The (W)hole Structure

I get asked on a regular basis what kind of bread
do I make at our bakery. The question seems tinged
with a bit of skepticism. Perhaps, I’ve become a
bit jaded by this question due to the fact that what
I bake is not based on what the customer wants,
but what I know will sell. I'm not one to deny
any one of my customers what they want, but it’s due
to the fact that what I do on a daily basis is limited –
I bake what I can.

The local grocery stores: Kroger, Publix, and Fresh
Market tout their isles with windowed paper bags and
plastic wrapped breads labeled “artisan breads”.
Names like “garlic parmesan foccacia”, “rosemary parsley”,
“olive fennel” and the infamous “french baguette”.
Exotic flavors mixed with traditional names reference
the origin of a particular bread, be it Italian or French.
All priced to appeal to the bottom line.

What bothers me the most about these artisan breads sold at
these “grocery stores” is the fact that the corporate production
of artisan bread is no more healthy than that loaf of wonder
bread just a few feet away.

Dough conditioners, strengtheners, emulsifiers,
enrichment and maturing agents, enzymes, and polymer
additives all added to make the bread soft and add
continued shelf life until sold without molding.
It’s a bit strange to see the general public gobble this
“bread” and think its healthy, or even a “good” substitute
for bread that is made by your local Bread Artisan.

The word “Artisan” has been inverted by corporations
to stamp their product as something it’s not.
An Artisan is “a skilled manual worker; a craftsperson
who works in the tradition of…”.

To make bread everyday with just flour, water, salt and
a little “wild” yeast, to make sourdough – it amazes me
the simplicity of mixing these ingredients can produce
such an elegant food.

So simple, so basic, it brings me to the core
of human existence. Everyday as I mix and form bread,
I think of that person that somehow mixed a slew of grain
and water and how it became bread a long time ago.
The wonder and sustenance it brought to the village of
people brought us to this point in time.

I've had many customers tell me they went to the “new”
fresh market only to be disappointed by the quality of
the desserts and breads they offered.

They said the desserts tasted “too sweet” or “the bread
tasted like crap” … I agreed and thought to myself,
1. why are they telling me this...
2. they don’t know what quality is...
3. very dissapointing that they would choose over me...
4. they lack the verve for what is bread...

Why do people never learn that quality comes first for
the Artisan and why wouldn't they want to pay a little
extra for that quality and sustenance?

The Beginnings - Mission Statement

Welcome to something different about bread.
I've baked all my life - desserts and such,
bread being one of those things that takes
to long to make, so why make it?

Bread has a simple list of ingredients, with
a little work and patience, the experience
and the results of your labor can be enjoyed
by others.

The complexity of making bread is in no turn
an easy one. To understand the relationship
of ingredients and the history of bread is a
bit overwhelming to say the least.
So I hope my journey with bread making can
open some doors for others.

This blog is an opportunity to explore all
things related to bread and my experience
and opinions of bread as an object of history,
food, and it's affect on society....
plus some fun stuff too.