A Loaf is Born!

by Lynette Robinson

Honey Wheat Bread

My dad once told me that his mother baked once or twice a week and as the boys came in from the field on the farm they could smell that sweet yeasty aroma all over the house.  They would head for the kitchen and claim a loaf for themselves, cut the top off lengthwise and smother the still warm loaf with fresh butter and sweet field honey. He would eat half of it and then sneak in later for the other half.  As he told me I could feel and see that this was a very tender memory and it took him back to that time.

My mother was also a wonderful bread maker but she didn't start out that way.  You see, mom was only 16 and dad was 18 when they married.  Mom too, being the fourth daughter had spent most of her time working in the fields of the family farm also and really didn't get the polished skills of the bread making process.  In fact, dad said her first attempt yielded a flat loaf more resembling a brick than bread and after unsuccessfully attempting to eat it he finally gave it to the pigs and they rooted it around in the pen for days. 

I will say with great pride that my mother DID in fact become a wonderful bread maker and as a child I spent many hours at her side intensely watching her bake with no measuring cups or spoons only gauging the amounts with her hands and her eyes.  One time my sister tried to mimic her baking style and we ended up with a batch of gray cookies because they were made with grape jelly in the mix.  They actually tasted pretty fine and beings as there were six kids in our family they didn't last long and were happily consumed.

My dad didn't feel that a meal was complete without bread, butter and milk.  We also had a cow.  I'll tell about that later.  Dad worked out of town during the week and many suppers were home bottled fruit, bread, butter and milk.  I grew up on the best!

When I was about 12 years old I started breaking out with hives on my skin.  The rash was usually confined to my arms and legs and we deduced that I was allergic to the sun.  I have since come to the conclusion that the sun was detoxing the things my body couldn't deal with.  

My bouts with hives got worse as I grew older and by the time I was in mid adulthood I had some allergy blood work done and was shown to be allergic to gluten and yeast.  Oh no!  My favorite food was now off limits.  I battled with the dilemma of eat bread and feel lousy or not eat bread and miss what was once a big part of my diet.

About a year ago I was introduced to natural yeast which is very much like a sourdough start but doesn't produce the tangy flavor because of the way that it is fed and the fact that it lives in refrigeration.  My sister, Brenda Mouritsen who lives in Montana had known about this for a while but I guess it wasn't my time to learn about it.  My dear friend, Jeanne Harold, was teaching a class that I was in and she told us that even many people who have Celiac problems can eat what is known as fermented breads without problems.  I was all ears.

I got my natural yeast start from another friend who had gotten hers from Jeanne, named her Jaarda Victoria after my great grandmother and began my journey into the world of baking with natural yeast.  There are a lot of recipes out there that call for sourdough starts but the secret is in the "sponge" as I was told it is called, which is the process of allowing the dough to rest at room temperature for 6 to 12 hours to reduce the levels of phytic acid. (See this report) where the conclusion was that by sponging one could reduce the phytic acid to around 10% or the original amount.  Click here to see why phytic acid is a problem. I think sponging also improves the taste.  I ond3 had a batch of bread that I had to put in the frig for 3 days and it was some of the best I have ever made.

My Favorite Bread Book

I can't really remember where I found out about the book The Art of Baking with Natural Yeast by Caleb Warnock and Melissa Richardson but I was so excited.  I didn't have to make my own start which Melissa outlines how to do so in her book,  and so glad of that because it can be a little daunting, especially if the first attempt isn't successful.  I was telling my sister, Brenda about it and she said she had that book and also told me about Melissa's second book Beyond Basics.  Both of her books are full of information, instructions and recipes using the natural yeast that I keep so lovingly in my frig.

I've heard people say so many times "I used to have a start but it took so much time to care for and it died."  Years ago I bought a sourdough start from a sourdough pancake house in West Yellowstone Montana and yes, it died due to neglect or lack of knowledge, or both.  I was a little tentative to take this on but Jeanne spoke so highly of how easy this little one was to care for and I so missed eating bread without guilt and knowing I would suffer for it.

Make your own start: Instructions  Ask among your internet friends and you might find someone with a start or in Melissa's book she also offers dehydrated starts by mail, or if you live in Utah you can get one from me,

Care of your start: 

Jaarda Victoria, my start.

Your storage bottle needs a lid that will keep the top moist but allow for air circulation.  Here is what I have from Ikea.  Upon receiving your start, it should have been fed. If not, add as much fresh ground flour as you have start. Add almost as much water. Use wooden spoon to mix thoroughly. Your mixture should be quite thick.  Compare to sticky bread dough.  (I wipe any extra on the sides of inside of the jar with a wet paper towel as it tends to harden.) Use only a glass container and a wooden or plastic spoon to mix it. I keep the start in glass jar (Ikea) with a loose lid that doesn't tighten, keep in fridge.
You can use these grains to grind and feed:
White Wheat
Spelt
Kamut
Winter Wheat
  You can grind your flour and then store it in the freezer because it lasts longer that way.
Every third feeding, I suggest using white unbleached organic flour. (Wheat Montana) 

It helps to increase the fermentation of the start. For the 2 other feedings I use Spelt Flour (Bob's Mill) which isn't usually GMO but you can buy both these at your local store.  I've found them at my grocery store and at Natural Grocers.  You can also use anything that is comparable but please stay away from regular white bleached flour that is bromated.  It lacks the proper nutrition for your start.  Feed it about every three days if you wish to make bread often. It can go a week or two without feeding.  If you let it sit too long without feeding, it will develop a grey watery liquid on top, a grey crust will also appear, This indicates that your start is out of food and needs more.  Just pour off any liquid, If there is a crust which I have never seen, use your wooden spoon and scrape off the top layer, this will cause it to be more sour for your bread if left to soak in. Underneath it's still all good. Feed it again. Let sit a couple of days and proceed to make your bread.

I take my start with me because I use it and also because I want it healthy.  I can usually go up to 10 days before it needs to be fed.  When you first get it don't be surprised if it wants to eat within just a day or three.  Moving your start can be unsettling.  I have no such problems when I go from my home frig to my RV frig.  Your natural yeast start is a living organism and has a spirit of her own.  Send her love and gratitude for all the wonderful food you can make for yourself and those you love.  

Recipes to follow.  Please follow so that you will know when I post more and share with your friends.

Have a glorious day!