With the exception of creating an acid based starter using the Bread Drink (which apparently is no longer going to be available in the US, with the death of the company founder), my son Diallo has taken this recipe and run with it. He has added more whole grain and prefers a poolish rather than the biga, but he follows closely the multifold time table.

The results are a very rich tasting, spongy and porous crumb. His basic topping for the moment–and photographed here–is a marinara sauce, topped with caramelized onions* and fresh Mozzarella cheese from our favorite booth neighbor at the Barton Creek Farmers’ Market, Mike of Full Quiver.

He bakes hotter and longer than I would and likes to singe the top and the sides. But the great thing about bread in general, and Focaccia in particular, is that it accommodates all kinds of variations.

* Slowly cook thinly-sliced onions in butter or olive oil until most of the onion juice has evaporated and the onions have turned golden brown.

focaccia with caramelized onion

And now he talks about Chocolate Focaccia?

I’m a bit skeptical. On the other hand, George is a no-nonsense guy who knows what he’s doing. And, after all, bread and chocolate is a classic combination. Look here what’s out there…

Well, George told me about his plans when we chatted at the farmers market, last weekend. So I asked him to write a blurb for our blog, and, if possible, send a picture of his experiment:

Chocolate Focaccia

“A baker friend alerted me to a posted recipe for a fruit focaccia. As strange as it sounds, focaccia made with the smaller champagne grapes and topped with coarse sugar are fairly common in the grape regions.”

“This got me thinking about the classic bread and chocolate. I was going to top the bread with chocolate at the beginning of the bake, but my chocolatier friend, Chef Keem , suggested that I should do it at the end of the bake. In his words, burnt chocolate is not particularly pleasant. I took his advise and only dotted the bread during the last 5 minutes of the bake, when I had turned the oven temperature down to 425 degrees.”

This is the brand I used: El Rey dark chocolate, 61% Mijao

“I wanted to have some background herb flavor, so I went with the classic topping of rosemary, olive oil and kosher salt. I am going to continue experimenting with this idea and with other background flavors, and I invite any other baker to post their ideas here.”

A June post by the Hartman Group – “Beyond Organic and Natural” – presented a good summary of this change in consumer attitudes. It also made some excellent points about what consumers think is important when it comes to natural and organic foods, and when one is chosen over the other.

The origins of the natural foods movement are well known; it was borne from concern for the healthfulness of the food system. In her ground-breaking Silent Spring, Rachel Carson awakened many of us to the dangers of pesticides. If these chemicals could accumulate in the food chain and be dangerous to insects, fish and birds, it was logical to deduce (whether or not it’s scientifically proven) that these chemicals posed potential dangers to those of us at the top of the food chain. This concern quickly extended to the chemical fertilizers dumped on farm crops and fields, as well as the chemicals and preservatives used in manufactured foods to improve shelf life, flavor, and other requisites of low-cost, high-speed production systems.

While food scientists and the FDA continue to assure us that the food system is safe (except when it’s not, and food recalls hit the news — as of June 28th, Kellogg Company has recalled 28 million boxes of breakfast cereal in the United States over fears that an unknown chemical that has tainted its packaging could cause diarrhea and vomiting), the uncertainty grows, as more and more cases of allergies and auto-immune diseases tell us something is out of balance in either in the environment or the food supply, or both.

Aside from questions about the side effects of the chemicals foods now contain, dietitians and consumers have been forced to respond to processed foods themselves. Heavily refined foods, with all of nature’s good stuff removed, are leading us toward an ugly future of chronic disease and dependence on pharmaceuticals. I realized recently that as much as I’ve hammered away at the risks of chronic disease in these newsletters, I haven’t written about what natural and organic labels mean and what consumers are looking for in each.

Natural vs. Organic – Are Consumers Confused?

The Hartman post helps clarify some of the recent survey research that has identified consumer confusion over the natural and organic designations. The research points out that most everyone correctly identifies pesticide-free as a key characteristic of organically grown foods, which they translate to mean “safe.” We’d like to believe the various governmental and industry officials who tell us that food is safe, but recent reports of various food contamination have left us feeling that we need to take more personal responsibility to protect and safeguard ourselves and our families. We want every bite of food to sustain and nurture, not poison. Hence, many conclude: be safe and start the kids on organic milk, and this attitude explains the ubiquitous presence of organic milk in all major supermarkets.

But what about the food itself? Is organic better?

Some organically-grown fruits have indeed tested higher in nutrients than those that were conventionally grown. For some, this would be reason enough to buy organic, but for others, the difference was not sufficient to justify the extra cost of organics. It’s almost impossible to control all the variables in studies like these. For example, the types or quality of the soil where the fruit was grown and the growing conditions during the year (such as amount of rainfall) explain some of the variation. But those of us who buy organics would point out that an improved soil alone is a reason to support organics.

How soil is fertilized defines sustainability. Organic farmers replace the organic material extracted by the plants with new organic material. Their attention to the soil ensures microorganisms in the soil complete the cycle of life and renew fertility. These same microorganisms increase the soil’s ability to hold water. Unpolluted and healthy soils comprise an immense web of life that makes many an organic farmer wax poetic.

According to the Hartman Group, in the mind of the consumer, organic is all about what happens on the farm. Organic is not about plundering and extracting and leaving little for future generations. It’s about supporting sustainability, it’s about reducing pesticides so that butterflies prosper, it’s about arresting the hive collapse syndrome affecting the honeybees. It’s all about leaving the world as good as or a better place than we found it.

While organically-grown foods can be lauded for great flavor and extraordinary appearance, other key issues are sustainability, preserving soil fertility and biodiversity, and leaving a diverse and ecologically rich world for the future. To this end, I recently read that organic coffee sales, despite a higher price in times of economic recession, continue to grow, and remain the single most valuable organic food item imported to the US.

When it comes to manufactured foods, the line between natural and organic blurs. In consumers’ minds, the two share common traits: no artificial additives, preservatives or artificial colors. The labeling of organic food is strictly regulated. Depending on the organic classification, 70 to 100% of the ingredients must be from organically-certified sources. There needs to be a well-documented paper trail that stretches from the farmer to the consumer to guarantee that the USDA organic seal has been earned and is valid. The organic badge represents a seal of approval, and by buying organic, we assume we’re doing the right thing when it comes to both feeding ourselves and protecting the future.

I’m not a big fan of heavily-processed organic foods. I have to ask myself at times what the point of highly-refined organic cookies, full of sugar, white flour, and fats is. Ditto with organic body care products that are mostly petroleum products and don’t have much to do at all with “down on the farm.”

It’s the intersection of organic, the slow food movement, and the new love of natural that fascinates me. Slow food (which is often organic, always gourmet, almost certainly natural, and, in my mind, linked to the artisan food community) has been making headlines. The movement emphasizes process: shortcuts are frowned upon, patience and time are virtues. Parmesan cheese and Prosciutto ham are good icons for the slow food movement; in both cases, the initial raw material is the cornerstone of the food, but time is the element that brings both to their fullness of being.

This is natural food at its best, and the integrity of the process would seem to assure us that the food is as safe as organic.

However, just because a food is “slow” or artisan-made is not a guarantee that it is every-day healthy. Full-fat, intensely-flavored cheeses, white-flour ciabatta and heavily-salted pickled foods are wonderful in flavor, dangerously delicious, and not for everyday consumption. Nonetheless, these foods perch comfortably on pedestals because they link us to our non-industrial, simpler, safer heritage (at least the parts of that heritage that we’re comfortable recalling!). Coming from an artisan background, I’m glad this connection is powerful enough to keep small companies that produce exquisite foods in business. Many artisans often make great sacrifices to “work for food.” And while artisan foods can be subject to recalls, because the amounts produced are small, they seldom grab the headlines.

The Natural Food Scene

In a recent transformation of the food scene, natural has become the category that both consumers and manufacturers are embracing when they either can’t commit to organic or qualify as artisan. The FDA’s definition of “natural” is so loose and broad that it is meaningless. As consumers we can, however, almost certainly agree on our expectations of natural: no chemicals, artificial colors, or flavors. We perceive natural foods as being minimally-processed, retaining all the goodness nature put in there. The proof of a “natural” food is in the pudding — or, more accurately, its ingredient list. It should be simple, easy to read, and totally understandable: each item should be something you could buy individually at the grocery store. And it must be said that we, as self-responsible and skeptical consumers, should always read the ingredient list on the foods we buy.

I got into the cracker business because of my love of crackers, and a determination to correct all the deficiencies of the crackers of my childhood. Saltines were one of my favorites, but the over-reliance on refined flour, trans-fats, and sugars were a trend without a future. To come up with healthy crackers, we looked to the iconic Scandinavian brands Wasa and Finn Crisps. They offer guiding principles of whole-grain baking and flavor. We can borrow from the successes in other cultures and perhaps return to better food ways.

The cost of organic and natural foods has always been a true test of devotion for many consumers, especially those starting families. We all want to support sustainability and embrace the principles of minimally processed foods with maximum flavor. We want our gourmet and we want artisan, but we also want to pay the mortgage and the phone bill. However, as the skyrocketing costs of heart disease and diabetes have proven…high-fat, high-carb and nutrient-poor food is anything but cheap in the long run.

So, in the interest of healthier, longer lives for ourselves and our families, and for the planet that sustains us, investments in minimally-processed, sustainably-grown foods are sound investments indeed.

“Specially selected, organically grown wheat, spelt and oats are the first step. To our Spelt Krackers we add extra bran for flavor, nutritional power and an extra crisp bake. Flax seeds go into all the doughs to enhance the basic texture.”

“All of our ingredients are organic and add important fiber, Omega-3 essential fatty acids, lots of vitamins, minerals and trace elements to the diet. Our Krackers offer substantial nutritional value, especially when compared to crackers, chips and other snack foods, and they celebrate the best flavors that a bakery can offer.”

Can you imagine the sheer amount of goodness you will add to your Wiener Schnitzel, Chicken/Eggplant Parmesan, or Catfish fillet…with a breading made from these powerhouse flatbreads?

To blow you away completely – here is the nutrition table for Dr. K’s Culinary Crisps line: Apple Crisps and Cherry Semolina…

O.k., forget the healthy part for a moment and think about the flavor…wow!…apple, cherry, fire-roasted spices! And now compare this to some store-bought plain breadcrumbs (plain is the all-revealing keyword here!), or even their “upgrade” with a sprinkling of tired old dried herbs floating around in the desert sand. Now, that was easy, right?

Here is a very special treat for you! Amie Valpone from the Healthy Apple Blog makes an incredible Eggplant dish using Doctor Kracker breadcrumbs in her recipe. Watch…

Flaxseeds show great potential to help prevent and to reduce all chronic diseases. I’ve been a believer in their many great properties since I discovered flaxseed bread during my apprenticeship in Germany, where there has always been plenty of folk wisdom about it’s gut-healing properties. I’ve always made them an essential part of all my bread recipes, both personally and with Dr. Kracker. But bread doesn’t have to be the only way to enjoy these super seeds. To get the freshest oil and enjoy the fullest nutty flavor, use an electric coffee grinder to crush a tablespoon or so, and add it to your smoothie, cereal, yogurt or oatmeal, or sprinkle on salads or casseroles just before serving. Nutritionally, there’s no difference between golden and brown flaxseeds. I use both, depending on the color of the food and the aesthetics.

Read more about the cancer-fighting potential of flaxseed lignans, but also the latest info on saturated fats, an interesting report on salt marketing by “ethically-challenged” food processors, and a few personal anecdotes by George Eckrich from his bread baking class at Whole Foods Market’s Bowery store in New York City. Here’s another quick outtake to whet your appetite:

What impressed me most about the class was the number of “baking virgins” (their term, not mine). No one had any baking experience. After the class, I discussed this phenomenon with the Whole Foods instructors. They told me their introductory classes, which include everything from basic knife skills to learning how to saute, are very well attended. Since lack of cooking skills and reduced time in the kitchen are two big impediments to dietary improvement, I’m relieved to see the new interest in cooking among so many young people.

I suggest you click over to Dr. Kracker’s website and sign up for George’s periodic newsletter for up-to-date info not only on flaxseed but a whole range of common sense health and diet issues.

Image courtesy of Jason Riedy. Thank you!

What Makes It A Wondergrain?

• It provides all 9 essential amino acids
• It is a complete protein
• It is gluten-free
• It is cholesterol-free
• It is usually grown organically
• It has high levels of B vitamins, iron, and phosphorus for energy production
• It promotes cardiovascular health through its magnesium content
• It protects the body from free-radical damage with high levels of antioxidants
• It is a good source of manganese, copper, vitamin E, and fiber
• It is perfect for vegetarians and vegans
• It tastes great on its own
• It cooks quicker than other whole grains (10-15 min.)

How To Cook Quinoa – Video Tutorials

Note: The outside of the seed is covered with saponins (a natural insect repellant) which have a bitter taste and need to be rinsed off before cooking. However, most commercially produced quinoa has already undergone a thorough washing process, so a quick rinse by us consumers should suffice.

Cooking Quinoa

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a rolling boil

2. Add 1 cup of rinsed quinoa, cover and reduce to a simmer

3. Cook undisturbed for 15 minutes; remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes

4. Fluff up with a fork; eat as is, or mix with additional ingredients

Recipes

Quinoa and Pistachio Salad

1 cup quinoa
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tblsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 cup roasted red pepper, chopped
12 olives, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup pistachios, chopped


1. Put quinoa, broth, water and orange juice in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 12 minutes.

2. Place everything from cilantro through garlic in a food processor and run until smooth.

3. Gently combine all ingredients, reserving a few sprinkles of pistachios for garnish.


Breakfast Porridge

2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup milk (or almond, rice, or coconut milk)
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 apple, chopped
1 cup almonds, chopped
Optional: honey or agave nectar for sweetening


Combine cooked quinoa and milk in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer; add raisins and cinnamon, cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the quinoa is hot; add all other ingredients, stir and serve.


Look at these beautiful images of recipes using our wondergrain:






Unfortunately, quinoa is NOT sold everywhere. Most health food specialty stores should carry it, but you may have to order it online. Browse this widget for high-quality product and a selection of excellent cook books:

The ROUXBE Online Cooking School!

I’m currently signed up for a premium membership because I couldn’t imagine a better refresher course for yours truly. And even if you are a beginner in the culinary field, these contemporary cooking videos and highly detailed recipe courses will teach you the exact cooking techniques I had to pay a lot of money for in chef school. (Only this time for pennies on the culinary institute dollar!)

Check out these materials of the ROUXBE Online Cooking School and then I will tell you how to take advantage of a fabulous introductory offer. Hint: You get one lesson of your choice for FREE, for a couple of weeks, before you have to decide on a membership option. This is huge!

Now watch these short clips of the ROUXBE founder and why this school is different from other, less professional enterprises…

For the sake of transparency and full disclosure, here is my official note to let you know that I will get a couple of bucks (literally!) if you decide to sign up. In any case, don’t miss this chance for a FREE boost to your culinary expertise, even if you don’t want to continue after your trial period.

Full disclosure of Chef Keem’s affiliation: I am a Rouxbe Cooking School affiliate partner. Rouxbe is the world’s first-ever online cooking school. I partnered with Rouxbe to help you improve you cooking skills. As part of their affiliate program, I have the power to give you a free, restricted-access, no-videos-barred, 14-day pass to their site. All you have to do is go to the ROUXBE Online Cooking School and redeem the 14-day Gift Membership. After the trial, you can join for as little as $4.95 per month per lesson. However, there is no obligation. It’s awesome! Check it out.

Here’s another great video lesson on wheat:

Go ahead, sign up for free and start looking around. I strongly believe that this is by far the best deal I’ve ever seen online. It’s fun, easy, convenient, and actually quite cheap, if you ask me. And you WILL become a good (or a better) cook!

Go to the ROUXBE Online Cooking School!

It is not always easy pulling recipes from history’s deep closet. I have looked at old baking books and researched the web. With this recipe, we will bake whole grain crackers that would meet his approval.

How To Make Graham Crackers The Old-Fashioned Way

Preferment: Biga

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 teaspoon dry yeast
1 cup water

Mix and let sit for 12 hours at room temperature, ideally 65-70 degrees

Soaker

1/8 cup ground flaxseed
1/8 cup whole flaxseed
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
2 Tblsp canola oil
1 Tblsp molasses
2 Tblsp honey or agave nectar
1 Tblsp salt

Cover with 1 cup of boiling water and stir.

This should be prepared at least 30 minutes before you start to mix the dough so that it will be cool enough and not kill the yeast. It can sit for several hours, if you prefer.

Main Dough

Biga
Soaker
2 teaspoons dry yeast
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour plus 1/2 cup for the kneading
1 cup water

• Mix all the above and knead intensely for 8 to 10 minutes
• The dough should be stiff and dry
• Let rise in a covered bowl for 45 minutes

Rolling out the dough

• Remove the dough from the bowl, being careful not to fold it, which could create too much strength. We want the dough relaxed.
• Divide it into 4 pieces. Gently extend one piece into a rectangle by hand, making certain that the work surface is well floured.
• With a rolling pin, roll it into a larger rectangle. Use flour to keep the surface dry. I like to flip it over to make certain that the bottom doesn’t stick.
• When you have the dough as thin as you like (we try for 2 millimeters in the bakery), use a knife or pizza cutter to make rectangles. Carefully transfer these to a sheet pan.
• To decorate the surface with additional seeds, brush or spray the surface of the graham crackers with water and sprinkle with flaxseeds, sunflower seeds and rolled oats. Use the brush to push the seeds gently into the dough so that they stay in place.
• Let rise in a warm place (I use the top of the oven, with the sheets on a dish so that the bottoms don’t heat up excessively). Let rise for 45 minutes and during this “proofing” time, cover with plastic or brush/spray the surface with more water to ensure that the crackers don’t dry out.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes. Do not let the crackers become too dark. If your oven bakes unevenly (and most ovens do), switch the pans around during the baking: front to back or top to bottom. The graham crackers are finished when the surface is no longer soft. You want them crisp, not hard!

Dr. Graham’s legacy of the graham cracker tells the story of a kernel of enduring nutritional truth that was sidetracked by religious belief and later hijacked by the sweet tooth. Dr. Sylvester Graham wasn’t really a doctor, nor was he an ordained minister, as far as I can tell. But it was more about the message in those days (as it may still be now) and whether the message attracted a following. Graham was convinced that lust and masturbation were caused by poor dietary choices: too much meat, refined flour and inadequate fiber. Raw food was high on his recommended list, but without California, Florida or Central and South America providing abundant fresh produce, I’m not certain how fulfilling a plant-based diet was in the 1830’s.

Dr. Graham advocated healthy living to suppress the carnal urges and to purify the mind and spirit. Healthy living meant no meat, raising the ire of butchers; no refined flour, making him unpopular with bakers; and no alcohol, angering the brewers and saloon keepers. But people signed up!

Since he had little support from the bakers, Graham instructed his followers to bake healthy bread at home. His recipe specified unsifted flour that contained all the bran and the germ. This flour would have come from the first grind at the mill and thus contained many particles of varied size, which is to say that it was very gritty to the feel and baked into a very coarse texture.

During my apprenticeship in Germany, I was able to find graham bread in the health food stores, and I indulged in its hearty flavor and texture to vary my otherwise daily rye bread fix. Graham flour is hard to find these days, although our miller, Keith Giusto at Central Milling, designates our custom ground spelt flour as graham flour.

The honey graham crackers of today compare in no way to Dr. Graham’s original recipe!

As with many things, the graham cracker underwent many changes, and it only became a mass market success when it was sweetened up with sugar and honey and when vegetable oil or other fats (pig lard was a preferred fat in baking until 50 years ago or so) were added to make a more tender, cookie-like cracker. A sweeter cracker always works to broaden the appeal, and I freely admit I loved them as a child. And somewhere along the way, yeast disappeared from the recipe. Chemical leavening took over as sugar content increased (yeast does not like a sugar rich environment) and sped up the entire baking process. Once again, it is clear that faster food means nutritionally less healthy food.

The above recipe recreates the cracker as Dr. Graham and other bakers most likely baked. I love a hearty crust, and this type of cracker, like all Dr. Kracker flavors, is a tribute to the richness of flavor that develops in the bread’s crust. I’ve added some oats, sunflower seeds and golden flaxseeds for fun and additional fiber and flavor. Good luck recreating this lost treasure from our past!

For a very complete look at both Sylvester Graham and Harvey Kellogg check out this free article:
“Porn Flakes: Kellogg, Graham and the Crusade for Moral Fiber” by Carrie McLaren

“Since March is National Nutrition Month, I thought it would be appropriate to look at how the average American workday — the way most of us spend the majority of our waking hours — affects our physical activity. It used to be that work was the source of our exercise, but that’s certainly not true for most of us today.”

George likes to quote Michael Pollan (“Food Rules”): “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” – from his bestselling book “Omnivore’s Dilemma”, concluding that “if we all followed this simple directive (with a corollary of “cook frequently”) we’d be in good shape”.

“In just 3 or 4 generations, we as a nation have exchanged shovels and tools for power tools, desks, telephones, and keyboards. We have fully entered an era in which little activity is demanded from our lives. Being paid for physical work has for the most part changed to paying to work out.”

Taking a closer look at his own years as an artisan baker and comparing his dad’s CEO lifestyle with his mom’s busy homemaker’s days, George finds inspiration and wisdom for his common-sense approach to eating and activity habits.

“Mom never needed to ‘work out’ in any modern sense of the word; she was in a constant state of activity, except for the single hour in the afternoon when she laid down for a refreshing nap. A life full of work and activity has kept her trim her entire life.”

As the manager of this blog for George Eckrich I can testify to a definite positive impact of George’s teachings in my life. And I’m a German meat and potatoes hard head! So, mosey on over to Dr. Kracker’s web site and read the full newsletter here: “Recreating our Activity and Exercise Culture”

Dough rest is the amount of time that bread dough ferments after being mixed and before being shaped into loaves. Many bread recipes require only a single resting period. The more preferment and the amount of yeast generally determine the length and number of dough rests. The best breads use less yeast and have longer resting periods, some even overnight, in order to maximize the flavor that ultimately characterizes the bread. This is the stage where your signature as a baker is developed, and the richest and fullest flavors come from the longest fermentation.

Punch and Fold Method for Making Bread Dough

I like to call this technique “stretch and fold” since artisan bakers want to preserve the gases and bubbles rather than punching them out of the bread dough. The stretch and fold organizes the gluten and improves its ability to capture fermentation’s gases. Check out our video explaining this technique, since it is much easier to understand when you see it.

Proof Times and Bread Dough Rise

How long a bread dough rises or proofs will depend on a variety of factors. The amount of yeast in the recipe, the temperature of the dough and the ambient temperature all can increase or decrease the speed. As a young home baker, waiting for the bread dough to rise always challenged my youthful impatience. As the slow food movement has showed us, good food takes time, so follow the directions of the recipe, and know that cooler temperatures require more patience, and warmer temperatures will speed up the process.

Bread Dough Baking Temperatures

Bakers like very hot temperatures to guarantee oven spring and toothy crusts. After my apprenticeship in Germany, I found books for the home bakers specified too low of temperatures for bread doughs. I prefer to preheat my oven and start my baking at 500. After 10 or 12 minutes, I bring the temperature down to 375 to 425 to finish the bake. I use a baking stone in my home oven, and I sometimes brush bread with some water before baking. Unfortunately, there is no way that a home oven can generate steam like a commercial oven. The steam prolongs the oven spring and maximizes the volume of the bread dough and the color and the crispness of the crust. But don’t despair. What you can’t achieve in the crust, you can still guarantee in the crumb by the judicious use of preferments!

Baking Odds and Ends

Salt Rising Bread Dough

When I first read about salt rising bread, I wondered how the salt could make the bread rise, since salt restrains the yeast and thus slows the rise. Later, I learned that salt rising referred to a place to let the dough or starter rise. Rock salt makes good insulation, and home bakers would heat up a bowl filled with salt and then incubate the starter on top of this warm container of salt. The salt radiated heat and allowed the starter to develop faster and created unique flavors because of the warmer temperatures. Making salt rising bread dough is not as difficult as constantly feeding a sourdough, and a heating pad will work just as well as a bed of rock salt.