This topic studies traditional bread grains to learn four basic styles of dough: 100% sprouted grain, sourdough, traditional yeast, and natural rise. Any of these dough types can be formed into many shapes of bread, including baguette, pizza, pita, crackers, both crescent and round dinner rolls, filled batard, and even spiraled cinnamon rolls, bread sticks and crackers.
At The School of Natural Cookery, we see grains as occurring in two main categories, “Bread Grains” and “Dish Grains,” according to how they grow.
Bread grains (ie: wheat, corn, rye, spelt, barley, kamut, and more) grow differently from dish grains (ie: quinoa, millet, rice, amaranth, buckwheat, oats). Because bread grains are exposed to nature’s elements and they have no protective hull, their skin is tough. Unlike “dish grains (GF),” which are usually cooked and served energetically whole, Bread Grains are most often milled into flour to make crackers, breads, and pastas. Although the grain flour is called “whole,” milled bread grains are not “energetically whole” when we eat them. Eating is the key. Because its our saliva that helps digest the grains. Flour products need not be chewed as much, therefore less digestive enzymes to break down the grain in human bodies.
Bread Grains may be prepared with the same techniques as Dish Grains to soften their tough skin and manipulate their texture. But the focus of this topic is about bread forms and not main dishes.
Additional lessons in this topic are companions to bread forms. Advance sauces use combination binders and the vegetable/beans paté form is very exotic and deep. Great when served as a spread with bread, crackers, and fresh vegetables.
Highlights
Techniques and tools
Sprouted bread
Commercial yeast
Natural sourdough
Natural rise
Mixed binder sauces
Spreads & paté
