HUDSON VALLEY CHEF’S TABLE

It’s unusual for bakeries, which are generally places of indulgence, to be defined by what they do not do. Nevertheless, Ella’s Bellas in Beacon is a vegetarian, vegan-friendly bakery/cafe that also happens to be 100 percent gluten free.

Says owner/baker Carley Hughes, “Ella’s Bellas is a gluten-free restaurant because I have a special place in my heart for people who have this disability. Being gluten intolerant dictates your entire life; you don’t have a place where you can feel comfortable.” Exclusively catering to the dietary needs of a small section of the populace wasn’t in Hughes’s original business plan. The idea came when Hughes realized the impact she could have with something as basic as a pan of brownies. “I used to do cake both ways, and then I just kept leaning toward gluten free. Finally, I had a close friend’s niece over, and because she had celiac disease, we made gluten-free brownies and chocolate chip cookies together. She was so happy.” Hughes continues, “It made me think of when I was little and I used to go on Saturdays to the bakery with my mom, and how this girl could never do that. And then I thought, ‘I have to do this.’ And it turns out that I have a gluten intolerance. I just didn’t realize it at the time, but gluten is a migraine trigger for me. I haven’t had a migraine since I gave it up.”

Hughes came to baking as a bit of an escape hatch. “I started out of my house, because I couldn’t just be a stay-at-home mom. I tried it and it didn’t work for me. Food is my passion, especially when it’s locally sourced—and I also want to be sure that everyone has food that they can eat.

“Then we decided that we wanted a storefront. We wanted to start small, so we opened [in 2011] at about half of our current size. And then, as things were building up, we realized that wholesale wasn’t the way to go; retail was smarter. The person next door was leaving, so we broke through the wall in spring 2013.” They decorated their new cafe with wainscoting made from chalkboards and the old windows of their house. Carley’s husband and business partner, Jason Hughes—who has a background in theater—executed Carley’s idea of repurposing giant Hobart mixer whisks as light fixtures. The couple also hit the Internet and found things on Craigslist. What is now Ella’s Bellas came from here, there, and everywhere.

Finally, Ella’s Bellas added a tiny micro-roasting machine not much bigger than a home stand mixer. “Yeah, that’s from Tas Kafe, which was down the street when I was building the business. When I was doing the Beacon Farmer’s Market, he was the stall across from me.” When you visit, look for sweet and savory goods baked with ingredients sourced in the Hudson Valley and, soon, from the owners themselves: “My husband and I just bought a couple of acres, and we’re in the process of putting in a little mini-farm for the shop.”

APPLE CHEDDAR SCONES

½ cup good-quality buttermilk (Hughes uses Hawthorne Valley Farms brand)

½ cup heavy cream (Hughes uses Hudson Valley Fresh brand)

8 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon xanthan gum

1 cup sorghum flour

½ cup teff flour

½ cup tapioca starch

½ cup potato starch

¼ sweet rice flour

¼ cup stone-ground rice flour

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar (preferably local), plus additional for topping scones before baking

1¼ cups shredded apple, about 2 medium-to-large apples (see Chef’s Note)

1 sliced apple for topping

Local honey (optional)

Whisk together the buttermilk and cream until the mixture is frothy, then chill in the refrigerator while you continue making the scones. Cut the butter into tablespoon-size cubes and chill. Preheat oven to 425°F.

In a medium bowl combine the dry ingredients and whisk them together well. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is reduced to pea-size lumps. Using a fork, toss the cheddar and shredded apple into the flour-butter mixture until they are well coated.

Create a well in the middle of the mixture and, still using the fork, toss in all but 2 tablespoons of the buttermilk-cream mixture (reserve the remainder for brushing the tops before baking). Continue to toss the mixture with the fork until it starts to pull together into a dough. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and gently knead it until dough comes together but is still a bit crumbly. Form the dough into a circle about 9 inches in diameter and 1½ inches thick. Cut into eight wedges. Brush with remaining buttermilk-cream mixture and top with cheddar and apple slices. Bake for 12–14 minutes.

Drizzle scones with honey, if desired, as soon as they are removed from the oven. Serve.

Chef’s Note: Hughes recommends not peeling the apples: “I leave the skins on because I like the flecks of color. Red Delicious is my first choice of apple.”

ELLA’S BELLAS

APPLE CHEDDAR SCONES