This is a bread recipe from a period manuscript of Sir Hugh Plat's written in approximately 1560. You can read more about its transcription here. The transcriptionist used white flour but I am going for a peasant loaf so I am using a mixture of rye and barley flours.
So I did it. But I didn't do it quite how he lays out based on the fact that I have been baking bread without a recipe for so long now and had my own ideas going into it.
For example, he kept adding water to accommodate the flour so I just started with more liquid which seems okay based on the vagueness of the recipe and the fact that I know about what consistency a sponge should be.
I made this sponge with 1 cups ale barm, 1 cup water with mixed with 2 cups rye flour and let it set for an hour.
Then I added more flour in by kneading which is what the original recipe means by worke yt. I would love to give you an exact amount but I have been kneading bread since I was a wee one without a recipe and I just go by feel. The bread is smooth, elastic and springs back to shape when you let it go, its done. I also have to tell you that it pained me not add some salt at this point but the recipe didn't call for it.
Then I veered from the recipe a bit because I didn't think it was looking promising. I put it in a bowl for a second rise and it didn't accomplish much.
I shaped the loaves on my peel and let them rise a bit longer. I have to tell you at this point I really didn't think it was going to work.
20 minutes before I want to bake my bread I put my baking stone in the oven on one shelf and my broiler pan on the shelf underneath it and preheat it to 450 degrees.
When I was ready to bake the loaves slide them from the peel onto the baking stone pour some hot water in the broiler pan, shut the oven quickly and bake the loaves for 20-25 minutes depending on how big. I have to tell you these were the most solid loaves I have ever worked with, I didn't need to put the cornmeal on the peel, but oh well.
The are done when the crust is brown and chewy and you will be able to pick them up (with an oven mitt) and thump them and they will sound hollow. I have to tell you that no one was more surprised than me when then ended up looking like this.
Take 3 quart of a pound of fine searced flowr: 2 spoonefulls of new barme worke this together wth hotte licore and cover yt close and let it stand and rest one houre & yt wilbe risen enough, then worke yt & breake yt well make small loaves & sett into the hotte oven the space of halfe an hour or lesse.
So I did it. But I didn't do it quite how he lays out based on the fact that I have been baking bread without a recipe for so long now and had my own ideas going into it.
For example, he kept adding water to accommodate the flour so I just started with more liquid which seems okay based on the vagueness of the recipe and the fact that I know about what consistency a sponge should be.
I made this sponge with 1 cups ale barm, 1 cup water with mixed with 2 cups rye flour and let it set for an hour.
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| You can see some bubbles but it is nothing like the sponges I usually work with. |
Then I added more flour in by kneading which is what the original recipe means by worke yt. I would love to give you an exact amount but I have been kneading bread since I was a wee one without a recipe and I just go by feel. The bread is smooth, elastic and springs back to shape when you let it go, its done. I also have to tell you that it pained me not add some salt at this point but the recipe didn't call for it.
Then I veered from the recipe a bit because I didn't think it was looking promising. I put it in a bowl for a second rise and it didn't accomplish much.
I shaped the loaves on my peel and let them rise a bit longer. I have to tell you at this point I really didn't think it was going to work.
20 minutes before I want to bake my bread I put my baking stone in the oven on one shelf and my broiler pan on the shelf underneath it and preheat it to 450 degrees.
When I was ready to bake the loaves slide them from the peel onto the baking stone pour some hot water in the broiler pan, shut the oven quickly and bake the loaves for 20-25 minutes depending on how big. I have to tell you these were the most solid loaves I have ever worked with, I didn't need to put the cornmeal on the peel, but oh well.
The are done when the crust is brown and chewy and you will be able to pick them up (with an oven mitt) and thump them and they will sound hollow. I have to tell you that no one was more surprised than me when then ended up looking like this.
Morcant just cut into the first loaf and said "It tastes fine, I mean its dense." I will take that as a complement. My boys even like it.
It is definitely medieval peasant bread compared to the artisan peasant loaves I usually make. The rye/barley flour is more bitter and I understand now why they chose to put spices in it. The ale adds to that a little. It still makes a good delivery mechanism for butter and our dog Toby is bugging me for more.
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