The Upper Crust

So the other day my mom asked me to help her find the 'ultimate sandwich bread' - one that is hearty, sumptuous, and non generic. This got me thinking about 2 things. 1: Seeing as bread is probably the epitome of a 'global food', does such a thing exist? and 2: Why haven't I done a bread post yet?

Nearly every culture has some sort of bread for dipping, sopping, wrapping, topping, or filling. There's naan, pita, tortilla, injera, shokupan, and baguette, just to name a few. For me, I don't know if I can pin down a perfect one, even for a sandwich. Warm French loaf is inspiring; but turkey calls for whole wheat, pulled pork and ciabatta are like Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, and the sweet, spongy texture of challah is also unbeatable with something savory.

I thought that instead of making a bunch of suggestions, I'd follow up on another global food post with a little bit of history.

It's no surprise that bread is ancient. Bread in archaeology is a big topic, and some use it as a benchmark to gauge a society's development. When wheat and other grains were first stockpiled, it's likely that they were consumed directly. Bread 'paste' was probably first developed, by crushing the grains and mixing them with water. When heated, this paste could have been kept for days. Like with cheese, it's thought that bread making may have first happened by accident - through the introduction of airborne yeast to the dough before heating, or through the naturally occurring yeasts on grains. The first sourdough was made by adding a piece of previously made dough for leavening, again akin to cheese making techniques.

Bread has become so essential to life that it even has religious importance. So, appreciate that slice of bread you're having in front of the TV!

As for the ultimate sandwich bread, any ideas?

GG