August 18, 2021 - 10:25am
Three Sisters and Bread
In recognition of our First Nations peoples, I am looking to make a "Three Sisters Bread"; that is, containing corn (maize), beans, and squash. I can be somewhat flexible in what kinds of maize, beans, and/or squash, but cannot find any formula that incorporates all three, or which I feel I can adapt. I am pretty adept at breads (working commercially at a bistro these days), and am unafraid of messing with formulae -- but I need some thoughts form anyone with experience using these ingredients, or just even random thoughts or advice for when I do develop something.
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Cornbread with cooked beans and squash inclusions sounds like it would do.
I saw a cornbread with beans recipe pop up when I did a search.
Thank you; it's a start.
Start with a pumpkin bread recipe. Substitute corn flour (not cornmeal) for some or all of the wheat flour. Add cooked, rinsed, intact beans.
inspiration:
https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/52620/elderberry-and-hokkaido-squash-bread#comment-492581
Also try the sweet corn raisin bread listed on home page. Cranberries and nuts & berries off all sorts originate in the Americas. Not just the three sisters. Physalis and cranberry quick bread. Ground popped corn is a nice flavour and there are many native beans. Black turtle bean bread. Wild rice. Raspberries. Honey bean paste inside a sweet potato or squash dough marbled like babka. Babka! Chocolate is also native. Don't limit youself.
Edit. More thoughts....
I was looking at this bread and the thought occurred to me that if you can tell a story embellish it with the way you make the bread, it will stick in memories better to pass on from one generation to the next. This bread shaping method has the possibility to tell a great story, you only need to write it. It could involve the golden sun (representing ancestors perhaps) squash bread dough rolled into a circle representing the earth or first nation (for example) a starburst cut to distribute to the 8 directions, a ball of dough to represent a group of first nation people, the donut shape looks like a birth type of representation or a bowl (cradle) with beans and corn the gift or blessings to to the tribes at its center. The bun is made of the three sister, corn, squash and beans (and a few other ingredients) representing not only (in this case 8) tribes but formed (holding hands) into a circle to represent the unity of the whole nation.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sdqJvb9gBU4