Uckfield Matters Magazine Feb 2018

communitymatters
BREADY, STEADY - GO !
National bread week celebrates 10 years
24 Feb - 3 March
by Louise Addison
Bread is one of the oldest prepared foods. It dates back to Neolithic times, when
lumps of unleavened dough (made without yeast or other raising agents), were
placed on hot stones in the embers of a wood fire. Archaeologists have correlated
the development of human civilisations with the evolution of what is now
regarded as the modern species of bread wheat.
Somewhere along the way we also
discovered that if the porridge mixture
was left in the open air for a few days it
magically began to rise and could then be
baked into the most wonderful cloud-like
substance, leavened bread.
Although bread has occupied a central
role in our lives and diet it hasn’t all been
plain sailing. The rise of ultra-refined
industrial bread in the middle of the last
century led to mass-produced tasteless
dough devoid of much nutritional benefit.
More of us are making our own bread
too. There are bread-making classes and
online tutorials. At the most basic level,
it’s fairly straightforward to transform
flour, water, salt and yeast into a loaf
of bread and this is why the Real bread
Campaign is keen to get children
involved. The joy of nursing their first loaf
from raw ingredients to mouth-watering
yumminess slathered with butter and jam
should not be underestimated. From then
on it becomes a highly addictive pastime:
fruit loaf, crusty rolls, focaccia…the urge
to experiment and perfect the dough
takes over. It’s the perfect family activity…
and you can eat the results. What could
be nicer?
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