The Creative Connection

Not so very long ago, bread was made using only two ingredients: flour and water. Naturally leavened bread, without chemical rising agents and baker’s yeast (one variety of yeast singled out) was the authentic staple of our great-grandma’s generation. MaryJane’s SUPER-SIMPLE 1 minute a day, 5 minutes on Saturday method, using equipment you probably already have on hand, will revolutionize your bread making. The idea behind Bread the MaryJane Way is one of good health. Baking bread using your own sourdough starter is better for you because the starter pulls in wild yeast spores familiar to your body from the air and plants that surround you. Sourdough enhances your immune system. Here’s how: Phytic acid (phytin) in grain needs to be neutralized in order for the nutrients to be absorbed by the human body. In naturally leavened bread (sourdough), the phytin is neutralized by natural bacterial action and, to a lesser degree, by baking. But in yeasted breads, about 90 percent of the phytin remains. Perhaps this is the reason for the modern-day ground-swell of gluten intolerance. Furthermore, in naturally leavened bread, complex carbohydrates are broken down into more digestible simple sugars and proteins are broken down into amino acids so that your body has access to vital nutrients.  Using techniques that MaryJane has taught to hundreds of people, you’ll leave her workshop empowered (kits will be available for purchase) to create mouth-watering artisan sourdough breads in dozens of different styles and shapes, including bagels, baguettes, flatbread, ciabatta, fougasse, pretzels, panettone, pizza crust, focaccia, and more. And the best part? You’ll spend only minutes a day in your kitchen. If you think you know something about homemade bread, forget it—MaryJane’s approach takes bread-making to a whole new rise. In MaryJane’s chatroom (www.maryjanesfarm.org/snitz), “Bread the MaryJane Way” has close to 2,000 posts from women nationwide who are discovering the secrets to MaryJane’s sourdough magic.