Bread: The Ancient Community Builder
FORTHCOMING
Panion: The Community Engagement Platform
I think we can all agree that sitting around a table and connecting with new and old faces over delicious food is one of the greatest experiences in life. We laugh with family and friends, we cry and process griefs, we gaze into romantic interests’ eyes, and we even connect with strangers - all over and sometimes because of a table filled with delicious flavours, colours, and smells. Food doesn’t just nourish our bodies; it serves as a catalyst for life-changing conversations or can fill the space of difficult and awkward ones. Whether home-cooked collard greens or dining out at a dumpling restaurant, food is the bridge that connects me to new friends and has brought me closer to existing ones. Someone can start out as a complete and total stranger, but after sharing the most delicious bowl of ramen noodles, we’re connected. The phrase ‘breaking bread’ comes to mind, and what bread is more ancient and holy than the almighty sourdough?
Yeast has been used in cultures all over the world, but its origin story starts in ancient Egypt in approx. 300 B.C. Wheat was cultivated in the Nile River Valley and Sicily, and eventually spread to Greece and the Roman Empire. (2) Sourdough bread has an ancient history; the first loaf was found in Switzerland and dates back to 3500 BCE. Until modern fast-rising yeasts were developed, all bread was actually sourdough. Slow-rising bread was the norm. (1)
Fast forward to the 19th century and baker’s yeast (compressed yeast) grew in popularity due to its long shelf life and because it increased the leavening process – but in recent years bakeries and people all over the world have returned to sourdough bread. (1) The full flavour, nutritional value, and lack of additives have attracted everyone – from everyday bread eaters to commercial bakers. I used to eat any kind of bread that was cheap and easy to find. It wasn’t until I tried sourdough bread in Italy that I was exposed to the wonders of this ancient bread that has been passed down through the generations.
If you’ve traveled on your own, then you know it can be lonely and challenging to meet new people. I took a year off of college and spent it roaming around Europe – through Berlin, England, and finally landed in Northern Italy as an Aupair for a few months. I never understood the value of human connection until those lonely months where I spent days barely talking to anyone; whether I was stuck in my internal landscape or was in a town where barely anyone spoke English – there were long stretches of time that I went conversation-less and connecting with people felt like a challenging task moment-to-moment.
I lived with a family in a small city called Rovereto, not too far from Venice. They were an Italian & Belgian couple, I helped them take care of their twin babies. I didn’t know a soul in Rovereto and was completely alone. Spending days with two difficult twins that took turns screaming and crying for all the reasons babies feel unrest; I experienced a tiny dose of parenthood and the isolation of motherhood. Who could I talk to besides their mother, who was busy in her own much larger struggles? How could I process this experience without talking about it? Writing was one way, but it certainly wasn’t enough.
My loneliness drove me outside my comfort zone – after the first month of just spending time with the difficult babies and an exhausted mother, I went out by myself to the bar down the street on a Friday night. I wasn’t of drinking age in the U.S. so being in a bar was already strange to me, let alone surrounded by Italian. I was incredibly lucky that night; as I stood alone at the bar awkwardly, two women began chatting with me. Intrigued by my story and eager to know more, they invited me to a party the next week. Then the following week we got coffee. We were talking for a mere ten minutes when Irene and Eleonora looked at each other and invited me for lunch at Eleonora’s families’ house. I was so surprised, I responded, “Lunch at your house? With your family?” Her and Irene laughed, “Yes of course, I already told them about meeting you at the bar. They suggested I invite you for a meal.” I was starving for friendship and this was my chance.
The following weekend her and Irene picked me up and we drove to her family’s house in a smaller town about 30 minutes away. When we arrived, she opened the door into a hallway, announcing, “This is where my grandma lives, her room and little kitchen are through there.” She pointed at the door but kept walking towards the staircase. On the second floor she said, “This is where my parents live and upstairs is where I live. Welcome.” She smiled sweetly and opened the door.
The meal we ate consisted of deer, sliced potatoes, and tiramisu. Her sister, who had just recently returned from a trip to Germany had learned to bake sourdough bread. There were three big, beautiful loaves whose smell mixed with the aromatic meat and sweet dessert, my nose was overwhelmed in the best way and my stomach was grumbling. Her sister talked about a sourdough bread workshop she attended, she learned that yeast was just zooming around in the air, one didn’t need to acquire a sourdough starter from someone else, they could simply mix flour and water together and catch the yeast straight out of the air. Eleonora’s parents were insistent that I have seconds, I practically rolled out of their apartment and into the car when I went home.
I thought about how a mere two weeks prior I didn’t know these two women; I didn’t know anyone in Rovereto. And I definitely didn’t know what deer tasted like, or real tiramisu for that matter. The courage it took to go to the corner bar alone at nineteen years old, in a new country and city was immense. I was not used to the loneliness or having to push myself to meet new people. Anyone that has moved to a new city alone, without knowing a single person knows that making friends is essential to survival, happiness, and fulfillment. With an app like Panion, immediate connections can be made – whether you have a love for Korean bibimbap or Spanish tapas, Panion can connect you with passionate foodies everywhere.
Maybe you’re passionate about freshly baked bread like me, or sushi or Ethiopian food - or maybe you’re just craving some warm soup in the winter months and good conversation. Whatever it is, Panion can help you find friends that love similar food. Making connections and building relationships over the best pizza in town has never been easier.
Sourdough Bread
MAKES 2 loaves
INGREDIENTS
For the leaven:
1 tablespoon
75 grams all-purpose flour or bread flour (1/2 cup)
75 grams water (1/3 cup)
For the dough:
525 grams water (2 1/2 cups), divided
1 tablespoon salt
700 grams
all-purpose flour or bread flour (5 1/2 cups)