More + Rye Bread with home-milled flour

A book about adventure and motherhood, and a nourishing rye loaf with pumpkin seeds

Mar 26, 2023

Hello hello and welcome to Good Book/Good Bread! If you’re new here, the concept is pretty simple: I review a book I loved in part 1, and in part 2 I show you a bread I made that fits with an aspect of the story. Enjoy!

Part 1: Good Book

More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood by Majka Burhardt (2023)

In a nutshell

More is a beautiful memoir by professional climber and mountain guide Majka Burhardt that follows her through pregnancy and the early years with twins. The format of the book is journal entries spanning five years, and includes the joys and challenges of a life both enriched and utterly transformed by the arrival of her son and daughter. At the same time, Burhardt is also trying to balance her important work as a conservation entrepreneur, and her relationship with her partner, also an accomplished climber and guide. The book is an exploration of identity and what it looks like to be passionate about multiple things, all at the same time.

Why I was drawn to this book

I love reading non-fiction about adventures and adventurers, and am the most engaged by those that include insight into the inner lives of these individuals. This book appealed to me because of the compelling journal entries from a totally badass woman about the challenges of her very full and fascinating life.

Three things I liked about More

1. The honesty

Burhardt is so candid about the challenges of motherhood, and doesn’t seem to hold back. I imagine some of the passages about the tension and resentment that developed between her and her husband may have been difficult to write or put out into the world, but they were very refreshing in their openness—and I’m sure are relatable for other couples with young kids to read.

2. Seeing the evaluation of risk and responsibility

Burhardt is one of the top female climbers in the world, and because of this her perception of risk is different than most people. Given this, I found it very interesting to have a window into how her and her husband evaluated and changed their notions of what was acceptable risk for them once they had their twins. Especially since for both of them, taking these risks in the outdoors is deeply intertwined with fulfillment and identity.

3. Journal format

I can’t remember the last time I read a book written in a first-person, journal format. I think it works very well in More. It gave me the sense as a reader that I was with Burhardt as she stole small windows of time while her kids were napping, or she was in her car alone on her way to a speaking engagement. It is a very intimate style that goes hand-in-hand with the honest, almost confessional narration.

Notable passage

“I want the perfect balance of it. And for my whole life I have assumed that if I were in balance it would feel good all of the time—as if I’d have an intrinsic meter for knowing exactly how much time to parcel out to motherhood versus career, to staying at Mom’s house versus Dad’s, to being in the mountains versus being at school. Maybe I had it wrong. Maybe balance is not achieved or felt as bliss. Maybe balance is achieved with heartbreak and yearning at the margins.”

Why this bread for this book?

I wanted to bake something nutritious and sustaining, as many times in this book I found myself thinking about how much energy Burhardt must have. I chose this hearty rye loaf, made with flour I milled myself, and topped it with pumpkin seeds.

Recipe

I used this recipe, and broke out my new Mockmill attachment for my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer to mill organic rye berries. The flavour from the flour was delicious, but the dough was so hard to work with! It will definitely be a learning process using fresh milled flour for baking bread, but I’m excited for it.

How I ate it:

Fresh from the oven, with thick slices of havarti.

Looking forward

Book I’m looking forward to reading: Breadsong by Kitty Tait and Al Tait
Bread I’m looking forward to baking: Dark chocolate cherry sourdough, here
New album I’m looking forward to listening to: Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard by Lana Del Ray

Have other books, bread, or music you’d recommend I check out? Reply to this email or leave a comment. And, if you liked this issue, feel free to hit the heart button (it helps other people find my newsletter!)