12/18/07

Muesli Bread

I decided to make something more wholesome again and since I am doing some spring cleaning for the holiday season, I wanted to get rid of all those half consumed cereals left in the fridge. Although we wish to feed our children with wholesome foods, they have their own minds and tastes. Like most children, they are more keen on junk food than real food. I can't blame them because I was just like that when I was young. Today, I would not touch luncheon meat. That was very different when I was a kid. I have to thank my mother for instilling the fear of luncheon meat in me.

In a moment of juvenile stupidity, I told her that I'd like to eat luncheon meat every day and for the next few days, luncheon meat appeared at the table. By the third day, I thought I'd die if I had to eat luncheon meat again. In a way, it could be the body's self preservation mechanism.

As I grew older, I learnt more about the evils of heavily processed foods. Foods like luncheon meat and cheap sausages are probably made from reclaimed meat. I couldn't imagine prime cuts made into luncheon meat. With the recent food scare about luncheon meat from China and the callous attitude of some food manufacturers, the only defence is awareness. Even so, it is difficult to avoid eating all the bad stuff. At the average food centers in Singapore, you can see the hawkers cutting the vegetables directly into baskets, ready to be added into the dishes without any washing. The customer will be happily ingesting the tons of pesticides sprayed on the vegetables. The apathy towards the health of fellow humans is appalling. The sad and ironic thing is that most are probably unaware of the damage that they are doing.

When I see my Indian colleagues bringing home-cooked food to eat in the office, I am filled with great admiration for them. Among Indians, there is a strong belief that food influences the body and mind. Any food that is to be consumed, must be prepared by a loved one because even the psychological qualities of the chef is also transferred into the food.

For this muesli bread, I used 50% wholewheat, 25% preferment,  25% currents and 15% muesli mix. The hydration was 75%. As I was a little tired, I popped the dough into the fridge overnight after the first rise. The next morning, the loaves were shaped and baked.