Breadmaking from Scratch

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[M. Demetrius]

I've started a breadmaking project.  From scratch.  I found a cobbler's tool that will work to make a cultivator/pick.  

Obviously it will take some smith work to get where I need to be, but there's plenty of metal there, and I should be able to make a pointed hoe/pick from it.  The eye is already pierced (hooray!) and tapered in the right direction (outer end larger) so a typical pick handle should work for it.

Other tools needed will include a drift of the right size and shape to take the rectangular eye and make it oval, a sickle for harvesting the grain, a flail/thresher tool to beat the husks off, a winnowing basket, an earth oven, a sourdough starter, a rising bowl, a brick/stone/earth oven, and finally, a knife to slice the bread.  More info as it develops.

[Red]

Interesting project! Is the "type" of wheat still available as a "heritage" seed? Also, I am sure that the amount requiring cultivation is known today for our types of wheat, any idea how much you will have to plant to make an adequate amount of bread? (Ie are you going to make a loaf, and call it done, or are you intending to produce this in quantity?

Red

[M. Demetrius]

No, it won't be heritage wheat.  Some exists, having been found in jars in Masada, which is said to be viable.  This will be hard winter wheat kernels like you can buy in a natural foods store.  I know that kind will sprout, as my late wife and I oft times grew wheat sprouts for juice.  Nice and green and sprouty.  Gives you cow burps.  It's said to be healthy.  But--

I plan to grow a patch about 10' x 15', and might not grind all of that up.  Instead, I might just keep some on the stalk, some partly threshed and some ready to grind, just for a sample for table top.  I'll probably grind a couple of pounds of regular wheat...once I get a quern made, of course. 

Heckuva complex project.  Whose idea was this, anyway?

[JKALER48]

Wheat stalk of the old fashioned varieties of wheat are longer and are the only ones suitable for thatching the lack of which is what has prevented thatching projects at LAFE.

[kchetwynd]

I am probably just talking out of my hat here, but have you guys checked the type of wheat against the kind grown on the Canadian praire? They call that stuff "Hard, Winter Wheat" It might be a related species or something.

Regardless of that, it certainly sounds like an interesting project.

[M. Demetrius]

They grow hard winter wheat down here, too.  That's what the "Wheat Grass Afficionados" use.  Health food stores have it.  That's probably the strain I'll use.

[M. Demetrius]

Keegan found this link with some good info about species of wheat.
 http://www.thespunkycoconut.com/2010/03/food-archaeology-ancient-wheats.html

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