Salt rising bread: Keeping the tradition alive

Salt rising bread is a naturally fermented bread that originated in the Appalachian region during the 1700’s. Oral and written documentation of salt rising bread reveals a history originating from Kentucky, West Virginia, Western Pennsylvania, Northern Virginia, and North Carolina. The natural fermentation in this bread utilizes wild bacteria instead of yeast, yielding a delicious cheese-like flavor and delicate crumb. Significant aspects about salt rising bread will be presented to highlight how pioneer women’s perseverance and ingenuity resulted in this unique culinary heritage. Theories will be discussed about how the bread got its name, and how the skill in making it was shared among family, neighbors, and eventually out west through the migration of pioneers. We will discuss how two state-funded folklore apprenticeships (Pennsylvania and West Virginia) are preserving the knowledge of how to make this bread as well as the cultural underpinnings behind this tradition. With the current national trend in Appalachian foods, we will share ideas of economic development that capitalize on this spotlight. Training professional bakers of salt rising bread is an economic win for the bakers as well as the Appalachian communities where local people want salt rising bread, but cannot find it. Discussion will also include comparisons with similar indigenous breads from other world regions

Salt Rising Bread: How an Appalachian Staple Acquired its Name and Related History

Salt rising bread is a uniquely American bread that originated in the Appalachian region during the 1700’s. Written and oral documentation about salt rising bread, albeit rare, reveals a history originating from Kentucky, West Virginia, Western Pennsylvania, Northern Virginia, and North Carolina. Evidence will be shared to dispute an origin of salt rising bread from European immigrants or the African slave food ways. Several theories about how the name came about will be described: from coddling a ‘starter’ in heated salt, to the use of chemical salts (potash and saleratus) which established a unique alkaline fermentation, enabling the bread to rise. Recorded stories, as told by elderly women who made this bread for over ninety years, reveal heritage rich in folklore as well as baking skills. Often a salt rising bread ‘starter’ was passed among neighbors, while recipes were passed down through the generations. The authors have recently published the only book written about salt rising bread (“Salt Rising Bread: Recipes and Heartfelt Stories of a Nearly Lost Appalachian Tradition”). Discussion will also include comparisons with similar indigenous breads from other world regions

Diversity of plant-based food products involving alkaline fermentation

One of the hallmarks of alkaline fermentation is the rich diversity of products. e broad range of alkaline-fermented foods (AFFs) attributes to the variety of substrates used and the metabolic activities of the microorganisms involved in various fermentation processes. e knowledge of microbial diversity in AFFs will help in establishing their genetic resources and preparing knowledge databases.</p