artisan Sourdough Country Loaves (full-size boule, batard, petite)
> Cinnamon Raisin Maple Pecan Sourdough Loaves (full-size boule, petite)
> Artisan Sourdough Crisps (Naked, Herb, Smoked, Cinnamon Raisin Maple Pecan)
> Artisan Sourdough Country Loaf Rolls! (4 per bag) 
> Cinnamon Raisin Maple Pecan Sourdough Rolls! (3 per bag)
> Blueberry Muffins! - Gluten-free, Sugar-free* Keto/Plant Paradox-friendly
> Beverages - Chocolate Chill, Balsamic Breeze
> Popsicles - Strawberry Coconut Cream, Pineapple Coconut Cream!
* Blueberries contain fructose

Order the above (and any of our other artisan products) at breadness.com/#shop. If a product is visible in the online shop, it's in stock. If you don't see a product in the online shop, it's sold out (but we might be making more, in which case the counter will be set to the available quantity).

Also, we can slice your bread(s) different thicknesses. Our most popular are Medium (about 5/8") and Thin (about 3/8") but we can do in between as well. Just ask! If ordering on line, enter your slicing preference(s) in the Special Instructions box during Checkout.

And Remember... we also carry the finest and freshest Organic Olive Oils from Ojai, Aged Balsamics from Modena, Keto-friendly Nut Butters from Yemetz Family Farms and NuttZo, Jamazing Jams from Laura Ann in Eagle Rock, Solar Grown Honey Spreads from Clif Family in Napa, Tasty Tapenades from Lisa Grabow in Pasadena, and the Best Butters from Raw Farm in Fresno.

Do we ship? Absolutely! 
If you (or someone you wish to gift) live within 120 miles of Los Angeles, we can ship on Wednesday or Thursday (via UPS Ground) and in most cases your Breadness Box will arrive on Thursday or Friday. Place your order before Wednesday morning here. If you live outside of So Cal, we can now ship 2-Day Air (or Ground service) on Wednesday (unsliced bread) for Friday delivery (orders that require 2-Day Air shipping must be in by Wednesday morning!). Join our growing list of nationwide customers who look forward to receiving their Breadness deliveries on a regular basis!

Let's Connect!
Random Acts of Breadness is located at 2214 West Magnolia Blvd. in Burbank (2-1/2 blocks east of Buena Vista on the south side of the street). Come to the bakery and sample our artisan wares, or order on line for bakery pickup, or have Breadness delivered or shipped to your door. You may also order by phone at 818-562-7303 and pay when you come pick it up. We're open Thursday, Friday & Saturday 12 to 6 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.