Four years ago my sister and I started our Micro b Four years ago my sister and I started our Micro bakery called The Flour Barn.  We turned a barn on our family farm into a commercial kitchen and started with one product, Cinnamon Rolls. As we got more and more orders we added more and more products. As we sold more products we could afford better equipment, than employees, slowly creating the bakery we always dreamed of....

https://theflourbarnhomestead.com/how-to-make-money-from-your-micro-bakery-at-home/
Garden Season is among us! Tomatoes are starting t Garden Season is among us! Tomatoes are starting to turn, sweet corn is ready to harvest and we are so excited! For years our family has a had a big garden that we not only enjoy for the summer, but that we preserve for the whole year! It is such a treat to be able to have fresh tasting sweet corn in the middle of December, or delicious marinara for Stromboli. 

We have a few openings in tonights Sweet Corn Harvest dinner class as well as in our Harvest dinner class in a couple weeks. We also have several blog articles you can check out to help you utilize your garden!

To sign up for a class:

https://the-flour-barn.square.site/shop/class/9?page=1&limit=30&sort_by=category_order&sort_order=asc

How to preserve tomatoes:

https://theflourbarnhomestead.com/how-to-make-the-best-homemade-roasted-tomato-sauce/

How to make delicious Zucchini bread:

https://theflourbarnhomestead.com/whole-wheat-zucchini-bread-recipe/
We are back this week Friday 8-12 and Saturday 8-1 We are back this week Friday 8-12 and Saturday 8-11! We are so excited to get back to baking💕 Make sure to place your orders for Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls, Focaccia Breakfast Sandwiches and more! See you soon☺️🥰😱💕

To preorder:

https://the-flour-barn.square.site

To check out our blog:

Theflourbarnhomestead.com

Our address:
The Flour Barn
17200 Kandel rd Marysville
Although we are closed this Saturday, we do still Although we are closed this Saturday, we do still have a few classes available for this summer! We have a Sweet Corn Harvest Dinner coming up next week as well as another amazing Harvest dinner in a couple weeks🥰 For more information check out the link below…

https://the-flour-barn.square.site
The Flour Barn Bakery will open tomorrow 8-11! Ras The Flour Barn Bakery will open tomorrow 8-11! Raspberry Cheesecake Rolls, Caprese Sandwiches, and an Iced White Chocolate Blackberry Latte are all perfect on a beautiful summer day! We also will be selling fresh flowers from heritagefarm and sweet corn from Muddy Pike Pumpkins and Produce! 

To preorder:

https://the-flour-barn.square.site

Tomorrows case:
- Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls
- Raspberry Cheesecake Rolls 
- Honey Buns
- Key Lime Pie Bars
- Strawberry Cream Croissants 
- Various Danish
- Ham and Cheese Croissants
- Cosmic Jumbo Brownies 
- Ham and Cheddar Quiche
- Maple Sausage Breakfast Sandwich
- Focaccia Bacon Breakfast Sandwich 
- Summer Berry Cheesecake Bars
- Sourdough Loaves
- Oatmeal Cream Pies
- Lemon Blueberry Scones
- Cold Brew
- Various Lattes 
- Chai Latte
- Hemisphere Coffee
The Flour Pot is open today 8-1! Stop by for some The Flour Pot is open today 8-1! Stop by for some coffee and cinnamon rolls😍
Throwback Flavor: Raspberry Cheesecake Rolls! This Throwback Flavor: Raspberry Cheesecake Rolls! This was one of our first specialty rolls 4 years ago😱 It feels like just yesterday we started selling our Cinnamon Rolls out of the barn💕 Raspberry Cheesecake Rolls and Caprese Sandwiches are both available for preorder for a limited time! 

To preorder: 

https://the-flour-barn.square.site
Check out our website to get this delicious Zucchi Check out our website to get this delicious Zucchini bread recipe! When baking at home I try to use as much freshly milled whole wheat flour as I can. It’s how I justify the amount of bread my son eats… 

Link in bio or go to theflourbarnhomestead.com to find all our favorite recipes!
The only thing we love more than making sourdough The only thing we love more than making sourdough is sharing it! We sell our sourdough bread every Friday and Saturday at our little bakery on our family farm. 

We also teach a class on sourdough bread baking every month! Link to order our bread or sign up for one of our classes is in our bio.

#sourdough #microbakery #microbakerylife #sourdoughbread #sourdoughbreadbaking #homesteading #sourdoughbakery #ohiobakery
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Bakery recipes, Behind the Business, Class Content, Our Homestead · July 6, 2023

Making A Gorgeous Charcuterie Board Ahead of Time

For my bakery, The Flour Barn, I have made many different Charcuterie Boards. Some classic charcuterie boards for family picnics, some themed charcuterie boards for special holidays, and some giant grazing tables for hundreds of guests. I also teach a class on assembling charcuterie boards! Charcuterie is a complex combination of art, flavor and planning. A charcuterie platter is actually the perfect appetizer to make ahead, it just takes a little strategizing and I am here to help you out! So let’s make a charcuterie board ahead of time…

What is Charcuterie?

The French term Charcuterie is a term used to describe a type of cooking based on the preparation of cold cooked meats. A Charcuterie can also be a term used to describe a store that sells cold cuts. Unlike a typical butcher, the meats you would get from a charcuterie are ready to eat, making it more comparable to a deli.

But lately when referring to charcuterie, people are usually referring to Charcuterie boards. A Charcuterie board is an appetizer served on a type of board that includes great meats, various cheeses, spreads and crackers. In the same family of charcuterie boards are grazing boards, or grazing tables. These boards have the same spread-like appearance as a charcuterie board, but with less strict qualifiers. Grazing tables may include desserts, kid friendly treats, and other unique foods that do not fall into the meat, cheese, bread category. I personally view the two interchangeably when planning events for larger groups, and throughout this article may use the terms interchangeably.

THINGS TO AVOID WITH YOUR CHARCUTERIE BOARD

There are a few key things to avoid when creating a charcuterie spread.

  • An Intimidating board:
    • New spreads or funky colors you have never seen on cheese can cause panic even to the swankiest among us. You want to make sure that even at first glance your guest can picture the first bite they are going to take. An example of this would be putting your crostini right next to the bruschetta, or the carrot stick next to your hummus. Don’t make your guests have to work too hard to understand how to enjoy your board.
  • Form over Function:
    • So much of charcuterie is making your food look beautiful. But when it comes to food, beautiful should also mean delicious looking. Make sure you choose a cheese that matches the flavors on your board, because the most interesting looking one might also be a very stinky option.
    • Make sure you think about how your guests are going to create their bite. Do not include an uncut brie round and then also not have something to spread it with. This is why I would suggest cutting your cheeses and meats into bite sized pieces for your guests.
  • Lack of Flavor diversity:
    • Whether your charcuterie board is for an appetizer, a light afternoon snack or a meal, you always want plenty of diversity in your options. In other words, instead of having all salty snacks on your board, also have hints of sweet throughout the board.
    • In turn, if you are making a dessert board, you always want some salty to peak through the sweet. A great way to achieve this would be  chocolate covered potato chips, chocolate peanuts, or pretzels dipped in a sweet spread.

Key elements to a Charcuterie Board

  • Thrillers: This is basically the main course of the board. Popular choices of the perfect charcuterie board may be a bowl of bruschetta, a salami rose, hummus or a cast iron full of baked brie.
  • Fillers:These items will accompany your thrillers. So if bruschetta is your thriller, then your filler will be crostini to eat the bruschetta on and maybe some burrata cheese to throw on the crostini as well. These are great ways to add a variety of flavorsinto your board.
    • Common combos:
      • Hummus: Naan bread bites, pita chips, carrot sticks.
      • Baked brie: Butter crackers, Triscuits crackers, Baguette slices (crostini)
      • Bruschetta: Marinated Mozzarella, Burrata cheese, Crostini, Toasted Sourdough, Fresh basil
      • Salami Rose: Smoked Gouda, Muenster cheese, Cheddar, Butter crackers, Triscuits crackers.
  • Spillers: These are items that don’t directly pair with any items but add to the overall board. This can include fresh fruits, chocolates, candied nuts and dried fruits.

Preparing your Board Ahead

Meats

On classic charcuterie board we often see meats like salami, prosciutto, ham and sometimes hardier meats like summer sausage. When preparing meat products for your board you want to think about two things: retaining the freshness of the meat and preparing the meat to be easy to eat. 

–If you are preparing only a couple hours before your event: You can simply cut, design and place your meat on to your board directly. You will then cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge with other items such as cheeses and fruit. 

–If you are preparing several hours or days in advance: You can still cut and design your meat and simply store in an airtight container. 

What do I mean by cut and design? An example would be a salami rose. This provides great visual interest to a good charcuterie board and is easy to make ahead and store in a container. In addition, you can cut your summer sausage or hard salami into slices, as you do not want to leave you guests with this task. Other combinations of meat may include separating thin slices of salami or prosciutto so that it is easy to assemble on your board, this can take longer than you expect. 

Cheeses

To some, the best charcuterie board is simply a cheese board filled with a variety of cheeses. And boy are there plenty of cheeses out there; soft cheeses, hard cheeses, blue cheese, goat cheese, cheese wedges, spreadable cheese and the list goes on! But do not feel intimidated because it is still a simple process when making ahead.

–If you are preparing only a couple hour before your event: You can simply cut, design and place your cheese on to your board directly. You can then cover it with plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge with other items such as meats and fruit. I will suggest you lay some plastic wrap around your cheese separately and then again covering the whole board with an additional piece of plastic wrap. This will prevent any other flavors from being absorbed into your cheese. 

–If you are preparing several hours or days in advance: The big fear is that all your flavors will start to taste like each other. You do not want a mozzarella that taste like salami, and you don’t want ham that tastes like blue cheese. Soft cheeses are more at risk for absorbing other strong flavors. To avoid this, store in a separate container from other fragrant items. You can still cut and design your meat and simply store in another airtight container. 

Another factor to note about cheese is that it actually tastes best at room temperature. So, if the board is all prepped and in the fridge, I suggest getting it out 30 minutes before guests arrive. If you are waiting to put the board together, give your cheese platter 30 minutes to reach room temperature.

Fruits

Fruits are perfect for adding different colors as well as a variety of flavors to your board. Whether it’s clusters of grapes, a bunch of cherry tomatoes or large, beautiful strawberries, fruit is sure to make your guests’ mouths water. 

Fresh Fruit

–If you are preparing only a couple hours before your event: You can go ahead and wash your fruit and dry it very well. Then cut it how you would like it to be consumed; separate the grapes and cut the strawberries (although I prefer the look of a whole strawberry). Then you can assemble this directly onto your board along with the meats and cheese and cover with plastic wrap.

–If you are preparing several hours or days in advance: You can still wash your fruit and cut it how you are planning to eat it. Then I would suggest placing a paper towel in your airtight container and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to fully assemble your board. Again, the fear is that all your flavors will start to taste like each other. 

Dried fruit

– Dried fruit can be placed on the board at any time. They do not absorb other flavors easily at all and are perfect for when you are prepping a charcuterie board ahead of time.

Carbs

 Your meat and cheese selection are significantly enhanced by good crackers or baguettes to pair them with. Although these are the least perishable items you have to be concerned about, they do lose their freshness the fastest. Crackers, pretzels and crostini should always be packaged until the last minute. This should not hold you back too much though. Simply place your packaged crackers where you intend to have them, and then right before your event starts, unpackage your crackers and let the fun begin. If you are having slices of sourdough bread or baguettes with your board, have your slices of bread in a bag until right before it’s time to assemble. Or better yet, leave the bread to be cut until right before you assemble. With everything else properly prepped, you are left with an easy setup. 

Other Items to Consider for Easy Prep

–Fresh Bruschetta: This a great recipe that gets better sitting in the fridge. Perfect for when you want to prepare your board ahead. Once prepared, place in the bowl you’ll serve it in and keep in the fridge covered with plastic wrap. When it’s time to set up your board, simply get it out, place the bowl on your board and wow your guests!

-Fresh Herbs: Fresh herbs are great spillers on a board; they provide beautiful color as well as aromatics. Simply get them out last minute and tuck them into any empty spots on your board.

​-Butter Boards: This new trend is perfect for prepping ahead. You simply prepare the butter on your board and then store it in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Then you decorate with all the items you have to accompany the butter; mini scones, croissants, sourdough…. 

–Baked Brie: This is a showstopper that you pop in the oven about fifteen minutes before guests arrive and place on the board gooey and warm.

Uncooked baked brie
Baked Brie with Caramelized Onion
Baked Brie Recipe with blackberry compote

Best Charcuterie Board Ahead of Time

charcuterie board ahead of time
Wood Boards

Wood boards are beautiful for charcuterie because they add a perfect texture. However, they can absorb flavor more than other boards. Make sure you are using a hard wood such as oak, walnut, acacia, maple, mahogany. Soft woods like cedar, pine or spruce may start to absorb the smell of your combination of meats or harder cheeses. In addition, they could impart a smell to your food. HERE is a very classic charcuterie board option.  

Marble boards

Marble boards are less likely to absorb or put out any smells. However, they can react to acidic elements such as tomatoes and lemons. So if you have acidic items on your board for an extended period of time, it my negatively affect your board. One solution is to wait until the last minute to place any acidic items on it or place them in a separate container and place it on top of the board or beside it. HERE is a beautiful option for a marble charcuterie board.

Slate Boards

Slate boards are an underappreciated option. They don’t absorb or give off smells, they don’t corrode, and they are very pretty. They also hold temperature well, so if you have to place your board in the fridge for a bit, when you get it out it will remain cold for a while. HERE is a great option!

Making A Gorgeous Charcuterie Board Ahead of Time

So there you have it, all the advice I can think of to help you make your own charcuterie board ahead of time. Let me know if you all have anymore questions and if you used this advice and if it helped! If you’re preparing a charcuterie spread for a large amount of people, check out my post Charcuterie for Large Groups.

Hey Everyone! I am Lily, part owner of the Flour Barn Bakery and one of the writers for the Flour Barn Homestead. I love art, baking and drinking coffee on the porch with my sisters:) Thanks for reading!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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In: Bakery recipes, Behind the Business, Class Content, Our Homestead · Tagged: charcuterie, easy charcuterie, how to make charcuterie in advance

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Four years ago my sister and I started our Micro b Four years ago my sister and I started our Micro bakery called The Flour Barn.  We turned a barn on our family farm into a commercial kitchen and started with one product, Cinnamon Rolls. As we got more and more orders we added more and more products. As we sold more products we could afford better equipment, than employees, slowly creating the bakery we always dreamed of....

https://theflourbarnhomestead.com/how-to-make-money-from-your-micro-bakery-at-home/
Garden Season is among us! Tomatoes are starting t Garden Season is among us! Tomatoes are starting to turn, sweet corn is ready to harvest and we are so excited! For years our family has a had a big garden that we not only enjoy for the summer, but that we preserve for the whole year! It is such a treat to be able to have fresh tasting sweet corn in the middle of December, or delicious marinara for Stromboli. 

We have a few openings in tonights Sweet Corn Harvest dinner class as well as in our Harvest dinner class in a couple weeks. We also have several blog articles you can check out to help you utilize your garden!

To sign up for a class:

https://the-flour-barn.square.site/shop/class/9?page=1&limit=30&sort_by=category_order&sort_order=asc

How to preserve tomatoes:

https://theflourbarnhomestead.com/how-to-make-the-best-homemade-roasted-tomato-sauce/

How to make delicious Zucchini bread:

https://theflourbarnhomestead.com/whole-wheat-zucchini-bread-recipe/
We are back this week Friday 8-12 and Saturday 8-1 We are back this week Friday 8-12 and Saturday 8-11! We are so excited to get back to baking💕 Make sure to place your orders for Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls, Focaccia Breakfast Sandwiches and more! See you soon☺️🥰😱💕

To preorder:

https://the-flour-barn.square.site

To check out our blog:

Theflourbarnhomestead.com

Our address:
The Flour Barn
17200 Kandel rd Marysville
Although we are closed this Saturday, we do still Although we are closed this Saturday, we do still have a few classes available for this summer! We have a Sweet Corn Harvest Dinner coming up next week as well as another amazing Harvest dinner in a couple weeks🥰 For more information check out the link below…

https://the-flour-barn.square.site
The Flour Barn Bakery will open tomorrow 8-11! Ras The Flour Barn Bakery will open tomorrow 8-11! Raspberry Cheesecake Rolls, Caprese Sandwiches, and an Iced White Chocolate Blackberry Latte are all perfect on a beautiful summer day! We also will be selling fresh flowers from heritagefarm and sweet corn from Muddy Pike Pumpkins and Produce! 

To preorder:

https://the-flour-barn.square.site

Tomorrows case:
- Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls
- Raspberry Cheesecake Rolls 
- Honey Buns
- Key Lime Pie Bars
- Strawberry Cream Croissants 
- Various Danish
- Ham and Cheese Croissants
- Cosmic Jumbo Brownies 
- Ham and Cheddar Quiche
- Maple Sausage Breakfast Sandwich
- Focaccia Bacon Breakfast Sandwich 
- Summer Berry Cheesecake Bars
- Sourdough Loaves
- Oatmeal Cream Pies
- Lemon Blueberry Scones
- Cold Brew
- Various Lattes 
- Chai Latte
- Hemisphere Coffee
The Flour Pot is open today 8-1! Stop by for some The Flour Pot is open today 8-1! Stop by for some coffee and cinnamon rolls😍
Throwback Flavor: Raspberry Cheesecake Rolls! This Throwback Flavor: Raspberry Cheesecake Rolls! This was one of our first specialty rolls 4 years ago😱 It feels like just yesterday we started selling our Cinnamon Rolls out of the barn💕 Raspberry Cheesecake Rolls and Caprese Sandwiches are both available for preorder for a limited time! 

To preorder: 

https://the-flour-barn.square.site
Check out our website to get this delicious Zucchi Check out our website to get this delicious Zucchini bread recipe! When baking at home I try to use as much freshly milled whole wheat flour as I can. It’s how I justify the amount of bread my son eats… 

Link in bio or go to theflourbarnhomestead.com to find all our favorite recipes!
The only thing we love more than making sourdough The only thing we love more than making sourdough is sharing it! We sell our sourdough bread every Friday and Saturday at our little bakery on our family farm. 

We also teach a class on sourdough bread baking every month! Link to order our bread or sign up for one of our classes is in our bio.

#sourdough #microbakery #microbakerylife #sourdoughbread #sourdoughbreadbaking #homesteading #sourdoughbakery #ohiobakery
Never gets old… Never gets old…
The Flour Barn Bakery will be open this week Frida The Flour Barn Bakery will be open this week Friday 8-1 and Saturday 8-11! You can go ahead and preorder favorites like our Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls, Cream Filled Croissants and our Focaccia Breakfast Sandwiches! 

Address:
The Flour Barn
17200 Kandel Rd Marysville 

To Preorder:

https://the-flour-barn.square.site
🥐☕️ 🥐☕️
Saturday morning breakfast at The Flour Barn Baker Saturday morning breakfast at The Flour Barn Bakery, what could be better?! Our special Peach Cobbler Rolls are still here for a limited time, as well as our delicious Summer Berry Cheesecake Bars😍 Full case list below…

To get the full Flour Barn experience, grab a Blackberry White Chocolate Latte and a pack of Jumbo Cinnamon rolls while you take in the country air🥰  We recommend preordering Peach Cobbler rolls, Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls and Focaccia Breakfast Sandwiches!

To preorder:

https://the-flour-barn.square.site

Tomorrows case:
- Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls
- Peach Cobbler Rolls
- Honey Buns
- Key Lime Pie Bars
- Strawberry Cream Croissants 
- Various Danish
- Ham and Cheese Croissants
- Cosmic Jumbo Brownies 
- Ham and Cheddar Quiche
- Maple Sausage Breakfast Sandwich
- Focaccia Bacon Breakfast Sandwich 
- Summer Berry Cheesecake Bars
- Sourdough Loaves
- Oatmeal Cream Pies
- Lemon Blueberry Scones
- Cold Brew
- Various Lattes 
- Chai Latte
- Hemisphere Coffee
Open today 8-1! Get a delicious coffee and a break Open today 8-1! Get a delicious coffee and a breakfast sandwich! Or some Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls and Sourdough bread. Ordering will be inside due to weather. See you soon☺️
Our Sweet Corn Harvest Dinner Class was so fun and Our Sweet Corn Harvest Dinner Class was so fun and delicious. Together we learned to make several dishes using farm fresh sweet corn, and then we sat down and enjoyed the delicious meal together💕

To sign up for our next Harvest Series class:

https://the-flour-barn.square.site/shop/class/9?page=1&limit=30&sort_by=category_order&sort_order=asc
A delicious Sweet Corn Harvest Dinner Class💕 We A delicious Sweet Corn Harvest Dinner Class💕 We learned how to make so many amazing sweet corn recipes and then sat done and enjoyed each of them with some freshly baked sourdough😍 Still spots left in Augusts class!

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