Bread that never gets moldy!

As we’ve established over the course of this class thus far, it seems fairly important (to most) to know what is in our food and where it comes from. It has also been established that it is incredibly difficult to know where all of our food comes from and the processing involved to get it to the market in an aesthetic condition. We can derive from the definition of society that we all must choose our battles, and hopefully share our findings with the rest of those around us. One battle that I have chosen is that of bread. As a large part of my diet, I feel that I should devote quite a bit of attention to it. My sister first taught me to bake four or five years ago, and I’ve been going at it non-stop ever since. Through the past few years, I have been learning (and continue to do so) about what makes a good bread. One of the quickest lessons that I had learned was that commercially produced bread does not constitute as “good bread.” One only needs four ingredients to make a loaf of white bread. The last time I looked at the ingredient list on the back of a loaf at the store, there were quite a few “extras” tossed in with the mix. There is no need for them. Bread made at home does not need preservatives, as it does not mold if done properly. While the time difference of baking a loaf versus buying a loaf is quite substantial (around 3 or 4 hours against 15 minutes, respectively), the reward is much more satisfying.

With so few ingredients in a loaf of basic bread, it becomes much easier to track down where those ingredients come from (the four basics being flour, water, yeast and salt). All of the ingredients can be found at the co-op, and any other store with a decent bulk section. If ingredients are bought in bulk quantities, the cost is, intuitively, brought down. It’s possible to make a basic loaf of bread for just a few cents a loaf, even with quality ingredients. It’s easy to ask who the current supplier of a bulk product is (although most are written right on the bin), and give a phone call to find out more about the product. I’ve been fortunate enough to come across flour and wheat berries from the company Wheat Montana, which sees their local wheat through from seed to store. Whenever I head to Spokane to see my family, I always make sure to stock up. I haven’t seen this wheat around Bellingham, but there are several wheat farmers in the area that supply excellent wheat without additives.

I always have a loaf or two on hand now, and when I see that I’m starting to run low, I can just whip up a dough starter in the evening - taking about 20 minutes - then let it sit in the fridge overnight to rise. In the morning I’ll take it out and punch it down, shape it into loaves, and let it rise again while coming to room temperature. I can let it do the second rise while at school, then come home and bake it for 30-40 minutes. Utilizing the refrigerator, it is easy to spread baking around one’s schedule without having a continuous 3 to 4 hour block devoted to baking bread.

I’ve come to a point in my life where I feel that I must make the process of preparing food just as important as the food itself. I suppose it is quite reminiscent of a utilitarian approach of “not treating something as a means to an end, but rather as an end in itself.” All bread must be baked, whether at home or in a factory. But I pose the question: Why not at home? It is much less expensive, much more satisfying, you know where it came from and what went into it, and don’t have to worry about mold. If time is a concern, the ever-popular quick breads can be prepared and baked in less than an hour. Although somewhat shunned in the baking community, they will suffice for a delicious and speedy method to prepare your own food.

Pita bread is another incredibly simple bread to make, taking only six to eight minutes to bake. It is a real marvel to watch rise in the oven, making an open pocket once cut in half. I was on a pita kick for a while, and had stacks of these things laying around, stuffing them with whatever I had on hand.

It’s easy to lose sight of what is important to human survival. We need food before we need technology. Eating should be a celebration of what it took to get to that point, not just something to do while watching television or browsing the internet. It is my hope that we can rid the world of Wonder Bread and all start taking the time to see both food and the path it takes to become such as ends in themselves.


For an incredibly technical explanation of what is happening while bread is rising, I recommend the following article:

Bikard, Jérôme, et al. "Simulation of bread making process using a direct 3D numerical method at microscale: Analysis of foaming phase during proofing." Journal of Food Engineering. 85.2 Mar. 2008: 259-267.