hofer wrote:

> Unfortunately, I have no Ortiz book and have no idea, what is it
> "porridge bread".

Bread that starts from (or at least contains) a "porridge" made by
scalding flour with boiling water. As opposed to, for instance, a
"sponge" made with flour, cold water and yeast. Your "mashing" sounds
like making a porridge but sustaining the high temperature for a while.

> Russians and German mainstream idea (read correspondence with Michael
> Ganzle in D. Wings book and here, at the group) is that because "white"
> wheat bread shouldn't be acidified substantially; there is no need for
> use of sourdough starters but usual baker's yeast. Not as French or
> Italians think!

Certainly not as San Franciscans think! I don't know how common pure
white wheat French or Italian sourdough breads actually are. Ortiz seems
to think sourdough rare in Italy altogether. Many French recipes contain
some rye or whole-grain flour.

> "A 100%-rye porridge bread made without yeast that bakes for 7 hours"
> reminds Pumpernikel, doesn't it?

Indeed: I sent some by airmail and called it pumpernickel on the customs
declaration. But I'm not well read enough to risk calling it that here.

Greg

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