[Sca-cooks] Re: Corn Bread (haring off in a different direction)

[George & Lynn Dimock]

> Now I have a question that has nothing to do with corn bread if I may.  I
> used to work in natural foods groceries.  The first time, in the early
> 90's, there were (I think) two United States bakeries producing what they
> called authentic french breads (including bagette) from whole grains
> which the bakers claimed were made over the course of a day or so, so
> that the dough could pull yeast from the air  (this was ten years ago).
> I remember the bread very well, because it was light, even for being
> whole wheat, and it was pleasantly sour to taste.  All I had for
> information was the advertising on the  bag.  The bakers claimed it was a
> secret technique.  Were they relying on an advertising gimmick of some
> sort?  If not, why would a method like that produce an airy loaf?
>
> Thanks for reading this!
>
> Elizabeth
>
My Lady,

What the bakery advertises is probably correct.  Whenever you bake yeast
bread, some of the yeast will escape into the atmosphere.  Furthermore,  the
proper Egyptian method for baking bread called for the dough to sit in their
baking pots and pick up some of the wild yeast that exists in the air. The
atmosphere in a bakery would be loaded with yeast.  Unfortunately, such a
method runs the risk of catching bad yeast. If that happens, your bread's
consistency would plummet.  More likely your bakery's "secret technique"
involved using  a  French sourdough starter.  It is possible to get some
lovely light baguettes this way, Although technically a proper baguette is
made with yeast, not sourdough.
I've noticed that when I bake sourdough breads every day my starter gets
stronger and more virile with a resultant lighter loaf.

The fact that they used a whole grain will not matter much  -it's simply a
matter of a bit more kneading to free the gluten

Pierre


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