Week 6 Lab Data Group 6: Bread

This lab explored the processes used to make three different types of ancient bread. We were lucky enough to use organic, mindfully farmed bread flour for this lab, which had different attributes than store-bought bread flour and led to very interesting results. This lab took place outside on Mai-Fete Island, where Parker and Prof. Morton lit a central fire to generate coals to heat our cast iron pots.

Part 1

The first bread we made was a simple mix of four, water, and salt.

Cato’s bread

252g bread flour

6g salt

176g water

Our group measured the ingredients using a scale and combined them with our hands. We kneaded the dough for about 9 minutes before letting it rest while we heated our pot using coals from the fire. Below is a breakdown of the introductory process of our lab with time stamps.

Time	Notes
1:22	Started kneading in bowl
1:26	Switched to kneading on a cutting board
1:31	Stopped kneading
1:37	Began heating pot with coals
1:45	Qualitative check-in: Smoke is a lot
2:02	Added bread to pot
2:43	Removed bread from pot

Heating the pot

In the next step of our lab, we used hot coals from the campfire to heat our pot. To begin, we laid two smoldering logs on the pebbles at our station and placed the pot on top, then covered the lid with an additional two logs. We periodically took the temperature of the pot using a laser heat detector, aiming to reach the recommended 450 degrees. During each time check, we measured three variables: the time since putting the pot on the coals, the temperature of the pot’s exterior side, and the temperature of the pot’s interior after removing the lid. Capturing all of the temperature measurements at each time check was difficult because the pot was difficult to maneuver, especially when loaded with hot coals. We took the following measurements to help map how the pot’s temperature changed over time, and we found it very difficult to maintain 450 degrees. We used several methods to regulate the temperature. To increase the temperature, we added coals to the lid or logs to the base of the pot, and to decrease the temperature, we removed coals, logs, or removed the whole pot from the pebbles.

Minutes since heating pot	Pot’s side temperature (F)	Pot’s interior temperature (F)	Notes
2	97
5	160	350
10	250	435
14	250	630	Removed top coals
17	300	680
18			Removed most bottom coals
20			Took off coals
25	370	495	Added bread

Adding the bread

After the pot had been heating for 25 minutes, we reached a solid temperature range, at which we added the bread. By then, the bread had developed a thin crust after resting in the sun for 30 minutes. We plopped the loaf into the center of the pot and covered it with the lid, putting the coals back on top. Below is the progression of the pot’s temperature while we cooked the bread. For this step, we measured the number of minutes since adding the bread, the internal pot temperature, and the interior bread temperature using a meat thermometer that we inserted about halfway through the loaf. We also kept track of how the temperature changed after we removed the loaf from the pot.

Minutes since adding bread	Inside pot temperature (F)	Interior bread temperature (F)	Notes
1.5	300
2.5			Added coals
5	540		Took off coals
9	320		Put back on coals
11.5			Added more coals
14	330
17	500
20	630		Took off coals
23	410		Put back on coals
25	493		Took off coals
29.5		160	Added coals
33.5	560	165	Took off coals
41.5		170	Removed bread from pot
After removal
6		185
10		185

As shown above, the resting period after removing the bread from the pot was critical in giving the bread time to continue to cook inside. After we removed the bread, we noticed a thick black charred crust had formed at the bottom of the loaf. We waited 15 minutes to rip open the bread, which had risen a significant amount and was still steaming inside.

Part 2

The second bread we made was created from a 2:1 ratio of feta to flour.

Feta Bread

328g feta

163g flour

1 egg

Below is an explanation of our preparation process with time stamps included. There are fewer notes here about the process of heating the pot because the pot was pre-heated from the first bread. While Cato’s Bread was still on the fire, several group members started making the feta dough, measuring the ingredients using a scale mounted on a wooden cutting board and kneading the dough using their hands for about 5 minutes. We also wrapped the loaf’s bottom in bay leaves before putting it into the pot.

Time	Notes
2:39	Began kneading
2:44	Stopped kneading
2:50	Put feta loaf in pot
3:00	Qualitative check-in: people are missing their modern cooking technology and are getting hungry.
3:51	Removed bread from pot

Adding the bread

After adding the feta dough to the pot (bay leaves down), we recorded the temperature progression, regulating the temperature using the same methods as before with better success. We also recorded temperature changes after removing the bread from the pot and letting it rest.

Minutes since adding bread	Inside pot temperature (F)	Interior bread temperature (F)	Notes
0	355
3	650		Took off coals
4	400		Put on coals
9	650	70	Took off coals
13	770		Took off coals
14.5		98
17	430	95	Added coals
21	450	140
25	500	130	Added coals
30	130	510	Added coals
35	140	450	Added log
40	140	450	Added log
45	160	500
51	167		Removed bread from heat
After removal
10	185
14	177

Immediately after we removed the feta loaf from the heat, we topped it with a liberal drizzle of honey and poppy seeds before letting it sit for 15 minutes. When we sliced the loaf open, it had a cheesecake-like texture and a sweet, crusty top.

Part 3

The final part of our lab was the most straightforward. We had a much easier time regulating the temperature after practicing on the first two loaves.

Sourdough bread

The sourdough loaf we used was made by Morgan and contained sourdough starter, a natural yeast leavener. We did not need to prepare this loaf.

Adding the sourdough

We plopped the loaf into the pot mistakenly upside down and covered the pot with the lid and coals before recording the temperature changes. For this bread, we let it cook on its own, minimally regulating the temperature by removing the pot from the coals periodically for a few seconds.

Minutes since adding bread	Internal pot temperature (F)	Internal bread temperature (F)	Notes
4:20	630	70	Kept coals the same
11.5	575	163
19	600	203
24	550	209

Like the first two loaves, the sourdough had a thick black crust that had formed on the bottom, but the interior was delicious: airy, crusty, and moist inside. Like the first loaf, we reflected on the extent to which the choice of flour impacts the final result of the bread.