More on Breads II

Definitions:

Yeast: Micro-organisms of the Fungus family.

Wad:  Any small mound of a soft substance; Example: "The items came packed in wads of cotton; or, "He used a large wad of chewing gum to blow bubbles".

Maize: Better known as Corn. It is a grain plant native to Mexico and domesticated by them approximately ten centuries ago.

Tortilla: A wad of processed corn kernels, unleavened, flattened and fried on a hot griddle of thin steel.

Note: Processing of Maize/Corn is done by soaking the kernels in a bath of lime water until the skin of the kernel comes off, the remaining is then ground, formed and cooked. Failing to do this soaking step will cause sickness in humans, this is due to the fact that with the skin of the kernel now gone, the vitamins, primarily B3 (Niacin),  and Amino acids, are now able to be fully incorporated in cooking and aid digestion.

Lard: Pig fat. Boiled long enough to remove the fatty parts that cannot be dissolved; the remaining water is then boiled off, leaving the liquid, now soft, whitish fat, highly prized by Chef's for use in
baking and frying meats, adding a superior flavor.

Yeast Bread:  As noted in the definitions yeast is a living micro-organism and was probably first discovered by the Ancient Egyptians. The first use of yeast in flour to make bread is also loosely credited to the Egyptians. Prior to the use of yeast, the breads of the time were flat and hard when
fried. After the discovery and much trial and error, the raised dough gave us bread in light fluffy loaves as we know it today.

Sourdough: Produced by adding Lactobacilli, a bacteria that produces lactic acid and it is this that gives the flour its sourness and ultimately sour dough bread. It also lasts, unrefrigerated for a very long time. Sourdough and Yeast Bread are so old that trying to figure out when or by whom it was first produced is sheer speculation. But it is, by far, the most successful food product ever created.
The way Yeast and Sourdough is made

today is much the same as in ancient times. 

The making of the sourdough starter is simply flour and water and because wheat contains both yeast and lacto-bacilli it can be let raise and then formed into loaves or fried or baked and still set aside a small, uncooked portion, for starting the next batch of bread or biscuits.

Cornbread: This particular bread is so well known and used that saying anything more about it would be wasted effort. It does, however, lead us to a form of this bread described below.

Cornpone: You have probably heard the name and wondered about it, unless you are from the South or Native American of that region. Cornpone is made from Cornmeal dough, that is made with enough water to make a paste-like dough with no milk or eggs added to the mix and then formed into a thick patty and fried in a hot cast iron frying pan that has had lard or bacon drippings added.

Hushpuppies: Another cornbread based staple, also prevalent in the south, the hushpuppies are made with corn meal, buttermilk instead of water, salt and sometimes chopped onions, formed into flattish ovals and deep fried.

 I spent some time in the south and enjoyed hushpuppies with fried fish, usually Bream (pronounced Brim) and catfish on occasion. Quite delicious.

Dad