Every Monday I haul over to a sleepy street off West Burnside to yank open the worldâs ugliest treasure chest, a plastic bin tucked behind a metal gate. Waiting inside: bread wrapped in brown paper and labeled by hand. Itâs heavy enough to inspire a few
Pumping Iron moves on the spot. But banish all preconceptions. Starter Bread inspires the kind of deep thoughts usually reserved for Texas barbecue or retiring basketball players. I canât wait to get it home.
Texture is the star. Outside is a force field of bronze and crunch. It stands in striking contrast to the interior, which verges on the moist edge of hot cereal and custard. Despite the densityâthere are enough nutrients in here to form a biosphereâitâs surprisingly light and springy. Iâve never encountered anything quite like it. âFun to chew!â as my friend Peter says. Even Bakeshop owner and grain-flour pioneer Kim Boyce is under the spell. âItâs weird and marvelo