History
Mesquite pods are a Tohono O'odham heritage food, harvested June and July from velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina) trees that line the Tucson Basin. The dried pods are milled in stone metates traditionally; today Native Seeds/SEARCH and Mission Garden offer milling services seasonally. The flour is naturally sweet (high in fructose and sucrose), gluten-free, and pairs well with white Sonora wheat. Don Guerra of Barrio Bread uses mesquite flour in seasonal loaves, and Mission Garden's annual mesquite milling day in late June draws Tohono O'odham elders and Tucson home bakers.
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Make it at home
Ingredients
- 120g mesquite flour
- 120g all-purpose flour
- 120g unsalted butter, softened
- 80g brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 100g chopped pecans
Method
- Preheat oven to 175C / 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Cream the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light, about 3 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla, mix to combine.
- Sift together mesquite flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- Add the dry mix to the wet mix, fold to just combined. Stir in the pecans.
- Drop tablespoon-sized portions onto the prepared sheet, spaced 5cm apart.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are set but the centers still soft. Cool on the sheet 5 minutes before transferring to a rack.
Tip from the editors. Mesquite flour is naturally sweet. Reduce the sugar in any recipe you adapt to use it.
Where to eat mesquite flour
Mesquite flour in Tucson
Barrio Bread ★ 4.9
Barrio Bread on South Eastbourne in Tucson is Don Guerra's James Beard Outstanding Baker 2022 bakery, milling heritage white Sonora wheat loaves.
Worth the queuePan integral white Sonora wheat loaf
More places near Barrio Bread
Not on this list, but close by, nearest first. Every one is in our guide with its address, hours and what to order.
- Bisbee Breakfast Club Bakery Bakery, under 100 m away
- Bisbee Breakfast Club Café, under 100 m away
- Yellow Brick Coffee Café, about 1.3 km away
- Caffe Luce Café, about 3.0 km away
- Caffe Luce Coffee Roasting Co. Coffee roaster, about 3.0 km away
More cities are in research. Want mesquite flour covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.