How to Bake Homemade Bread Using Only Natural Ingredients and Homegrown Ingredients

Creating bread from natural, homegrown ingredients can be an enriching experience, combining traditional skills with modern techniques. Whether you grow your own wheat, have access to fresh milk, or cultivate your own herbs, this guide will help you understand the adjustments needed to produce delicious, homemade bread.

Grinding Your Own Flour

Whether you grow wheat, oats, or any other grain, grinding your own flour is a practical and rewarding process. If you have access to a manual grain mill or a blender, grinding your own flour ensures you have the finest quality. For a more traditional approach, using a mortar and pestle can yield excellent results, though it is labor-intensive.

Using Homegrown Milk and Making Butter

Aside from flour, another essential ingredient for bread is fat. If you have access to a cow or goat, making your own butter is an excellent choice. Simply collect fresh milk and churn it until it becomes butter. The butter will be rich, flavorful, and perfect for your bread recipe.

Baking with Natural Liquids and Yeast

The liquid used in your bread recipe can significantly affect its texture and flavor. Use fresh milk instead of water to add richness and create a creamier dough. If you raise bees, gathering honey can be a delightful addition to the recipe. However, as yeast is crucial for bread’s leavening, you can opt for a sourdough starter instead of purchasing commercial yeast. Sourdough starters can be started with natural yeasts found in the air and flour, making your bread truly unique.

Bread without Salt?

Though salt is often seen as an optional ingredient, it is crucial for bread. Salt not only enhances the flavor but also helps inhibit yeast growth and improves the texture of the bread. Without salt, bread can be bland and difficult to bake. If you cannot obtain salt from the sea, purchasing a small container of natural salt, such as Himalayan pink salt, is a practical solution. An alternative, though less sanitary, could be gathering and drying your own sweat, but this process is impractical and time-consuming.

Making Unleavened Bread

If you prefer unleavened bread, you can use a variety of grains, fats, and salt. Flatbreads can be cooked directly on a hot surface, such as a stone near a fire, or on a skillet. More complex breads require an oven, which can be DIY made from clay. Look up online recipes for flatbread and unleavened breads to find the perfect match for your ingredients.

Using Home Brewed Beer

Another interesting avenue is using home-brewed beer to make bread. Beer inherently contains yeast, so with the right recipe, you won't need to add any additional yeast. This adds a unique flavor to your bread and can be an experiment worth trying.

Conclusion

While the idea of making bread from entirely natural and homegrown ingredients is commendable, it can be challenging. Using store-bought items like flour and yeast can simplify the process and produce better results. Explore natural alternatives like palm sugar, special flours, and liquid yeast to enhance the quality of your homemade bread. With a little creativity and experimentation, you can create delightful bread that reflects the bounty of your garden and kitchen.