Bread Art

I created this rose as one of several pieces for a culinary competition. I used three different bread doughs to sculpt and assemble the final piece but pate morte (“dead dough”) was my favorite decorative bread medium to work with. Because it uses no yeast or diary, pate morte is easy to shape and lasts indefinitely after baking. The dough is made by mixing rye flour with a glucose-based syrup. The low protein content of rye flour makes the dough less prone to shrinkage which allows the dough to be shaped into a plaque to commemorate a special occasion, fashioned into branches and adorned with flowers, or woven into baskets and lined with patterned cloths—anything your creative talents can conjure.

For the Sugar Syrup

18 ounces water

16 ounces granulated sugar

8 ounces glucose

Combine ingredients and boil for one minute. Chill.

 

For the Dough

4 ounces light buckwheat flour

12 ounces white rye four

8 to 10 ounces sugar syrup

Mix flours and syrup to form a smooth but stiff dough. Adjust the consistency with more syrup or flour as needed. The dough should be quite firm so the finished piece doesn’t sag during baking. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for one hour. Knead a small amount of dough between lightly greased hands to warm the dough and enhance its elasticity. While working, keep unused dough covered to prevent it from drying prematurely and forming a crust before it’s shaped. Dry the pieces in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours before baking and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until dry.

 

NOTES:

·         A blend of bread and cake flours can be used if you want to avoid the grayish hue of rye flours. However, the protein content of these wheat flours makes the dough prone to shrinkage, making it difficult achieve the fine detail work of a rye-based decorative dough.

·         The sugar syrup can be colored with instant coffee or the dough can be mixed with cocoa, spices, fruit or vegetable powders to create different hues. Cinnamon, turmeric, paprika, and freeze-dried raspberry, beet, and spinach powders work well as they resist fading and bleeding as chemically-based food colorings are wont to do.

·         The size of the piece will determine the baking time and temperature. Small pieces, like figurines, flowers, and plaques will bake within 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit while larger pieces should be started at 400 degrees Fahrenheit to set the crust and finished at 325 degrees Fahrenheit to dry the piece.

·         Once baked, the warm pieces will have a matte finish but they can be brushed with sugar syrup which will add luster and shine.