Late last year, before the pandemic rearranged our lives–and many of our eating habits–Zingerman’s Bakehouse introduced a new bread, one with a mission. Called State St. Wheat, the Bakehouse developed it as part of the Bread Lab Collective, “a group of artisan bakers working in collaboration with the Bread Lab of Washington State University.” The Bread Lab’s Plant Breeding Program has been researching grains to single out those that perform successfully for farmers and are also well suited to baking, brewing, and distilling, among other culinary possibilities. The Collective, meanwhile, has challenged its members to use those grains “to create nourishing sandwich loaves, crafted with artisan techniques, made of seven or fewer ingredients, and at least fifty-percent whole grain flour.” The goal is to be healthier than typical grocery store options while still offering real flavor and texture–a “bridge” bread, so to speak, between mass production and artisan.
