INTRODUCTION

      In this age where everything goes too fast, can we reclaim the pleasure we get from doing simple things that require a little more patience? In our frantic race toward greater productivity and less personal satisfaction, is it so crazy to hope that we could take a step back with respect to the most basic elements of our daily life, things like making our own bread?

      I remember my mother and the ritual with which she made bread: the choice of ingredients; the kneading, which she often did by hand; the traditions, like not leaving the doors open to avoid the drafts that might have affected the rising of the dough. . . . As children, we never asked questions; we were too busy waiting for the bread to be baked so that we could savor it hot, just plain or covered with a thin film of good farm butter. There was something magical in that moment! A magic that we have forgotten over time, as rushed as we are!

      What if, finally, the most important ingredient in making true good bread is simply time? I asked myself that question recently, after having spent some time pleasantly examining a batch of bread dough as though it were the most fascinating thing in the world. What is satisfying to me is rediscovering real bread, bread that takes time to make but is so worth it.

      I also learned that this slow process could not only bring me a great deal of pride but could also be healthier. For a very long time, I thought it was a wonderful thing to be able to bake up a loaf of par-baked bread in less than 30 minutes. But over time, I began to enjoy it less and less and even found it harder and harder to digest, and I was far from being alone in that. . . .

      If you think about it, bread, the idea of bread, is both extremely simple and very complex. Some flour, some water, some salt—these ordinary ingredients are enough to produce this “divine” food. So how can we help but be amazed by this process that has allowed the human race to benefit from wheat in so many ways, by this mixture that, once transformed, can give rise to an entirely different food, one that is fragrant, richly savory, and that stimulates every one of our senses?

      Have you ever tried to chew a few grains of raw wheat? Not only is it very tough, but there isn't much to be gained from it. The transformation