SC - Bread

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Stephen Bloch wrote:

> Gideanus Adamantius Tacitus writes (not so tacitly):
> > Period European breads would also have been heavier in texture, since
> > through most of Europe the wheat grown and eaten was much softer (read
> > lower in gluten) than what we are accustomed to today.

Yet another example of the trouble you can get into when you generalize.
True, I should have specified that what I said primarily holds true for
Northern Europe, and less so for the Mediterranean coastal basin.

> There is reason to believe that at least in al-Andalus, they were
> growing very hard (high-gluten, low-moisture) wheat.  If I remember
> right, one of the secondary sources I was reading (sorry, I forget which
> one!) mentions more than one surviving will that lists a storehouse of
> wheat among the valuables to be bequeathed.  The editor interprets this
> to mean the wheat was being stored for months or years, which in turn
> means it must have been very low in moisture.

Certainly it seems as if harder wheats were being grown around the
Mediterranean. However, even if they were, I don't think they had been
subjected to the kind of selective cross-breeding that has resulted in
things like Canadian Winter wheat. The original statement was to the
effect that it would have been hard to make really light-textured,
really white, bread, with the kinds of flours found in most of Europe in
period, and that modern all-purpose or bread flour isn't necessarily the
best choice to recreate most of the breads found in period.

I think what's more pertinent than the moisture content issue is the
ratio of starch to glutein and gutenin, which, in combination with
water, make gluten. 
 
> Incidentally, I think bread in medieval Europe often contained not only
> grain flour but flour from various beans (presumably fava or chickpea)
> as well.  I can't cite sources off the top of my head, except for a
> recipe in the Andalusian manuscrito anonimo calling for chickpea flour,
> but I'm sure somebody here can. :-)

There are several precedents for this, and several almost-precedents.
Various Roman breads appear to have included chickpea or lentil flour,
and I know of at least one beer recipe that calls for wheat, oats, and
peas in addition to the barley malt. I wouldn't be at all surprised if
the author of the beer recipe does similar things with some of his
breads. I'll have to check.

Adamantius
______________________________________
Phil & Susan Troy
troy at asan.com
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