Book Creation Process:
Nathan Myhrvold and his team embarked on a project to create a comprehensive book on bread after the success of their Modernist Cuisine series. The core team involved in the project included kitchen staff, a photography team, and an editorial team, working collaboratively to produce the book. The Monitor to Spread book consists of five volumes, totaling 2,642 pages and weighing 53.3 pounds, with a remarkable four pounds of ink used in its printing.

Historical Connection to Grain:
Myhrvold’s family has a long history with grain farming, with his grandfather farming grain in Minnesota around 1920. Myhrvold acknowledges the importance and difficulty of grain agriculture, expressing gratitude to his family for their contributions. Peter Reinhart, author of the renowned book “Bread Baker’s Apprentice,” played a valuable role in assisting Myhrvold with the bread book.

Book Structure and Content:
The book is divided into six volumes: History and Fundamentals, Ingredients, Techniques and Equipment, two volumes of Recipes, and a Kitchen Manual. Despite the book’s initial size, over 400 pages had to be cut to make it more manageable. The books are intended for passionate and curious individuals interested in understanding the “why” behind recipes rather than just following instructions.

Target Audience:
Myhrvold emphasizes that the book is not intended for everyone, but rather for those who are passionate and curious about food. The book aims to address the needs of various audiences, including home cooks, restaurant chefs (even those who aren’t professional bakers), and small-scale professional bakers. The book also caters to industry professionals interested in bread and its intricacies.

Oven Types and Testing:
The book recognizes the significant impact of different ovens on bread-making and conducted extensive testing across various oven types. The results of these tests were incorporated into the book to provide guidance for bakers using different ovens.

Insights from the Book:
Myhrvold briefly touches on some discoveries made during the research and development process for the book, although he acknowledges that he cannot cover all of them in the presentation. Myhrvold intends to cover a different set of insights compared to those presented by his co-author, Francisco Bengoya, at a symposium the previous year.

Dough Handling and Challah:
The challenge of braiding challah evenly due to the dough’s elasticity and tendency to thin out. The solution: using enzymes, specifically proteases, to snip protein molecules and make the dough more elastic. Pineapple juice, kiwi juice, papaya, and figs contain proteases and can be used as meat tenderizers. A small amount of fruit juice (e.g., pineapple juice from a fruit salad canister) can be added to the dough to improve its elasticity.

Challah Dough Demonstration:
The result of using pineapple juice in challah dough: the dough can be rolled out extremely thin without compromising its rising and springing back.

Baguette Baking and Julia Child’s Recipe:
Nathan Myhrvold’s early experiences with bread baking, including a Thanksgiving dinner at age 10 and attempting Julia Child’s baguette recipe at age 11. The puzzling step in Julia Child’s recipe: spritzing a hot cookie sheet with water to create steam, which supposedly makes the baguette crispy.

Steam and Baguette Crispiness:
Nathan Myhrvold’s initial skepticism about the use of steam to make baguettes crispy, as water typically softens and makes things soggy. The lack of scientific understanding behind the effect of steam on baguette crispiness at the time of the bread book’s publication.

Debunking Theories About Crust Formation:
Two conflicting theories existed about bread crust formation. Steaming dough doesn’t lead to more oven spring; slashing the tops of breads is the key. Gelatinizing the starch in the crust doesn’t make it crispy, as evidenced by chewy bagels.

The Role of Steam in Bread Baking:
Bread bakes quickly because the crust blocks steam, trapping it inside. The trapped steam condenses, releasing heat and driving moisture into the bread’s interior. The crust’s impenetrability determines its thickness, with thinner crusts being crispier.

The Relationship Between Crust and Texture:
A thin, dry crust is crispy, while a thicker crust is chewy, as seen in bagels. Baking bagel dough like a baguette results in a crispy crust, while baking baguette dough like a bagel yields a chewy texture.

Gluten-Free Bread:
Gluten-free bread is a challenge for bakers since bread traditionally relies on gluten for its structure.

Gluten-Free Movement and Celiac Disease:
The gluten-free movement is not primarily driven by celiac disease, which affects about 0.75% of the population. Google Trends data shows a sharp increase in gluten-free queries, while celiac disease queries remain relatively flat. Gluten-free diets are often based on self-diagnosis, rather than a medical diagnosis of celiac disease.

Double-Blind Studies and Self-Diagnosis:
Double-blind studies are used to eliminate the influence of expectations on medical outcomes. Expectations can subtly affect results, leading to false conclusions about the effectiveness of treatments. Self-diagnosis of gluten sensitivity without celiac disease lacks scientific evidence.

Scientific Studies on Gluten Sensitivity:
Studies have been conducted to identify individuals who are sensitive to gluten but do not have celiac disease. Participants are randomly divided into two groups, one receiving a gluten-free diet and the other receiving a gluten-free diet spiked with pure gluten. Results indicate that, so far, no one can consistently distinguish between the two diets.

Personal Preferences and Shaming:
The author respects personal preferences regarding gluten-free diets. However, shaming others for their dietary choices is inappropriate unless there is strong scientific evidence to support it.

Gluten-Free Bread:
To make gluten-free bread, it is essential to understand how gluten works in regular bread. Gluten traps gas from yeast, allowing the dough to expand and rise. Gluten also contributes elasticity and chewiness to bread. In gluten-free bread, gels are used to trap gas and mimic the properties of gluten. Chia seeds and basil seeds, when soaked in water, form a mucus-like gel that serves this purpose.

Ingredients and Their Roles:
Xanthan gum: A thickener made by fermenting bacteria, it aids in trapping gas and creating a chewy texture. Glutinous rice flour: This flour, used in Japanese mochi, provides elasticity and stretchiness to gluten-free bread. Transglutamase: An enzyme that can stick protein molecules together, also known as meat glue, it enhances the binding and elasticity of gluten-free bread. Whey and other protein sources: These ingredients can also contribute to the stretchiness of gluten-free bread.

Challenges in Creating Gluten-Free Bread:
Achieving the right balance of elasticity: Too much elasticity can result in a texture similar to a kitchen sponge, which is undesirable in gluten-free bread.

Nixtamal Process:
This traditional Aztec method involves boiling corn with calcium hydroxide (lime) to create masa harina, a key ingredient in corn tortillas. Nixtamalization fundamentally changes the corn, resulting in hominy, which is then dried and ground into flour.

Rediscovering Starch Gelatinization:
Contrary to common belief, starch can be re-gelatinized, creating a stronger bond than the initial gelatinization. This process explains why tortillas remain intact despite being made from pre-cooked corn.

Unslicing Bread and the Costco Hot Dog Enigma:
Spraying bread slices with water and reheating them in aluminum foil allows them to re-gelatinize and reassemble into a loaf. The same principle applies to Costco hot dog buns, which stick to the hot dog due to the re-gelatinization of starch.

Masa Harina and Gluten-Free Bagels:
Masa harina, a type of corn flour, can be used to make gluten-free bagels with a unique corn flavor. Masa harina adds pre-gelatinized starch, resulting in a more cohesive and flavorful bagel.

The Significance of Bread:
Bread has historically played a crucial role in human societies, leading to bread riots when its availability or price changes. The mission to make grain cheap has resulted in a significant drop in wheat prices, contributing to obesity and treating farmers poorly.

The Economics of Bread:
Farmers receive a minimal share of the price of a loaf of bread, highlighting the disparity in the economics of bread production. The pursuit of cheap bread has led to limited variation in flour and bread prices, with a narrow range of options available to consumers.

Paying for Quality Bread:
In contrast to other types of food, bread is often expected to be free, leading to a misconception about its potential quality. High-quality bread, like risotto, requires premium ingredients and labor, justifying its higher price.

Myhrvold’s Vision for Bread:
Myhrvold believes that bread has the potential to be a high-quality food, similar to other culinary items like coffee and chocolate. He emphasizes the need for consumers to demand and expect better bread, rather than accepting the current low-quality options.

The Importance of Premium Grain Agriculture:
Myhrvold highlights the need for a premium grain agriculture system that focuses on taste and quality, rather than solely on yield. He suggests that farmers should be compensated fairly for their efforts in producing high-quality grains.

The Promise of New Wheat Varieties:
Myhrvold mentions Steve Jones’s work in developing new wheat varieties that prioritize taste. He believes that this focus on flavor will lead to significant improvements in the quality of bread.

The Myth of Past Bread:
Myhrvold dispels the notion that the best bread was made in the past. He argues that modern bread-making techniques and ingredients can produce superior results.

The Role of Consumers in Driving Quality:
Myhrvold emphasizes the importance of consumer demand in driving the production of high-quality bread. He encourages consumers to be willing to pay more for better bread and to support artisanal bakers.

The Sensory Aspects of Ancient Flatbreads:
Myhrvold expresses interest in exploring the sensory characteristics of ancient flatbreads in his upcoming book, Modernist Pizza. He mentions the possibility of studying the fundamentals of cereal culture from a historical perspective.

The Debate Over Pizza Crust:
Myhrvold discusses the different preferences for pizza crust texture in Naples and Rome. He highlights the importance of understanding these cultural differences when evaluating the quality of pizza.

The Value of Black Cast Iron Pots:
Myhrvold recommends using black cast iron pots for baking bread at home. He explains that these pots help create a crusty exterior and a moist interior, even in a home oven.

The Benefits of Steaming:
Myhrvold clarifies that steaming bread does not directly contribute to oven spring. However, it helps create a thin, crispy crust and adds shine to the bread.

Carl DeSmet’s Introduction:
Carl DeSmet from Puranas is invited to make a special presentation. His presentation ties into his talk scheduled for the following day.

Nathan Myhrvold’s Gift:
Nathan Myhrvold’s book, number 102, is mentioned to be present in the library. Nathan Myhrvold is presented with a certificate acknowledging his book’s place in the library.

Special Gift from Puranas:
A new book not related to Nathan Myhrvold’s writings is gifted to him. The book showcases how sourdough can positively impact people’s lives.

Lavon James Sourdough Culture:
Nathan Myhrvold and his company created their own sourdough culture. They named it Lavon James and are proud to have it inducted into the Hall of Fame for sourdoughs.