Additional information about bread

1. Slice of
Knowledge

2. bread has been
prepared for at
least 30,000
years

3. Bread Conspiracy
 Thousands abandon bread… Celiac disease affects 1 in 100, but
gluten sensitivity is detectable in as many as 1 in 5
 The “Green revolution” spawned new high-yielding varieties of
wheat with artificial fertilizers and pesticides used in intensive
farming. But this new wheat has fewer vitamins.
 The Chorleywood Bread Process (CBP) started in 1961 turned
into a digestive disaster. Traditionally most bread was allowed
time to ferment (rise) for many hours, often overnight. The
CBP used a slew of chemicals to make very white loafs in a
fraction of the time.
 Only if you let the dough ferment long enough can naturally
occurring beneficial bacteria work to make the bread more
digestible, nutritious and tasty.

4. Quick Facts

5. “Having that satisfaction of having Trendy Bread
home made bread and that personal
connection with the person who Under-the-Table Bread Co.
baked it for you.” proposes to take the CSA
Sara Walton Andrews model of food commerce and
apply it to that satisfying but
elusive thing: a truly decent
loaf of real bread. Customers
subscribe and get bread
deliveries per their particular
subscription; weekly, bi-
weekly, and other
arrangements are possible, as
well as special orders. Bread
arrives at your doorstep, often
still warm, often by bicycle:
fragrant, hearty loaves of
goodness, made with mostly
organic and local ingredients.

6. THE RISE OF
BREAD PORN

7. “Tell me what you
eat, and I will tell you
what you are.”
Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, 1825

8. How to bake a loaf
1. Overnight sponge
5g fresh yeast (or 3g dried yeast)
130g water (at about 20°C)
150g stoneground wholemeal flour
[285g total]
Dissolve the yeast in some of the water and add it to the flour with the rest of the water. Mix until the dough has "cleared",
that is, all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. There is no need to knead the sponge, since time will develop the gluten
sufficiently. Put the sponge in a bowl large enough to allow it to expand to at least three times its original size. Cover with a
lid or polythene bag and leave it at room temperature for 12-18 hours.
2. The final dough
285g overnight sponge (from above)
450g flour (wholemeal or a mix of white and wholemeal)
5g salt
270g water (warm to the hand, i.e. 30-35°C)
15g butter or olive oil (optional, but makes rolls a bit softer)
[1,025g total]
Mix all the ingredients into a soft dough. Knead without adding extra flour until it is silky and slightly stretchy. Cover and
leave to rise for 1 hour. Divide into 12 pieces (or two for small loaves), shape into rolls, dip into wholemeal flour to get a good
covering, and place on a baking tray with about 2cm separating them. Cover with a large polythene bag but don't let it touch
the rolls. Let them rise until they are just touching each other, then bake in a hot oven (220°C) for 10-15 minutes. They
should have a thin floury crust and feel soft after they have cooled.
© Andrew Whitley 2008.