BREAD as ART.
700 kilos of flour to make a ton of bread in three days as art.
That is what I’m looking at doing at the moment as a durational artwork in a gallery here in Canberra - no it’s not a government grant it just seems like a good idea. Remember – it’s art if it’s in a gallery and we all agree it is. Or perhaps it's about showing it is possible to make good bread in places other than bakeries.
I’d be trying to work continually for three days straight (grabbing naps when I can) so around 12kg-13kg kilos an hour every hour is what I’d be aiming for.
I think that a start to finish time of 6 to 8 hours for each batch would be good. I'd like to ferment and proof at fairly high temperatures for consistency. Probably at around 30 – 40 degrees.
I would like to check my number through with all of you to see if I have failed to take reality into consideration.
Equipment
Hobart A200 mixer (mix size a bit over 6kg final dough)
Blue Seal Gas convection oven (full tray five racks)
Or
A 2 tray Single deck fire brick floored pizza oven
Proofing/ bulk fermenting cupboard (made out of plastic greenhouse cupboard thing from Bunnings with thermostat fan heater and room humidifier)
I’m thinking of using a 2 man tent with fan heater as my bulk fermenting space.
2kg ricotta cheese plastic baskets to use as proofing baskets.
I was thinking of a simple 60%-70% hydration dough.
1kg flour
200g starter (mixed1:1)
100g oil
50g salt
80g malt syrup.
400g water
Work flow:
10 minute mix (two mixers of dough for each batch)
3.5 - 4 hour ferment
shape into baskets
2 hour proof
40 minute bake.
bulk proof 30 degrees
How does that all sound to you all?
Please leave a comment your oppinion good bad or indifferent is highly valued. I really want to know what you think of this as an idea, either technically or as an idea.
Thank you for taking the time to read this
Chow
Replies
To be honest (you did ask for opinions), I don't see a lot of artistic merit in this, Chow...I mean, it's one thing to plonk items in a gallery and call it art by agreement...but are you going to get enough such agreement with this? Warhol is a long time ago, and he had some real vision behind his apparently simple 'pop art' - and I'd suggest that without this vision, he would have been ignored. I think you need to develop your informing vision a little further than 'it just seems like a good idea'!
Artistic considerations aside, I do hope you don't waste the bread in the name of 'art', though. Do you have plans for donating it to people who might actually need bread to eat - while it's still fresh and palatable?
Cheers
Ross
oK BUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ALL THAT BREAD AFTERWARDS? I GUESS IT WILL BE DUMPED ? IT SEEMS A BIT EXTRAVAGANT WHEN PEOPLE ARE DYING BECAUSE THEY CANNOT EAT IN SOME LESS FORTUNATE PARTS OF THIS WORLD. WITH ALL MY RESPECT BUT I WOULD THINK TWICE ESPECIALLY USING FOOD, AND BREAD WHICH HAS SUCH A SYMBOLIC PLACE, FOR A MOTIVE LIKE THIS? WHY NOT DONATING THAT FLOUR TO A CHARITY ?
HUSEYIN