by Roslyn Zecchini, Executive Chef of Forno Bistro and Pasta Pane

The history of bread dates back thousands of years. In Italy, the ruins of Pompeii and other buried cities have revealed the existence of bakeries during historic times. There were public bakeries where the poor people brought their bread to be baked, or from which they could buy ready-to -eat bread. Around the year 168 BC a Baker’s Guild was formed in Rome. From then on the industry became a separate profession. The Guild of College called Collegium Pistorium, did not allow the bakers or their children to withdraw once enrolled or take up other trades. The trade was considered very valuable to the Romans and they did not want their secrets shared amongst the “common people”. The baker’s in Rome during this period enjoyed special privileges; they were the only craftsmen who were freeman of the city.  All of the other trades were conducted by slaves. The members of the Guild were forbidden to mix with the ‘comedians and gladiators’ and from attending performances at the amphitheater, to ensure that they would not become contaminated by the vices of the ordinary people. The Guild of Master Baker’s is still alive today.
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It’s amazing to think that from only flour, water, and yeast one can create an amazing array of baked goods.  Right now at DZ we have been experimenting with many different ways to bake bread and experimenting with different types of flour.
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There are many types of bread flours made from hard wheats and soft wheats, with such descriptions as “first clear flour”, “patent flour”, and “high gluten flour”. As a home baker you will be fine with the blend of flour found in any national brand.
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To make bread you need high protein flour to get a decent rise out of your loaf. Gluten is formed by two proteins found in wheat: glutenin and gliadin. When combined with water and developed by mixing and kneading, gluten becomes stretchy and elastic. It stretches around the gas bubbles produced by the yeast in the bread, and maintains that structure when the gas bubbles expand in the oven. Wheat is the only grain that has these gluten providing proteins. For this reason, breads made with other grains such as rye, corn, or oats, must be fortified with wheat flour or gluten to rise properly.  All purpose flour generally contains 8 – 12% protein. In contrast bread flour (aka high gluten flour) typically contains 11.5 – 14% protein. All -purpose flour yields bread with a more tender crumb then bread flour, which in turn produces a more toothsome bread. I prefer chewy crusty loaves of bread with large air holes and pizza with a crisp crust so I use bread flour for bread and pizza. For focaccia, I like a slightly more tender bread and for that recipe I use all- purpose.

Trying to bake bread at home or interested in the varieties we offer?  Send us your questions and comments to redline@dzrestaurants.com.