Give us this day our daily bread

Give us this day our daily bread

There’s something timeless and elemental about bread. Dating back to the Stone Age when grain was ground between two stones, bread is one of the most widely consumed foods in the world. In its best state, it consists of only a few ingredients: flour, water, yeast and salt. Dense and chewy, whole wheat bread is a good source of nutrition and fibre.

The Industrial Revolution mechanised bread making, the roller mill separating the bran and wheatgerm from the rest of the grain. In gaining a softer white bread, we lost many of the important nutrients in the bread.

Next, bread makers concentrated on longevity. Have you ever wondered why some types of bread can stay on the bench without going mouldy? If you look on the back of some supermarket bread labels to check the ingredients, you might get quite a shock, says Choice magazine.

Physiologically, we’re much better off with low GI (glycemic index) food. According to a Harvard study, “you can reverse the threat of diabetes by up to 42 percent simply by trading in your white bread, white rice and sugary breakfast cereal for hearty dark loaves, brown rice and oatmeal.” (Best Health)

The grainier the bread the better, nutritionists tell us, with Ezekiel bread (containing sprouted whole grains, legumes, and high fibre content), grain bread and sourdough having the lowest GI, wholemeal bread containing medium GI, and white bread being high GI.

Sourdough gives additional health benefits. In the fermentation that takes place in the making of sourdough, sugars are broken down into cellular energy, with lactic acid being a by-product. Not only is the bread more easily digested, but sourdough’s natural ferment promotes the growth of healthy gut bacteria.

Great bread needs to be sought out. Some of our best sourdough breads can be sourced from Burleigh Baker, Panya, Mr Pig’s Bakehouse, The Paddock and Brasserie Bread.

Brasserie Bread’s sourdough uses a 21-year-old natural yeast starter added to only three ingredients – flour, salt and water. The sourdough is left to ferment, rise and prove over two days, allowing the gluten to break down and the flavour to develop. These are all factors in making sourdough more easily digestible, while giving the side benefits of flavour and texture. Brasserie Bread’s Flinders Ranges Sprouted Wheat was honoured to receive Champion Bread in the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show; the best of the best. Superb!

Brasserie Bread, 1/16 Activity Cres, Molendinar Ph: 1300 966 845

Burleigh Baker, 50 James St., Burleigh Heads Ph: 07 5659 1442

Read more about Brasserie Bread here.

This article was published in The Sun newspaper on 20 June 2018.

https://www.brasseriebread.com.au/
      
1/16 Activity Cres, Molendinar QLD, Australia