Chestnut-flour bread

Happy fall! I made chestnut-flour bread.🍂

This was my first time using chestnut flour and it was the perfect kickoff to autumn. The flavor is slightly sweet and very earthy (plus there are a ton of health benefits in chestnuts). I could’ve gotten a better rise on this one, I think, but I’m looking forward to practicing more with the flour. Castagnaccio maybe? The ancestors on my Italian side will be proud.

I was inspired by the book Harbana Witch (A Year in the Forest) by Cecilia Lattari. Focusing on herbs and other forest plants, Herbana Witch explores ways to connect with the language of nature (including methods for witches in more urban areas to tend an inner forest landscape) by focusing on plants, activities, animals, etc. for each of the four seasons. Each also includes a bread recipe, which led to me trying out the new flour (I have the acorn version on my list for winter).

I learned that during times of food scarcity, chestnuts were used extensively in food, especially in mountainous areas. In Tuscany, chestnut trees are known as "bread trees" as they fed the local population over centuries.

In addition to the recipe for chestnut-flour bread, the autumn section of Herbana Witch includes notes on additional autumn plants (dog rose, elderberry, service tree, and comfrey), recommended activities (like making sourdough, kefir, and honey syrup) and a short exploration of a sacred animal (for fall, the fox).

The illustrations (by Alice Guidi) are also beautiful—I’m tempted to clip some of them out.

I decided to braid my bread and form a horseshoe for good fortune and protection going into the new season. This weekend, I plan on putting together a hearth-inspired oil to use throughout autumn (with assistance from the saint who accompanies me in the kitchen).

Also shoutout to the rosemary I used to embellish—this is the first year I’ve ✨finally✨ had a successful plant and I’m proud of myself.

Blessings for the equinox and the heart of the harvest.🌰

To learn more about me and my Appalachian folk practice, including info on folk witchcraft, mountain magic, and hearthcraft, please visit gritchenwitch.com or join my Patreon at patreon.com/gritchenwitch.

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