Sourdough: Hacking Bread and Social Baking (for non hackers)

Sourdough Bread Hacking and Social Baking (for non hackers) Guilherme Zühlke O’Connor www.guioconnor.com gui@z-oc.com this presentation: http://tinyurl.com/breadhackingfornonhackers

The Author • Guilherme Zühlke O’Connor • Web developer • Computer geek • Hacker

Friends call me Gui Pronounce it as geek, but without the ‘k’

Why do I say I’m a hacker?

Why do I say I’m a hacker? Let’s see what a hacker is...

Hacker Culture is NOT about: • Being a computer pirate • Invading systems • Stealing computer access

Hacking culture is about • Learning • Making stuff • Improving stuff • Sharing

Ultimately, Hacking is about lateral thinking.

Ultimately, Hacking is about lateral thinking. it is about adding insight to pre existing objects and techniques and make them better and more useful, or make them more speciﬁc and relevant for a certain context.

Ultimately, Hacking is about lateral thinking. it is about adding insight to pre existing objects and techniques and make them better and more useful, or make them more speciﬁc and relevant for a certain context. It is also about having fun along the way.

Hack on the web • Twitter + API = Twitterbots • BOSS + Language = Customised Search engines • Microformats = Semantic Value to Data • http://apiwiki.twitter.com/ • http://developer.yahoo.com/search/boss/ • http://microformats.org/

Or on the Kitchen...

Or on the Kitchen... The Kitchen is the perfect playground for a hacker’s free time.

Why?

Cooking is about • Learning • Making stuff • Improving stuff • Sharing

The Perfect Example Bread!

Baking bread is simple

Baking bread is simple Don’t let any “smart” baker tell you otherwise!

Ingredients • 1Kg of ﬂour • 600ml of water • 20g of salt • 20g of fresh yeast (or 10g of dry yeast)

The Process • Make leaven with the part of the water, the yeast and part of the ﬂour • Add the salt and the remaining ﬂour and water to make bread

The Leaven • Use 100ml of water • All the yeast • 100g of ﬂour • Mix well and let it rest for 10~15 min

The principle • The yeast needs water and food • It multiplies and breathes • The outcome is CO2... • ... and more yeast.

The Bread • To make the bread, you’ll add the remaining water, ﬂour and the salt to the leaven • Knead the dough for several minutes • Leave to rise until it doubles in size

And do it again... • The more you knead, the more elastic it will become • The more elastic, the greater the ability to retain CO2 bubbles. • Experiment and ﬁnd your way • Learn the ways of The Force

Tweak your bread!

Tweak your bread! • Add sesame seeds, sunﬂower seeds, any seed...

Tweak your bread! • Add sesame seeds, sunﬂower seeds, any seed... • Add cheese to the dough, ﬁll it with cheese, cover it with cheese

Tweak your bread! • Add sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, any seed... • Add cheese to the dough, fill it with cheese, cover it with cheese • Make it flat, call it a pizza

Tweak your bread! • Add sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, any seed... • Add cheese to the dough, fill it with cheese, cover it with cheese • Make it flat, call it a pizza • Use different types of flour

Hack Your Bread!

Hack Your Bread! • Add ingredients (oils, sugar, spices, eggs, milk)

Hack Your Bread! • Add ingredients (oils, sugar, spices, eggs, milk) • Change proportions (make it thicker, or lighter)

Hack Your Bread! • Add ingredients (oils, sugar, spices, eggs, milk) • Change proportions (make it thicker, or lighter) Flour, water, salt and yeast: Merely a white canvas!

Bake • Time and temperature depend on the size and shape of your breads • As a reference, use a pre-heated 180ºC (356ºF) oven for some 40 minutes for a 500g loaf

Bread from scratch!

But, wait a second!

Where does the yeast come from?

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Also called brewer’s yeast Is obtained as a byproduct of brewing beer.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Also called brewer’s yeast Is obtained as a byproduct of brewing beer. But beer itself needs yeast...

Now really, where does yeast comes from?

Now really, where does yeast comes from? Let’s Catch a Wild yeast! (much more fun than writing an answer)

Starter • Mix 100g of ﬂour (1/3 wholemeal and 2/3 white) and 100ml of water • Cover it to avoid dust, but allow it to be in contact with the air • Leave it for two or three days

Yes, two or three days!

Yes, two or three days! What do you think it will happen?

Bacteria!

Bacteria! Yay!

Hungry Bacteria! Time to feed them!

Refreshment • Take the 200g of leaven you have • Add 200g of ﬂour (same proportions) • Add 200ml of water • Repeat every two or three days

Now you have 600g of leaven!

Now you have 600g of leaven! How much leaven will you have at the end of 10 days?

Now you have 600g of leaven! How much leaven will you have at the end of 10 days? A lot!

Proper Leaven • For 300g of leaven • 300g of ﬂour (same proportions) • 150ml~200ml of water • You’ll end up with some 800g

Share your leaven • Give part of it to friends. Encourage them to make their own sourdough • Just make sure you have about 300g for the last refreshment

Making the bread

Making the bread Didn’t we covered that already?

Bake • Save 300g of leaven and use 500g • Add 500g of ﬂour • Add 300ml~350ml of water • 15g of salt • Make bread with that!

Refresh the leaven • Refresh the 300g of leaven • Add 300g of ﬂour • And 150ml~200ml of water

Repeat • Every 3 days or so you must refresh your leaven and this is a good opportunity to make bread • If that’s too often, why not alternate the task with some friends • Don’t forget you can make a lot of bread at once and share, so can your friends

Summary • You’ve built your own leaven from scratch • You’ve are distributing it • You are creating all sorts of different breads upon the base you have • People are modifying and improving your leaven

Maintenance • Baking bread every few days seems exhaustive? Stop it! • If you want to restart, ask a friend to give you some of the leaven they still have.

Coeliacs • Basic sourdough is not good for coeliacs due to the presence of gluten. • Alternative recipes with gluten-free ﬂours exists, but I’ve never tried them.

Gotta love Sourdough!

Gotta love Sourdough! If only we could FTP it to a web server it would be just like writing code... sigh!

? Questions Guilherme Zühlke O’Connor www.z-oc.com twitter.com/guioconnor

Inspired by Feasts from the Place Below By Bill Sewell ISBN: 0-7225-3729-8

Sourdough: Hacking Bread and Social Baking (for non hackers)

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