What is Different about Mother Made Bread

With great excitement, I have officially started bringing my handcrafted goods to local markets to share with my community

Visiting my market table you will certainly notice that my breads and baked goods look different than most others!

Rye, Plain, Cinnamon Swirl

Curious about what sets my bread apart from the rest?

One of my primary focuses and values is quality of nutrition and its impact on overall health and wellness

Because of that, the number 1 difference in my breads is the thoughtfulness and quality of every ingredient that I use

1. Quality of Ingredients

All of the ingredients used in my breads are of the highest quality. I have spent almost two years experimenting and refining the recipe for my bread to make it the most wholesome, nourishing bread I possibly can

My Ingredients -

Organic Non GMO Unfortified Stone Milled Flour - It took a long time for me to source flour that aligned with my value and standards of quality

Organic - Organic in Canada means agricultural production and processing methods that are certified to meet specific standards, which include exclusion of all synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, and genetically modified organisms. Ensuring good animal welfare and sustainable production processes.

I chose an organic flour as to best minimize nutritional degradation by contamination of pesticides and herbicides used in the growing process for the grains, which then contaminates your flour.

Non GMO - Trying to consume primarily non GMO grains is important to me for a few reasons

- GMO Grains are more likely to trigger an immune response, or allergy response as they contain foreign genes and therefor our bodies react with an inflammatory response when we eat them.

- GMO Crops are raised to resist herbicides, like roundup (Glyphosate - a chemical linked to cancer and other disease of the body). This often increases the amount of herbicides used around the crops to control weeds, therefor increasing the amount of residue on your food.

- Bees - There is some concern about how GMO processing can effect the bee populations. Consumption of GMO pollens that have been bred to resist pests and disease may have negative genetic impact to bees.

For these reasons, and staying to the principle that the more natural and unprocessed you can eat - the better for your health

Unfortified - Conventional flour is highly processed, bleached and treated with high heats which completely degrades all natural nutritional value in the grain. Once the grains have been processed into flour, the flour is then Fortified - 'improved or enhanced through the addition of one or more ingredients' (2). This includes adding Iron, Niacin, Thiamin, and Folic Acid. Excess consumption of these fortified synthetic additives can contribute to a number of health issues. Folic acid has been linked to inflammatory diseases and B12 deficiency.

The extensive processing of conventional flour also completely degrades and removes the natural fiber, protein and fats of the grain which are important for digestive health, and satiety. It was important for me to source a flour with its natural goodness preserved

When I consume grain products, well anything really, when we eat be it bread, or anything else I think it is important to chose wholesome, natural foods to best nourish our bodies, and families.

Stone Milled - Conventional flour milled in large commercial mills is milled at high temperatures which destroys the natural nutritional value of the bread. I have sourced a flour that is milled in a stone mill.

Benefits? - The flour is milled slower, by HUGE stones so there is a lot less heat generated and therefor there is no loss to nutrients in the grain. Because the natural nutrients are preserved, it does not need to be fortified with synthetics.

Filtered, Mineralized Water - Tap water is often contaminated with heavy metals, sediment, chlorine to sanitize, fluoride, and a myriad of bacteria. Herbicides, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, PFAS (forever chemicals) and microplastics also contaminate tap water.

For this reason I use a high end water filter that removes heavy metals, sediment and particles and chemicals. This is the only water I use in my baking.

Organic Cane Sugar - Organic cane sugar is made from organically grown sugar cane, so there is no use of pesticides, herbicides or other chemical contaminants. It is a non refined, which means it retains some of its natural molasses and therefor is a bit darker in color and a natural source sweetener.

Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil - EVOO is rich in heart healthy fats, it aids in reducing inflammation in the body, as well as supports brain function. Organic means free of pesticides and herbicides. Extra Virgin means it is the highest quality oil, collected from the first pressing of the olive.

Sourdough Starter Culture - I use a long maintained, healthy, robust starter appropriately named Mother Minerva. I feed my starter daily to keep her strong and healthy. I only feed her with home milled (stone mill) Organic Rye Flour, Organic Stone Milled AP Flour and Filtered Mineralized Water.

Sea Salt - Plain and Simple

2. Long Fermentation - The process of fermenting sourdough allows yeasts and Lactic Acid bacteria to break down the starches, and gluten in the dough. Fermentation increases mineral bioavailability (Availability to your body to use), as well as makes the bread easier for the body to digest. Fermentation produces prebiotics which feeds healthy gut bacteria, contributing to a healthy microbiome. Lactic Acid Bacteria increases the antioxidant content of the bread - antioxidants neutralize free radicals which are unstable molecules that can damage cells and DNA. All my breads are fermented for a minimum of 10+ hours to maximize these benefits.

   
   

3. Color and Texture - Baking with conventional flour lends to a VERY different color and texture in the end product. Conventional flour produces a lighter texture and "white" color in the bread, whereas the flour I use is whole grain and not bleached. Stone Milled flour produces a denser, richer loaf with a caramel color.

Plain Loaf - Golden Caramel Color

So really, everything is different about my bread and that is why I am so proud of it!

I have been experimenting, refining and perfecting my bread recipe for almost 2 years now

It is packed with nutrition, uses only the highest quality ingredients and is wonderfully balanced and delicious

As with all things Mother Made, I have perfected this recipe as it is what I feed to my family

It is with great pride and enthusiasm that I share it with you and yours

Have you tried my bread?! Please let me know what you think in the comments below!

Questions? Leave them for me too -- I am delighted to answer any questions you may have

UPDATE: I've been asked a few times now about what pans I use, and how I freeze and store bread so I thought I would include that here!

Pans - I use USA Loaf Pans in a 10"x5" size, I love these pans, they have excellent heat distribution cooking the bread evenly throughout. They are very well made, with proper care they will last a very long time! They are also coated in silicone so the bread slides right out, no need for parchment!

Bags - For freezing I use these Plastic Bread Bags, they come with twist ties and are a generous size, or alternatively I will use Ziploc Bags. Ziploc Bags can be reused many times! I just give them a rinse, let them dry and Viola! I generally don't freeze bread for a long period of time, and bake fresh as often as I can, but when I do a larger bake and need to freeze a few these options work great! Fresh Bread I store in a Wax Bread Bag that I sew myself (and sell at our market table) ! For markets I use Kraft Bread Bags for a nice aesthetic, these also keep bread fresh for a few days

With Love,

Katie

1. Biosafety of bee pollinators in genetically modified agro‐ecosystems: Current approach and further development in the EU - PM