Historically, the New World, or North America, was
explored and “conquered”, for lack of a better word, by the countries of
Europe. While the English primarily
settled within the 13 original colonies, French and Spanish explorers traveled
the fringes of both the United States and Canada. Moving inland became justified with the
finding of precious minerals (gold, silver, copper); fur trapping for animal
pelts to keep human bodies warm in winter and, of course, land grabbing.
With the influx of these foreigners came food items and
recipes. American cuisine essentially
began as a mixture of English, French, Spanish; increasing as more countries
forth wars in North America. The
Hessians were approximately 30,000 German troops, hired by the British, to help
fight during the American Revolution. They were principally from the German
state of Hesse-Cassel, and with them came their cultural background. It is known that the Spanish came through San
Juan County, part of the development of the Old Spanish Trail from Mexico to
California.
In the 1900s, Basque immigrants traveled to the mountain
regions of California, Idaho, Montana and Utah.
Descended from the first Romans who invaded the areas of Spain and
France, they have their own culture, language and distinct genetic
background. The Basque are extremely
family oriented, so while sheepherding was a major component of life, it was a
lonely existence. The herders spent more
time with their flock, than with family.
Living in small shelters and cooking for themselves was a basic
necessity for their way of life.
“Tending their flocks in the remote Western rangelands,
Basque sheepmen had to cook for themselves, and they had to make do with a
minimum of portable cooking equipment. A
Dutch oven became essential for cooking hearty soups and stews — and even for
baking bread. They buried the pot in a pit full of hot embers. During the winter months, herders would live
in sheep wagons, which contained a stove and an oven. They baked their own
bread in a Dutch oven, buried in the coals from sagebrush or aspen wood fires,
with a tight-fitting lid and a bale handle. Today the tradition continues in
homes across the world recreating this wonderful bread in modern ovens. ” ~~Sunset Magazine, June 1976~~
Now, in the history of bread baking, comes that age old
question, “Which came first…?” The
Native American culture and traditions have their own bread creation styles. Pueblo bread (San Juan Record, April 5, 2016), bread products made by ancestral
Native Americans used corn flour. The introduction
of wheat flour, and eventually more processed flours, came from the exploring
Europeans. So, when it came to baking
techniques, recipes and what the finished bread loaves looked like; who
influenced who? I asked a few Navajo
ladies about the difference between Pueblo and Sheepherder breads, and the
answer was simple…sugar. The recipes are
essentially the same, except Sheepherder bread contains sugar which gives a
sweeter flavor, and browner coloring.
 |
| Sheepherder Bread baked Pueblo Bread style. |
First Attempt
 |
| 2nd Rising in Stainless Steel Dutch Oven |
 |
| After Baking |
 |
| Sheepherder Bread - Dutch Oven style |
 |
| Failed First Attempt, still raw dough inside. |
Second Attempt
 |
| Mound of Dough |
 |
| First Rising in Greased Bowl |
 |
| Knead, Divide into 4 Pans |
 |
| 2nd Rising, Cut X into top. |
 |
| Sheepherder Bread, baked Pueblo Bread style....Perfect! |
What was the result?
Four beautifully browned, round loaves of Sheepherder Bread; crispy
crust, light and tender inside, mild sweetness that did not interfere with any
ingredients placed upon the bread. We
indulged in grilled cheese sandwiches and French toast; or simply warmed slices
smeared with butter and/or jam. Not
quitting, putting thought and experience to the test, success!
 |
| French Toast |
 |
| Grilled Cheese Sandwiches |
With the recipe for Sheepherder Bread, there will be two sets of baking instructions. The first set will be the traditional baking technique using a cast iron Dutch oven. The second set will be as if making Pueblo style bread. If you have a cast iron Dutch oven, I suggest making the bread both ways, and see which is preferred.
Sheepherder Bread
Ingredients:
3 cups very hot water
1/2 cup shortening
1⁄2 cup sugar
2 and 1⁄2 tsp. salt
4 and 1⁄2 tsp. dry yeast
9 cups all-purpose flour, unsifted
Vegetable or olive oil
For Cast Iron
Dutch Oven
Preparation:
In a bowl, combine water, shortening, sugar and salt. Stir until shortening melts and cool to 110 to
115 degrees. Stir in yeast, cover and set in warm place until bubbly, about 15
minutes.
Add 5 cups flour and beat to form thick batter. Stir in
enough of remaining flour (about 3 and 1/2 cups) to form stiff dough. Turn out
on floured board and knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes), adding
flour as needed to prevent sticking.
Turn dough into greased bowl, cover and let rise in warm
place until doubled, about 1 and 1/2 hours. Punch down and knead to form smooth
ball, about 3-4 turns.
Grease inside of Dutch oven and inside of lid with oil.
Place dough in Dutch oven and cover with lid to let rise for the third time.
Let rise in warm place until dough pushes up lid about 1/2 inch (watch
closely).
Bake covered with lid in 375 degree oven for 12 minutes,
carefully remove lid and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes, or until loaf is
golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from oven and turn out on
rack to cool.
Makes 1 loaf.
For Individual
Round Pans
Preparation:
Same steps as Dutch oven method, except after first
rising and kneading, cut dough into 4 sections.
Shape into round balls and place inside round cake pans that have been
greased with oil. Cover and let rise for
1 and ½ hours.
Preheat oven to 400F, bake for 45-50 minutes, or until
loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from oven and place loaves on rack to
cool.
Makes 4 loaves.
Mary Cokenour
