Day 2: History of Bread

On our second day of camp we learned about the history of bread and baked some of our own. We don't always think of bread as a technological breakthrough, but it was actually a main influence that allowed our hunter-gatherer ancestors to settle down and establish permanent civilizations.

We started the day by listing all the different types of breads we could think of and guessing how recently each had been developed:

Next we mixed up a batch of buttermilk-honey white bread. The kids had a blast kneading their individual pieces of dough. While it was rising, we discussed the history of bread (see below) and stirred up some corn bread. Here's the dry ingredients team:

While the cornbread was in the oven we talked about the numerous technological innovations that have contributed to the bread we eat today (see below). Once the dough was ready, everyone shaped their own loaf. Some took their inspiration from Peter Reinhart's excellent reference, The Bread Baker's Apprentice:

A favorite pasttime while others measured and mixed was hand-grinding wheat. Our grain mill was a real hit!

After all that talking and mixing and shaping, it was time for lunch. Afterwards the kids crashed for some individual reading time:

Then they took advantage of our quiet, flat block for some bike riding . . .

. . . followed by a Bey Blades tournament:

Finally, during quiet reflection and journaling, the bread came out of the oven. Yum!

History of Bread
The earliest breads were produced by cooking a thin paste of grain and water on hot rocks and looked something like tortillas. These were followed by flatbreads like pita, lavosh, and na'an. Here are some quick videos that show how these are made:

• Making Egyptian flatbread (:50)
• Medieval bake ovens (1:08)

Eventually yeast was discovered and, together with more advanced grains and milling techniques, led to lighter, taller breads like those we typically eat today.

• You can literally watch bread rise (2:40)

Want to learn more about the history of bread? Check out these links:

• Baker's Federation
• History Channel 
• Panera Bread 

Technology of Bread

Baking the bread we buy at the grocery store today required various technological innovations:

• Wheat had to be engineered so the husks could be removed without heating (8000 BC). Horses were used for ploughing (1500 BC).
• Grinding techniques developed from pounding grain between two rocks, to using a mortar and pestle, to milling grain using flat spinning stones (1000 BC), to steel grinders (1865 AD). Wind (600 AD) and water power (1875 AD) made it possible to grind more grain faster.
• Yeast was first captured directly from the air (~1500 BC), then sourdough starters were developed. Yeast was also skimmed from the foam on top of beer. Commercial yeast became available in the late 1700s.  
• Baking first took place on hot stones. Clay ovens were developed (5000 BC), followed much later by commercial baking ovens.
• Baking pans made it possible to produce loaves of a consistent shape (1700-1800).
• Slicing and packaging bread became possible by machine (1912)

After awhile bakers added ingredients like eggs, dairy, honey, and sugar. They came up with some pretty amazing creations, like the ones you encounter during a visit to a French bakery (2:15).

Comparing Breads

The bread we eat today might come from a grocery store chain or from an independent bakery. Here's an excellent overview of how bread is made in a factory (7:28). And here's a look at the specialized knowledge and dedication involved in running an independent bakery (the owner actually compares baking bread to surfing!) (6:37). If you're into virtual bread, you may appreciate this Minecraft 100% Automatic Bread Factory (1:24).

After World War II, flour was bleached and additives were introduced to extend the shelf life of bread. Check out the difference in the number of ingredients as breads are more processed:

Homemade Buttermilk-Honey Bread: Unbleached all-purpose flour, buttermilk, water, honey, butter, instant dry yeast, salt, sugar.

Panera Country Loaf: Unbleached enriched wheat flour (flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, whole wheat flour, salt, yeast (yeast, sorbitan monostearate, ascorbic acid), dough conditioner (ascorbic acid, microcrystalline cellulose, corn starch).

Wonder Bread: Whole wheat flour, water, wheat gluten, high fructose corn syrup, contains 2% of less of: soybean oil, salt, molasses, yeast, mono and diglycerides, exthoxylated mono and diglycerides, dough conditioners (sodium stearoyl lactylate, calcium iodate, calcium dioxide), datem, calcium sulfate, vinegar, yeast nutrient (ammonium sulfate), extracts of malted barley and corn, dicalcium phosphate, diammonium phosphate, calcium propionate (to retain freshness).

McDonald's Regular Burger Bun: Enriched Flour (Bleached Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup and/or Sugar, Yeast, Soybean Oil and/or Canola Oil, Contains 2% or Less: Salt, Wheat Gluten, Calcium Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Ammonium Sulfate, Ammonium Chloride, Dough Conditioners (May Contain One or More of: Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, DATEM, Ascorbic Acid, Azodicarbonamide, Mono and Diglycerides, Ethoxylated Monoglycerides, Monocalcium Phosphate, Enzymes, Guar Gum, Calcium Peroxide), Sorbic Acid (Preservative), Calcium Propionate and/or Sodium Propionate (Preservatives), Soy Lecithin.

So is less processing always better? Louise Fresco, former European Union director, urges us to consider the merits of mass production as a means to feeding the world (18:00). What do you think?

Recipes

Buttermilk-Honey Bread

1 tbs instant dry yeast

1 tsp sugar

¼ cup warm water

1½ cups buttermilk at room temperature

2 tbs butter, melted

3 tbs honey

1 tbs salt

6 to 6¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Combine water, yeast, sugar, buttermilk, butter, and honey in a large bowl. Add salt and 2 cups flour. Whisk hard to combine. Add remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, beating with a wooden spoon after each addition, until a shaggy dough is formed.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 5 minutes, adding flour 1 tablespoon at a time as necessary, until dough is smooth and satiny. Place in a greased bowl, turn to grease top, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1¼ hours in a warm area.  

Gently deflate dough, turn out on a lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 equal portions. Form into round or standard loaves. Place in two 9-by-5-inch greased pans or on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise until fully doubled in bulk, 30 to 45 minutes. 

Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until loaves are nicely browned and pull away from sides. Remove from pans to cool on racks before eating.

Buttermilk Corn Bread
¼ cup melted butter

2 eggs

¼ cup sugar

1 cup flour

2/3 cup cornmeal

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

Melt butter. Beat eggs in large bowl. Add sugar and mix well. Sift together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients, alternating with buttermilk, to egg mixture. Stir in melted butter. Bake in greased 9"x9" pan for 25 minutes at 400 degrees. Makes 9 pieces.