SC - Re: sca-cooks SCA-ck Lard Preservation

[Philip W. Troy]

On Tue, 15 Apr 1997 00:06:15 -0700 dragon7777 at juno.com (Susan A Allen)
writes:
>As I recall there was a National Geographic or some such
>that talked about the Egyptian beer and bread process,
>and in fact re-created bread, baked in something that look
>a lot like a clay flower pot, these were large loafs
>I think 5 or 8 pounds, my memory is vague,
>The people there all ate the bread, chewy and good.
>
>
>Susan

The article was "Bake Like an Egyptian" in Modern Maturity, Sept./Oct.
1996.  The author was Ed Wood, who raises wild sourdough cultures on his
Idaho ranch and is the author of _World Sourdoughs From Antiquity_, Ten
Speed Press, 1996.  He and archaeologist Mark Lehner, working with the
National Geographic Society, recreated how the ancient Egyptians baked
bread.  Lehner discovered the ruins of two bakery rooms dating to around
2500 B.C. near the Giza pyramids.


There's a recipe for Pita Bread and suggestions on how to make your own
sourdough starter.  He puts 1 C. bread flour and 1 C. room temp.
water--probably a good idea to use distilled water, or something that
would not have all the fluorides, et al, that come out of our taps--in a
medium bowl.  Cover with cheesecloth to keep out 'visitors' he says. 
Weather should be 70 degrees at least.  Not a problem in Trimaris.  ;-) 
Every 12 hours he feeds his starter 1 C. bread flour and 3/4 C. room temp
water.  Stir several times between feedings.  Repeat process for 3-5 days
or until a layer of foam forms, 1" thick.  The starter should be uniform
in appearance with no evidence of mold and should have a pleasing odor. 
Otherwise, throw it all out and start over in a different part of the
yard.


Sounds like a good book for one of our experienced bakers to review for
us.



Allison