FRENCH MEADOW BAKERY
(copied from its brochure)
100% Organic and Yeast-free, Dairy-free, -Oil-free,
Sweetener-free (not even honey!), Cholesterol-free,
Very low in fat & sodium, -Wheat-free/wheat alternative varieties(Rye, Spelt, Kamut
& Millet)
"One of the best bread
bakeries in the country." .....Bon Appetit Magazine 1991 & 1993
WHY ARE OUR
BREADS CONSIDERED AMONG THE BEST IN THE COUNIRY ?
TRUE CRAFTMANSHIP
At French Meadow Bakery, we have a passion for great bread and we bake with care and
purpose. Composed simply of organic stoneground flours, unrefined sea salt and pure water,
our breads are handcrafted both by human hands and by the hands of time. Precious time -
allowing our doughs the hours and days they need to develop the complex flavors that make
our bread a joyful eating experience.
WELLNESS
Being well means more than simply not having a headache; it means all systems -
physiological and psychological - working together in harmony . Eating right is a key
ingredient to wellness. When you eat right you have more life and feel better. When you
eat right, your body knows.
ECOLOGY
Bread boldly symbolizes our intimate connection with the earth. Grains, salt and pure
water - bread's key constituents. Each are created by earth's vital processes. We, in
turn, sustain ourselves with bread. The relationship is critical yet simple; elements of
the earth become elements of bread and finally they become elements of our bodies. This is
the basis for using only organic ingredients in our bread. These days it's hip for
companies to promote products by claiming the they are "environmentally smart".
However. Lynn Gordon was making 100% certified organic breads and teaching
all-natural cooking techniques long before it was cool to do so. In Lynn's mind supporting
small, herbicide and pesticide-free farms and preserving the natural nutrient balance in
our soils is the logical first step in maintaining human health. Being ecologically
sensitive goes beyond clever slogans. It means making the connection between our natural
environment and our own bodies. By treating one well, you are treating the other well,
too!
BREAD MADE WITHOUT BAKER'S YEAST? WHY?
These days, most people take for granted that in order to create nicely leavened bread,
one must rely upon the magic of baker's yeast. The truth is, however, that baker's yeast
is a rather recent "invention", and that for thousands of years leavened bread
was created without it. It was only in the mid-1800's that a micro-organism. Saccharomyees
Cerevisae. was isolated and cultured for its remarkable ability to raise bread dough in an
unbelievably short period of time. In post-Enlightenment Europe and America when free
market economies were on the rise, the possibility of easily creating a lot of bread in a
very short period of time became very appealing. In this way baker's yeast soon became an
unquestioned bread ingredient in bakeries and home kitchens alike. But the only advantage
baker's yeast affords a baker is as a time-saver. In fact, the effect of baker's yeast on
bread dough is just a fast-forward version of the effect the very air we breathe has on
the same dough. Without the use of baker's yeast, dough may take eight or ten times as
long to rise, but you might agree with us that the wait is worth it.
Why, then, do we leave the yeast out of our bread? It is healthier - not only for the
large number of people who are allergic to yeast but for all of us. One real health
advantage to yeast-free bread is its value to digestion . While yeast breads create an
imbalance in our intestinal flora, yeast-free breads help to preserve that balance. And
because it contains strains of lactobacillus - an organism important for the proper
digestion of complex carbohydrates - yeast-free bread is easier for our bodies to utilize.
If there are health benefits to yeast-free bread. then why not simply leave out the
leavening process altogether? The answer is that the natural leavening process itself is
beneficial for our bodies. Wheat grain contains phytic acid, a substance that has been
linked to anemia. rickets. and nervous disorders. When bread is leavened naturally, 100%
of the phytic acid is eliminated. If, on the other hand, bread is leavened with thc help
of bakers yeast only 10% of the acid is removed.
As much value as we place on the health benefits of yeast-free bread making, there is one
other very important factor that has influenced our method of production: taste. When the
natural airborne population of microbes come into contact with the warm dough and its
moist surroundings, a slow process of fermentation begins, breaking down complex
carbohydrate molecules into simple sugars. The end result is a delicious loaf, naturally
sour, naturally sweet and naturally digestible. As may be clear by now, at the heart of
our approach to bread making is patience. It takes time to correctly prepare a food that
over the course of millennia has earned the title "The Staff of Life." We at
French Meadow take pleasure in knowing that we are creating the healthiest best-tasting
breads, and we are happy to take the time to do it right. Enjoy! |
