Breadness Buzz - Sourdough Moon, Breaducation, Father's Day Surprise...

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No, it wasn't the June Strawberry Moon. Our resident gastronomer, Randall Michael Tobin, has made a new and exciting discovery: the SOURDOUGH MOON with its attendant constellations, THE PROOFING BASKET and THE OVEN PEEL. He also discovered THE BOULE NEBULA faintly appearing in this vast FERMENTMENT. And diagonally opposite that is THE DOUGH STAR. (click/tap above photo for enlargement)

Astronomers are all agog with the revelation of these new discoveries and are beside themselves, not having discovered them before. What's your opinion of this space-breaking data?

There are many specialized words used in our bakery, so I thought it would be a good idea to define them so you'll be hip to the lingo...

Artisan (adjective) - referring to creating something in the tradition of artists from centuries past. In our case, artisan breads made the time-honored way, like was done in France, Italy, etc.

Sourdough (adjective, noun) - describing the process of fermenting the dough (letting the dough rest for long periods of time while natural microbes do their job as described below) used to make our artisan breads. Our bread doesn't actually taste sour like other sourdough breads, rather, it has a kind of sweetness to it, imparted by the organic light rye flour used in our recipes. "Sourdough" as a noun is short for "sourdough bread."

Breadness (noun) - Bread + Kindness = Breadness. Artisan bread created for the purpose of giving to others. When I first starting making this bread, I gave most of it away, randomly. Hence, Random Acts of Breadness became the name of our food concept and ultimately, our micro-bakery!

Organic (adjective) - ingredients grown without the use of toxic chemicals, pesticides or genetic modification. All of the food ingredients in our breads have organic certification.

Unbleached White or Light Flour (noun) - Refers to flours that have the bran and germ removed. According to Dr. Steven Gundry's groundbreaking book, The Plant Paradox, bran and germ in grains contain toxic lectins (plant proteins designed to protect the plant, it's seeds and its sprouts), which cause inflammation and disease. This is what makes flour (and grains like rice) "whole," which is the paradox as we've been told that whole grains are healthier than white or light grains. We use organic unbleached white bread flour and organic light rye flour to make our breads.

Gluten (noun) - The protein kernel that remains after the bran and germ have been milled from various grains like wheat and rye. Many people are intolerant or sensitive to gluten in it's unprocessed state. However, we use a process that breaks down the gluten over the three days it takes to make our dough. This is done by our organic San Francisco sourdough starter.

Starter (noun) - Starter is the combination of flour and water that's been allowed to ferment at room temperature for several days until it comes alive and rises and falls each day as it eats fresh flour and water that's fed to it. The wild yeasts and bacteria in the air find their way into the flour/water mix and begin to feed on it. They divide and multiply, and that byproduct is the bubbles created from that activity. The city name associated with starter is the location where it first came into being and is indicative of the wild yeasts and bacteria from that region. San Francisco is probably the most recognizable city associated with sourdough bread, and there are starters going back over a hundred years that began there.

Preferment (noun) - The first step in the process of making our sourdough bread. A certain amount of pure water is added to a container, followed by the correct measure of starter and organic bread flour. This gets mixed up, covered with a towel, then placed in a large Coleman cooler where it triples in volume overnight. After it's reached its peak, it's ready to be used to make the batch of dough for that day.

That's all for today's Breaducation. In a future lesson, we'll cover terms used in the dough-making, shaping and baking processes.

You've probably never heard of Alain Clark, but this Dutch singer/songwriter will always have a place in my heart for this singular song video about (and with) his father. Once you hear/see "Father and Friend," it will become a favorite of yours as well. Do share this with friends and family and spread some Father's Day joy this week...

Random Acts of Breadness is located at 2214 West Magnolia Blvd. in Burbank (2-1/2 blocks east of Buena Vista on the south side of the street). Come to the bakery and sample our artisan wares, or order on line for bakery pickup, or have Breadness delivered or shipped to your door. You may also order by phone at 818-562-7303 and pay when you come pick it up. We're open Friday & Saturday 12 to 6 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Note: If you (or someone you wish to gift) live within 120 miles of Los Angeles, we can ship on Thursday (via UPS Ground) and in most cases your Breadness Box will arrive on Friday (Saturday at the latest). Place your order before Thursday at noon here.

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