Around the World with Bread

4,000 - 200 YEARS AGO

Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt

Originally people chewed on wheat berries to get nutrition, but it was soon discovered that pounding it into a paste and baking it over a fire was delicious and kept for awhile. Around 1,000 BC bakers started to allow their breads to “work” and rise, and this tradition spread to the Greeks.

Middle Ages

A sign of social status in the Middle Ages was the color of bread; the darker the bread the poorer the person eating it. This was because lighter flours were harder for millers to fill in with added cheap grain flours, and often all the poor people could afford was the darker, coarse flours. Today it’s often the exact opposite, with a darker, chewier breads often costing more than a loaf of ‘Wonder Bread.’ Still, that dark, coarse and cheap bread kept many people alive in medieval times.

And now, see how far bread has come..

20 YEARS AGO

Do you remember a time when yeast didn’t come pre-packaged in a handy little container filled with little granules? As little children, yeast fascinated us: mixing it with warm water, waiting for the homey, yeasty smell to rise and the yeast to work was a delight, especially if mom let us have a slice later on with homemade freezer jam.

Even though we ate store bought bread now and then, we quickly learned to dislike the white ‘fluffy air’ and preferred to only eat home-baked bread. The stuff Mom baked had a flavor and a consistency that you just couldn’t find anywhere else, and when you ate it, it actually satisfied. As a bonus, we’ve included Mom’s ww bread recipe.

And now, see what you can make..

Mom’s Whole Wheat Bread

Instructions:

12 cups fresh ground hard white wheat

4.5 cups warm water

3 T Active or Instant yeast

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. In stand mixer combine water and yeast, and if using active let it work a bit until there is a warm, yeasty smell.
3. Add sugar, oil and 9 cups of flour to water and yeast. Mix.
4. Let it sit for 10 minutes, covered. Hint: This is one of the secrets to baking great Whole Wheat Bread
5. Using dough hook add in the other 3 cups of flour, and mix for a minute. If it is still sticky add flour in ¼ c’s until it is just about cleaning sides of bowl. Knead for 10 minutes.
6. If using active let it rise twice, if using instant form into bread loaves immediately and let it rise to double height before baking at 350°F.

This recipe makes 4 regular loaves

If using pre-ground flour, fluff it a bit so as not to use too much.

** If you have to eat gluten-free, don’t worry, there are lots of options out there for you.

Check out ----> Gluten Free Multi Purpose Flour

Recipe ----> Gluten Free Sandwhich Bread Recipe