The bread as described in the article was made from relatively finely ground grain, so unlikely to be accidental, and the article references finds of similar flatbreads from just a few thousand years later at different locations.
I'm not arguing that this bread was accidental, but that people may have noticed that partially burned leftover gruel was tasty. Also, it's arguably easier to grind leftover gruel than dry grain. Because it somewhat holds together. I know from wet grinding homemade black powder, but it's the same idea. Except for the not-exploding part, anyway :)
More likely, there were already thousands of years of experience with boiled grains and related processing of grains to experiment with, and notice the results of, including fermentation, baking, and other heat-related consequences of particulate and processed wheat grain.
Just like the experience of fermented milk / yoghurt / cheese -- thousands of years of experience with the possibilities.
Refrigeration is not comfortable to tent-dwelling nomads.
My recipe for oatmeal: take water, raisins, and nuts if I have them, nuts, bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let cool. Irish oats are awesome this way done overnight. Do it in a crockpot with a large amount and you'll eat for a week (peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot, nine days old).
I'm hungry in the morning. Easy and a little bit sweet works well.
This is literally the first time I’ve heard the rhyme as “pudding”... it’s always been “pease porridge hot,” in our family for at least five generations now.
