I made Native American Pueblo Oven Bread for my creative project. The Native Americans who made this bread lived in the southwest region of the United States, current-day New Mexico. This bread existed before the settlers from England, therefore, many of the ingredients are natural to the United States' soil.
I actually had a lot of fun baking this bread. My little sister helped me (she learned how to kneed for the first time) and it was very simple. There were very few ingredients, and it was virtually impossible to mess up. However, my first recipe I got off the internet had the wrong amount of yeast to add into it (it was nearly double the amount I actually needed), and my first loaf tasted like pure alcohol. It was not a pleasant experience.
However, the second loaf I produced was phenomenal. I think it reflected the ideals of the Native Americans at that time. The ingredients were very simple, only the bare essentials were put in, and just a small amount of sweetening (honey) was added to give it a little bit of zing. The taste was not over-powering as our breads can sometimes be today; there was just the smallest hint of sweetness that made the task of refueling yourself a healthy pleasure.
I did notice how long it called for the bread to rise and how long it was supposed to bake. It was to rise for an hour and bake for an hour; however, in the native's day, there was no preset to 375 degrees Farenheit. The natives spent all day warming their outdoor ovens to just the right temperature, then cleaning out the ashes, and finally baking the bread. I was thankful for my bread machine and oven, and the fact that I did not have to bake bread for an entire tribe.
Pueblo Oven Bread tells its own legend of the natives in its ingredients and preparation. One can practically hear it humming and beating out the time to its own story while the yeast rises in the oven. Simplicity, patience, and delight all describe this bread perfectly, and therefore tell the story of the Native American's life, ideals, and legend.
