Banana bread, better than ever
A recipe + smart freezer tip from Hewn Bread's Ellen King
Hi there! Welcome to She’s My Cherry Pie, our baking newsletter and the name of our baking podcast hosted by Jessie Sheehan. (And America’s #1 baking pod! I hope you’re all listeners.)
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One other update—we’re thrilled to be working with writer Alex Beggs! She’s been a contributor to Bon Appétit and The New York Times, among other publications, and has worked on several cookbooks, including Molly Baz’s More is More. She’s a brilliant writer and we’re excited to have her contribute to this newsletter.
Thank you for being here and happy reading!
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Ellen King, tell us your ways
Our banana bread lives, forever changed.
Today on She’s My Cherry Pie, host Jessie Sheehan talked to Ellen King, the owner of Hewn Bread and author of Heritage Baking. Tune in if you love: Banana bread banter, heritage flours, and stories about sudden career pivots. This episode has it all, folks.
Hewn Bread began as the Underground Bread Club, which started when Ellen was dabbling in sourdough and had too many loaves for one family. She found customers in the preschool pick-up scene—and a customer service rep in her little son—and the next thing she knew, she was up at midnight to bake, bake, bake. From there, she opened a cozy brick-and-mortar in Evanston, Illinois, that “feels like you’re in a loaf of bread.” Heaven.
What we love about Ellen is how low-key she makes baking. Mix the batter, bake the batter, test the banana bread with a skewer for crumbs, done. And then she casually dropped a life-changing baking tip: For the most moist banana bread (or any pound cake), wrap and freeze the finished loaf for a day or two. The freezer will slightly break down the cake’s structure, resulting in a moister cake that stays moist longer on the counter than a fresh one.
An inspiring episode, in more ways than one.
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Shop the show
Ellen uses these flat-bottomed pet bowls (!!) as mixing bowls because they stay stable on the counter
Janie’s Mill and Meadowlark are some of Ellen’s favorite mills—you haven’t had AP flour like this
Nielsen-Massey vanilla extract is Ellen’s go-to (we’re gonna need the 32 oz.-bottle)
Major love for this Nordic Ware pan
For you banana babes
Words to live by
“Don’t overthink it.”
—Ellen King
Rabbit hole to chase
Ellen’s mom gave her the cookbook that changed the projection of her life: Tartine Bread
Question for the class
Is it time to dethrone kosher salt?
From the archives
Claire Saffitz chats chocolate soufflé
IRL happenings
Join us in Vegas bound for Int’l Women’s Day!
Don’t miss Jubilee NYC Saturday, 4/12
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Our Substack era has begun!
This is wonderful!