bake - September 2018 - 26

"We have no
illusion that
things are
going to change
on a grand
scale. We just
want to help
communities."
Dr. Stephen Jones, director of The Bread
Lab at Washington State University

In Lawrence, Kansas, 1900 Barker makes ﬁve breads

Breeding wheat for ﬂavor

daily, including Utility organic country sourdough, oat

Farmers in the US will harvest 39.6 million acres of

porridge and Danish rye. They make 30 to 40 loaves

wheat in 2018, according to the US Department of

on a typical day, up to 100 on a busy one. "Hearty

Agriculture, accounting for 1.88 billion bushels. Make

whole grain breads are pretty popular," says owner

no mistake, this amounts to massive production, and

Taylor Petrehn. "Lots of young people love foods that

the local grain movement is less than 1 percent.

are craftly made. That leads the way for them to enjoy
it, before even considering the health and nutrition

"We work with thousands of acres. We're not going

components, which are also important. This validates

to feed the world," says Dr. Stephen Jones, a wheat

the craftsmanship of whole grain baking."

breeder and director of The Bread Lab at Washington
State University. "We have no illusion that things are

Publican Quality Bread in Chicago works in partner-

going to change on a grand scale. We just want to

ship directly with Spence Farm, which raises about

help communities. And these little grain communities

10 acres of heritage wheat and some rye. Publican's

are starting all over the country."

head baker, Greg Wade, bakes his bread using only
ﬁve high-quality, ethically sourced ingredients from

The Washington State University Bread Lab Plant

Spence Farm, a biodynamic farm outside of Chicago.

Breeding Program conducts research on thousands

Using a natural sourdough starter containing

of lines of wheat, barley, buckwheat and other

wild yeasts and body-friendly bacteria, his bread

small grains to identify those that perform well for

is fermented for up to 60 hours. The hydrated

farmers, and that are most suitable for craft baking,

dough breaks down the nutrient-blockers typically

cooking, malting, brewing and distilling. Selecting

found in grains such as wheat, allowing the body to

for ﬂavor, nutrition and distinctive characteristics,

fully absorb all vitamins and minerals.

samples of the most promising varieties are brought
into the Bread Lab for analysis to determine the

Wade says they tested multiple heritage wheat vari-

product that best utilizes and manifests their unique

eties and picked three: Warthog, Red Fife and Turkey

characteristics.

planted all in the same ﬁeld, and once harvested is

To better understand the emerging grain revolution,

milled locally into what they call "WTF" Flour. "We

it is worthwhile to note there are ancient grains (like

use 100% of this ﬂour in our WTF Honey Wheat

einkorn and teff that trace back to the dawn of civili-

hearth loaves," Wade says. "Our bread ﬂour is tran-

zation), heritage or heirloom grains (like Turkey Red,

sitionally organic wheat. We want a connection and

the predominant variety in Kansas, ﬁrst planted in the

relationship with the local farm."

1870s) and local, modern grains that offer improved

26 < SEP 2018 | bakemag.com

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Red. The wheat grows to roughly the same height,
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