Jeremy Cherfas

A space for mostly short form stuff and responses to things I see elsewhere.

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“Twenty loaves of bread for the cost of a cigarette” Jessica Barnes, author of Staple Security: bread and wheat in Egypt, talks about the subsidy programme and its impact in the latest episode https://eatthispodcast.com/egypt

“Twenty loaves of bread for the cost of a cigarette” Jessica Barnes, author of Staple Security: bread and wheat in Egypt, talks about the subsidy programme and its impact in the latest episode https://eatthispodcast.com/egypt

Today’s bake. Sourdough buckwheat bread

Today’s bake. Sourdough buckwheat bread

Home grown tomato, home made bread, man made waterfall

Home grown tomato, home made bread, man made waterfall

Home grown tomato, home made bread, man made waterfall. Life is good.

pesos

Second order of business: revive the starter and bake good bread.

Second order of business: revive the starter and bake good bread.

Second order of business: revive the starter and bake good bread.

pesos

A new personal best: 6.1 kg of bread dough, all to be worked by hand.

A new personal best: 6.1 kg of bread dough, all to be worked by hand.

A new personal best: 6.1 kg of bread dough, all to be worked by hand.

pesos

Ave Fornax!

Ave Fornax!

@tavolamediterranea has decreed that today is the start of Fornacalia, which I am celebrating with a very un-Roman bread. At least, I don't think the Romans ever baked with rye. And certainly not sunflower seeds.

This is the 100% rye sourdough with a sunflower seed soaker from @raleighstreetbaker reduced to what is, for me, a more manageable quantity. Link to full recipe in bio.

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And all that dough gets you 8 loaves of bread.

And all that dough gets you 8 loaves of bread.

And all that dough gets you 8 loaves of bread.

pesos

A friend and bread client gave me a bag of Khorasan flour, so not Kamut, but, with a tacit request, later confirmed, that I baker a loaf

A friend and bread client gave me a bag of Khorasan flour, so not Kamut, but, with a tacit request, later confirmed, that I baker a loaf

A friend and bread client gave me a bag of Khorramshahr flour, so not Kamut, but, with a tacit request, later confirmed, that I baker a loaf.

So, here goes. I fed my 75% wholewheat starter, thinking this would be whole too. It isn’t, but that’s ok. Kneads up oK, with a nice pale yellow cast. Seems a bit weak though, even though the packet said 14% protein. Obviously not that great for gluten. We shall see.

#khorasan #sourdough

One of the most satisfying things about coming home after a holiday is giving all the microbiology a bit of love so it can return the favour

One of the most satisfying things about coming home after a holiday is giving all the microbiology a bit of love so it can return the favour

Starters refreshed and one used to produce a simple white bread with 5% each whole wheat and whole rye. I’ll use the other one in a day or two, and see to the yoghurt tomorrow.

photo

And a few hours after that, the magic. We won’t be making this recipe, and we certainly won’t be handling 4kg of dough, at the one-day sourdough course at on 17 November. But we will have a lot of fun and get to know about sourdough, wheat and bread. Link with details in my bio.

And a few hours after that, the magic.
We won’t be making this recipe, and we certainly won’t be handling 4kg of dough, at the one-day sourdough course at on 17 November. But we will have a lot of fun and get to know about sourdough, wheat and bread.
Link with details in my bio.

#latteriastudio

A BLT is so much better on homemade sourdough. Come and learn how - the bread, not the sandwich - with me @latteriastudio on 17 November. Lunch included. Details in bio.

A BLT is so much better on homemade sourdough. Come and learn how - the bread, not the sandwich - with me @latteriastudio on 17 November. Lunch included.
Details in bio.

Big bake part II. Golden raisin bread, 4.7kg. The raisins are currently hiding at the bottom.

Big bake part II. Golden raisin bread, 4.7kg. The raisins are currently hiding at the bottom.

Big bake part I. Kalonji bread, 3kg.

Big bake part I. Kalonji bread, 3kg.

Almost forgot to share this perfect start to Sourdough September: a lunchtime BLT on fresh 50% wholemeal sourdough bread.

Almost forgot to share this perfect start to Sourdough September: a lunchtime BLT on fresh 50% wholemeal sourdough bread.

Well deserved lunch break for today’s class. Bread disappointed me, as I failed to take the hugely warmer weather into account. The ciabatte (left) worked out fine though. With @romefromhome @bigdonniefromlargs @brian_levine

Well deserved lunch break for today’s class. Bread disappointed me, as I failed to take the hugely warmer weather into account. The ciabatte (left) worked out fine though. With @romefromhome @bigdonniefromlargs @brian_levine

One to welcome you, @romefromhome, @brian_levine and others coming to share a day of bread and baking.

One to welcome you, @romefromhome, @brian_levine and others coming to share a day of bread and baking.

Corn bread. Only 25% maize flour, but enough to give it a golden depth and the taste of summer.

Corn bread. Only 25% maize flour, but enough to give it a golden depth and the taste of summer.

Just strolling through the market on my way to test the spiffy new oven @latteriastudio for the sourdough bread course on Sunday. Still a couple of places left. Link in bio.

Just strolling through the market on my way to test the spiffy new oven @latteriastudio for the sourdough bread course on Sunday. Still a couple of places left. Link in bio.

One of the things I love about making my own bread is simply watching the effects of time. From a shaggy, sticky mass to a living dough with a lot of structure, just by waiting 30 minutes and then doing a few quick strech-and-folds in the bowl. Over the course of the next couple of hours I will continue to build structure, but that will take me less than a minute in total. The rest of the time, time itself (and biology, chemistry and physics) works the magic. Still a few places left for the one-day sourdough course at @latteriastudio in Rome on 9 July. Link in bio. And if you can't make that, there's a two-day course in Wales later in the month.

One of the things I love about making my own bread is simply watching the effects of time. From a shaggy, sticky mass to a living dough with a lot of structure, just by waiting 30 minutes and then doing a few quick strech-and-folds in the bowl.

Over the course of the next couple of hours I will continue to build structure, but that will take me less than a minute in total. The rest of the time, time itself (and biology, chemistry and physics) works the magic.

Still a few places left for the one-day sourdough course at @latteriastudio in Rome on 9 July. Link in bio. And if you can't make that, there's a two-day course in Wales later in the month.

The other is that the bread will definitely taste better. This is the recipe we will use in the course at @latteriastudio on 9 June. Still a few places left. Link in bio.

The other is that the bread will definitely taste better. This is the recipe we will use in the course at @latteriastudio on 9 June. Still a few places left. Link in bio.

My sourdough leaven, active and spongy and ready to do its thing after two builds. I originally received this more than a decade ago, as a Tuscan starter that was more than 100 years old. Is there anything specifically Tuscan about it? I doubt it. Is it the same now as it was 100 years ago, or even 10 years ago? Again, I doubt it. But it is ready to make some delicious, flavourful, nutritious bread -- and that's what matters. Let me hand it on to you, along with the knowledge to start using it, at a one-day bread workshop here in Rome on 9 June 2019. Link in bio and at https://fornacalia.com/learn-to-bake-sourdough-bread-in-rome

My sourdough leaven, active and spongy and ready to do its thing after two builds.

I originally received this more than a decade ago, as a Tuscan starter that was more than 100 years old. Is there anything specifically Tuscan about it? I doubt it. Is it the same now as it was 100 years ago, or even 10 years ago? Again, I doubt it. But it is ready to make some delicious, flavourful, nutritious bread -- and that's what matters.

Let me hand it on to you, along with the knowledge to start using it, at a one-day bread workshop here in Rome on 9 June 2019. Link in bio and at https://fornacalia.com/learn-to-bake-sourdough-bread-in-rome

So pleased to be able to announce that Sourdough U is finally coming to Rome. Thanks to the wonderful @alicekiandra.adams and the big new oven at Latteria Studio I can offer a one-day course on 9 June. Learn how to look after an ancient Tuscan starter and use it to bake a tasty loaf of bread. Full details at https://www.fornacalia.com/2019/learn-to-bake-sourdough-bread-in-rome/ (also in bio).

So pleased to be able to announce that Sourdough U is finally coming to Rome. Thanks to the wonderful @alicekiandra.adams and the big new oven at Latteria Studio I can offer a one-day course on 9 June.

Learn how to look after an ancient Tuscan starter and use it to bake a tasty loaf of bread. Full details at https://www.fornacalia.com/2019/learn-to-bake-sourdough-bread-in-rome/ (also in bio).

The latest episode hears a freelance food historian talk about the history of bread. It was a fun chat and just a tad exasperating so please, if you're tempted to hurl a loaf at your podcast player, please make it a nice squishy supermarket loaf. Episode at https://www.eatthispodcast.com/william-rubel/ and clickable link in the bio, as usual.

The latest episode hears a freelance food historian talk about the history of bread. It was a fun chat and just a tad exasperating so please, if you're tempted to hurl a loaf at your podcast player, please make it a nice squishy supermarket loaf.

Episode at https://www.eatthispodcast.com/william-rubel/ and clickable link in the bio, as usual.

My bread day is done, and there are seven more inside.

My bread day is done, and there are seven more inside.

Real bread week, eh? Or, as I like to call it, Bread Week. Every week. 3kg of 50% wholewheat out of the fridge and ready for action.

As promised yesterday, details (such as they are) of my discovery of do-nothing bread from Respectus Panis, now up on the bread site. https://www.fornacalia.com/2019/respect-to-respectus-panis/

As promised yesterday, details (such as they are) of my discovery of do-nothing bread from Respectus Panis, now up on the bread site. https://www.fornacalia.com/2019/respect-to-respectus-panis/

We have lemon, we have rosemary, we have leaven, flours, water and salt. Soon we will have lemon rosemary sourdough bread.

We have lemon, we have rosemary, we have leaven, flours, water and salt. Soon we will have lemon rosemary sourdough bread.

This is exciting, the first ever print issue from bread-magazine.com. Happy to have bought into this.

This is exciting, the first ever print issue from bread-magazine.com. Happy to have bought into this.

Golden raisin bread. The dough is unsweetened, which makes the raisins even sweeter.

Golden raisin bread. The dough is unsweetened, which makes the raisins even sweeter.

Working on a new bread with kalonji, straight out of the oven after an overnight cold rise. But how to describe the taste of kalonji?

Golden raisin bread. Natural leaven, 25% wholemeal, about 70% hydration. A definite keeper.

It's about time. That thing I promised a few days back, about time and the business of baking bread, is now published. My basic argument is that cheap bread devalues good bread and good bakers. "If a loaf of pap is available for pennies, how are we to justify an adequate reward for the baker who needs time and space to produce a different kind of loaf? It is the existence of cheap bread that makes a desire for something better into an elitist, privileged foodie pursuit." http://ow.ly/q5DH30lLVr2

Our Daily Bread 31 - Winding Down http://ow.ly/qyup30lBumt What more is there to say? Plenty, of course, but not this time. This is the final episode of this run of Our Daily Bread. I say that as if there will be another, but all I'm really doing is leaving the door slightly ajar. I've had a lot of fun and learned a lot. I hope you have too. For a final thought, I cannot do better than Elizabeth David, from her meticulous chapter on The Cost of Baking Your Own Bread in English Bread and Yeast Cookery. After going through nutrition, prices and all that she writes: "So much for price comparisons. Long before you've finished doing the sums you realise that what counts is the value of decent bread to you and to the people you are responsible for feeding, and what that is, it's up to us to work out for ourselves."

Our Daily Bread 30 - A Perennial Dream http://ow.ly/8pcy30lB5vW Wheat is an annual plant; it dies after setting seed. Each year, the farmer has to prepare the land, sow seed, fertilise and protect the plants. When the ground is bare, between crops, wind and water can erode the soil. The shallow root systems of annual plants fail to exploit the resources of the soil and do little to improve it. So although wheat feeds us, it does so at considerable cost to the environment. It isn't sustainable. What if wheat were perennial? Photo by Jerry D. Glover; annual wheat on the left, Kernza™ on the right.

Our Daily Bread 29 - It's a Hard Grain http://ow.ly/3Zvt30lB5rE Durum wheat is only about 5% of the total wheat harvest around the world. For those of us who like our pasta, that's a very important 5%. Different gluten proteins make a durum dough stretchy rather than elastic -- perfect for pasta. The kernels are very hard and need dedicated milling machinery, which produces small granules -- semolina -- rather than flour. That, however, may be about to change.

Our Daily Bread 28 - Anything but Grim http://ow.ly/MAbj30lz3WQ The one process in the whole business of turning wheat into bread when time is of the essence is the harvest. It's back-breaking work, and the slightest delay can ruin the quality of the grain. In Europe, a ready supply of peasants got the job done. In America, labour, especially in the newly settled midwest, was extremely scarce. Inventors had to come up with machines.

Our Daily Bread 27 - Bread and Political Circuses http://ow.ly/SUG530lz3Uo An enormous amount of wheat, roughly one fifth of the total harvest, is traded internationally between countries and, as might be expected, if the supply falls, prices rise. Given the strategic importance of wheat, countries try to ensure that they have an adequate supply, even when doing so actually makes things worse, at least in the short term. Wheat links a drought in China to the fall of Egypt's government in the Arab Spring of 2011.

Our Daily Bread 26 - Wheats and Measures http://ow.ly/jVLd30lxI4x Eight wheat seeds of silver gets you 5 pounds 10 ounces of bread. The very first English law about food regulated the size of a standard loaf of bread. The Assize of Bread and Ale kept the price constant, but that price bought more or less bread depending on the price of wheat. It never was a very useful system, for bakers or bread buyers, but it survived from at least 1266 until 1836 and provides an opportunity to consider a pound of silver versus a pound of bread.

Our Daily Bread 25 - Tradition! http://ow.ly/wCsS30lxHFL The one thing to be thankful for in the rise of fast factory bread is that it prompted the resurgence of small, artisan bakers. They have been goaded to produce breads that are better in every way than even the best breads of years gone by. It may seem at times as if their focus is on traditions from time immemorial. It isn't. Because aside from taking time, what they are doing isn't all that traditional.

For all the satisfaction I get handling a good load of dough and multiple loaves, there is something very pleasant about doing one simple bread.

Our Daily Bread 24 - Slow, but Exceedingly Fine http://ow.ly/W4Ix30lvxpu Without a doubt, the most important trend in the resurgence of baking with care is the increasing use of small mills by keen home bakers and professionals alike. Better nutrition and stunning flavour are the obvious benefits. Less visible, a renewal of local grain growing and closer links between farmers and bakers, all in search of better wheats. Photo by kind permission of Andrew Heyn at New American Stone Mills.

Our Daily Bread 23 - Brown v. White http://ow.ly/Fn5K30lvxlk The fight between brown and white, good for you versus good for us, has been going on for a long time. Brown flour certainly ought to be more nutritious, and these days, even the elites are choosing brown bread over white. Maybe that's why sales of "whole grain bread" have more than tripled in the US over the past few years. The weevil in the loaf: whole grain need be only 51%, and whole grain flour is just white flour with some added bran and germ.

Our Daily Bread 22 - Sourdough by Any Name http://ow.ly/QLnm30ltLNu Sourdough -- whatever you call it -- is the original leavening agent for breads around the world. At its simplest it is just a piece of the last batch of dough, set aside to ferment the current batch. But it can be so much more than that, a stable little ecosystem of species that support one another while keeping out intruders. It also makes the best bread, although I admit to being biassed. It needn't actually taste sour. In fact, except in a few countries, it need not even make use of a natural leaven.

Our Daily Bread 21 - Breaking Bread http://ow.ly/Z8c730ltLDJ If you bake bread only occasionally, you're probably just grateful to little packets of dried yeast. This episode is not about that. There's just not that much to say. When it comes to Judeo-Christian religious doctrine, however, the role of yeast in human affairs bubbles away below the surface of our cultures.

Our Daily Bread 20 - Back to Basics http://ow.ly/Dbld30lsqGz Flour, water, salt and yeast; the basic ingredients of a loaf of bread. What happens when you mix them up and then heat them is a complex casade of chemistry, biology and physics. Most of the more subtle changes take time and can't really be rushed. That's why slow bread is better than fast bread in so many ways.

Our Daily Bread 19 - The Bread that Ate the World http://ow.ly/kvrk30lsqEj Small bakers couldn't compete with the giants created by Allied Bakeries, so they turned to science. That produced the Chorleywood bread process, which gave them a quicker, cheaper loaf. Unfortunately, the giant bakeries gobbled up the new method too. More and more small bakeries went out of business as a loaf of bread became cheaper and cheaper. Was it worth it? You tell me.

Our Daily Bread 18 - Allied forever http://ow.ly/2vIi30lqICw Size brings benefits to bakeries as much as to flour mills. The episode tells a small part of the story of how George Weston turned a bakery route in Toronto into one of the biggest food companies in the world, responsible for more brands of bread than you can imagine. And not just the bread, but many of the ingredients that make megabakeries possible.

Our Daily Bread 17 - Rollin' rollin' rollin' http://ow.ly/iVOi30lqItG Stone mills served us well in the business of turning grain into flour for thousands of years, but they couldn't keep up with either population growth or new and better wheat. The roller mill came about through a succession of small inventions and deep pockets of a few visionary entrepreneurs. They turned Minneapolis into the flour capital of the world.

Our Daily Bread 16 - Water and Power http://ow.ly/dcKc30loDEM The rotary quern was perhaps the first labour-saving device. Using water power, rather than muscles, to turn the millstone made it even more efficient. Without watermills, it is doubtful whether ancient Romans could have enjoyed their bread and circuses. Because they require capital investment and skilled workers, watermills also set the trend for concentration in the food industry.

Our Daily Bread 15 - Risen http://ow.ly/VVRP30loDzy August 15th is Ferragosto, a big-time holiday in Italy that harks back to the Emperor Augustus and represents a well-earned rest after the harvest. It is also the Feast Day of the Assumption, the day on which, Catholics believe, the Virgin Mary was taken, body and soul, into heaven. Is there a connection between them? And what does it have do with wheat? Apologies to listeners in the southern hemisphere; this may not reflect your experience.