yeast

Pearl bakery fermentation bread shelf
 by Lin Carson

I Found a Pearl in Portland: Day 82, 83 and 84

Delicious, crusty and full of aroma. The bread I received from Pearl Bakery had a great texture and was bursting with flavor. This is probably due to their different leavening methods and preferments that extends their fermentation and provides each variety of bread its own unique flavor. Pearl Bakery’s breads are made only with unbleached wheat flour, water, sea salt, and sometimes yeast. They do not add preservatives or dough conditioners. I examined their fermentation methods and these were what I learned.

Pearl bakery fermentation bread shelf

Pearl bakery’s shelf is stuffed daily with a large variety of crusty artisan breads.

PAIN POOLISH

Pearl bakery uses a Poolish that is a liquid, yeast-based starter that is allowed to ferment for 16-24 hours before being mixed into dough. This starter imparts a nutty, rich aroma, crisp crust and soft, open crumb. Breads like their baguette, parisienne and ficelle use this polish.

pearl bakery fermentation levain

My delicious Wheat Levain loaf that has a sweet and smooth sour to the bite.

PAIN AU LEVAIN

Some of their breads like the Wheat Levain, Walnut Levain and Pane Coli Santi are made with a special levain. Levain is a culture of flour and water in which wild yeast and flavor-producing bacteria naturally occur. This is a traditional french sourdough, with a mild, complex tang. No commercial yeast is added to these breads whose pre-ferments require daily feedings of flour and water to maintain the delicate balance between yeast and bacteria. Pearl Bakery’s Pain au Levain is characterized by a dense crumb, chewy crust, and slightly sour flavor great with cheeses and charcuterie.

pearl bakery pane coli fermentation

A crusty loaf of Pane Coli Santi.

Pugliese is their signature bread. It has enormously large holes with a delicious, chewy crust. A silky texture is created through the addition of extra virgin olive oil. Their Ciabatta is merely a smaller version of Pugliese. They also offer it in loaf that is jam-packed with kalamata olives.

Pearl bakery olive ciabatta fermentation

An olive ciabatta loaf.

PAESANO

Their popular Paesano is an Italian country bread leavened with a pate fermentee: a portion of yesterday’s dough that is held over to spur fermentation and enhance flavor. A mixed starter is made from a hunk of pate fermentee, water and flour. This is fermented for a number of hours before being mixed into dough. With its fine, tender crumb and thin crust, Paesano is great for sandwiches bruschetta, or alongside a bowl of pasta. This dough also makes up our famous, hand-knotted Kaiser Rolls.

peral bakery whole grain fermentation

I ate their multigrain loaf that is loaded with whole grains and seeds, and it is absolutely delicious.

The Pearl Bakery is a Portland staple. Nestled on the edge of the Pearl District near Powells City of Books, it supplies bread to well over 20 local restaurants and stores. What started as a small bakery in the late 90s has sure grown! The company is very environmentally conscious, from their packaging, to power source (pollution-free wind power) to their baking formula. Their artisan, hand crafted breads are made with organic, sustainable, local ingredients as much as possible. Probably part of the reason their products taste so good!

Here’s what I ate on Days 82, 83 and 84 of EB90:

Food  Portion Calories 
Day 82
Pearl St
Multigrain 4 slices (40g) 600
Sourdough 4 slices (40g) 500
Croissant 240
Brioche 1 bun (80g) 177
Chicken and Spanish Rice and Beans 1 C 300
Nutella 2 tbsp 200
Coconut water 2C 100
Pineapple 3 oz 41
 Total 2,158
Day 83
Pearl St
Multigrain 4 slices (40g) 600
Sourdough 4 slices (40g) 500
Ricotta 1/4 C 100
Cherries 1C 74
Nutella 2 tbsp 200
Oreo Thins 200
Hamburger and Corn on Cob 400
 Total 2,074
Day 84
Pearl St
Multigrain 5 slices (40g) 750
Sourdough 4 slices (40g) 500
Nutella 2 tbsp 200
Coconut water 2C 100
Southwest Chicken Salad 300
 Total 1,850

 

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Africa Moroccan Pita Bread.
 by Katie Jones

Around the World: Breads of Africa

Grains and starches make up a large portion of the foods eaten in Africa. These foods include rice, yams, corn meal, mashed beans, cassava, sorghum and millet. Africans also have unique types of breads which are different from the ones eaten in Europe and the US. African breads are baked, steamed, cooked on a griddle or deep fried. African breads were influenced by neighbors from India and southern Europe. The colonization of Africa  also played huge difference on the types of bread. Below are five of the most common types of breads consumed in Africa.

The Nigerian Puff Puff Bread

Puff Puff  is a wheat bread that is common in Nigeria.  Unlike loaf bread that is baked, the yeasted batter resembles a donut or fry bread. Flour, water, yeast and sugar are combined to make a dough which is then fried to produce Puff Puff bread. This bread is very popular in Nigeria and the neighboring west African countries.

 

The Nigerian Puff Puff Bread

The Nigerian Puff Puff Bread.

South African Green Mealie Bread

Corn or maize is commonly known as mealies in South Africa and Mozambique. Maize is part of the daily diet of the people in the mentioned countries. There are various recipes of making bread from ground maize. The breads are easy to make and they are very delicious. One of the breads is the traditional steamed green mealie bread which is made using a slightly green mealie. Others includes easy mealie bread and cheesy mealie bread.

 

South African Green Mealie Bread

South African Green Mealie Bread.

 

Moroccan Pita Bread

Morocco is a  North African country that is close to the European countries. Moroccan meals are a blend of Italian, French, Turkish and Spanish ingredients. Wheat breads are more common in North Africa. Wheat is more commonly grown in North Africa  than in the rest of Africa. Instead of baking, Pita bread is cooked on a griddle. It is eaten warm with honey and butter. The bread has a chewy texture which is brought about by semolina flour which has a high gluten content.

 

Africa Moroccan Pita Bread.

Moroccan Pita Bread.

 

Chapatti from Coconut Oil

Chapatis  are a common bread in east Africa which originated from India. In the African preparation of chapatis, coconut milk is used in place of water. Coconut  milk adds a rich creamy taste and softer texture to the chapatis. Flour and salt are combined and added into the coconut milk. It is kneaded into a dough which is allowed to rest for at least an hour. The dough should be soft and smooth, but not sticky. Allow the chapatti dough to rest for at least 20 minutes. This resting stage ensures your chapatti will be soft! The dough is then rolled using a rolling pin and a brushed with coconut oil. It is then placed in a heated oiled pan where it is cooked until all sides are brown.

 

Chapatti from Coconut Oil

Chapatti from Coconut Oil.

Ethiopian Injera Bread

Ethiopia and Liberia are the only African countries that were not colonized by European powers. Ethiopia thus retained its cultural identity which includes their unique cuisine. Ethiopia grows wheat and various other grains. Injera bread is made from a grain called Teff which is Ethiopia’s indigenous grain. Its preparation starts with putting the Teff in a mixing bowl and adding water slowly while stirring. After stirring, the batter is placed aside for a day to allow fermentation to take place. This allows flavor development as the batter acquires a slight tanginess. Yeast is sometimes added to accelerate the fermentation. Salt is then stirred in.

A nonstick pan is heated until a water drop can dance on its surface. The pan is coated with a thin layer of batter. It is then cooked until holes starts appearing on the bread surface. The bread is removed when the surface is dry. Injera is a spongy, sour flatbread that is  used to scoop up stews, meats and side dishes traditionally served as part of the meal.

 

Ethiopian Injera Bread

Ethiopian Injera Bread.

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