Bread as Birthright
Bread is the birthright of every human.
When I say “bread” I mean anything ground up, mixed with water, perhaps fermented, and cooked into something more delicious than what it was before. Noodles, tortillas, rolls, cakes, bagels…all bread for the purpose of this discussion.
At its core, making bread is taking something edible and making it more edible. It is an alchemy, transforming the base into the divine. It can be one of the mankind’s highest arts. What I am telling you is, it does not have to be. Making bread is dead simple, and this simple act of making simple bread makes one feel more human.
But when you search for how to make bread, you are overwhelmed by the steps, the tools, the ingredients, the meticulous craft that is the bread-maker’s calling. Forget all of that. You do not need to make great bread to make good bread. ”Le mieux est l’ennemi du bien.”
When I discovered that throwing yeast, water and flour into a bowl, and then letting it sit overnight makes bread; it was a revelation. I did not knead on a flour dusted surface, I did not proof, no heirloom handmade baskets were involved. Because I am not a total barbarian, a few pinches of salt and a generous dollop of honey were added. I put this rough, child’s dough into a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes, and what came out was crusty, hot, fragrant, and delicious. This was bread as ritual, not art. This was something warm to fill my belly on a winter night, a meal in the form of a ball. Ever since, this is the style of bread I make.
Professional, or even passionately amateur bread-makers are wincing at this point. I get it. This is basic. It is missing simple steps to improve its taste and texture dramatically. But it works. And it takes me mere minutes each night to mix the raw elements, and then seconds the next morning to plop it onto a battered baking sheet with a thin layer of parchment paper and cast it haughtily into a preheated oven.
My point is this, make bread. Make whatever “bread” fills you with the feeling of being human. Don’t make it your new career. Don’t even make it your new hobby. Don’t rush to buy the tools this post industrial-revolutionized world says that you “must have” to call what you make bread. As a human you have the right to eat food. Make food the way you like it. It does not have to be your passion. It does not have to be your art. You can make it just for you. It is your birthright.
Basic Human Bread
- 1 teaspoon of instant yeast (or just guess)
- 3 or 4 cups of whole wheat flour (measurements are really overated)
- 1 and 1/4 cup of water (or just keeping adding water until it looks doughy)
- A pinch or two of salt (I don’t know how big your fingers are)
- An indulgent dollop of honey (dollop being a very technical term)
Mix in a big bowl and cover with a towel. Let sit overnight, or “overday” for 6-10 hours. Bake on a lightly oiled baking sheet (or use a sheet of parchment paper instead of oil) at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 Celsius) for 35 - 40 minutes. Let cool a little, or don’t.
Congratulations human!
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