Your daily bread

There are few things in the world as satisfying as good bread and it has been a staple food in many countries for thousands of years. The origins of bread, like most culinary customs, are obscure but many historians believe a form of bread was developed around 9000BC. It was not bread as we know it today, but a thick porridge mixture cooked on hot stones to form cakes, like flat bread or pancakes.

About raised bread we can be a little more exact: archaeological evidence suggests it was developed in Egypt around 4000BC when a piece of old dough was left unbaked and subsequently fermented thanks to airborne yeasts landing on the unbaked dough. This revolutionised the way bread was made. The reaction that took place was very simple. The yeast transformed the starch in the Hour into sugar and then into carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide became trapped, creating air pockets that caused the dough to rise and, when baked, became fixed. With its density lightened, the bread became more palatable. This early form of raising agent was unpredictable, inconsistent and utilized wild yeasts, yet even today some of the best bakeries around the world use fermented dough to make their bread. It is the main raising agent used in the following recipes and, if handled correctly, can be one of the most rewarding, producing bread with satisfying depth and a unique sour taste.