Re(2): SC - Bread

[Sue Wensel]

>Well, the evidence suggests that white bread as we know it today
>probably didn't exist until around the 18th-19th centuries. White bread
>in period would have been made from whole wheat flour with much of the
>larger particles of bran sifted out. That still leaves the particles too
>small to be caught in the bolting cloth. Even if you allow for some
>natural bleaching of the flour to occur, as, say,  it sits in a
>not-quite-airtight container between grinding and use, I suspect it
>still wouldn't have been likely to get any lighter in color than the
>lighter commercial whole-wheat breads such as Roman Meal.

I don't concur on this.  Markham has several recipes calling for "fine white
flour."  I don't think our whole wheat flours will fit that bill.  I think
they were able to get rather fine flour by bolting several times and I suspect
they had some fairly fine bolting cloths.  Unfortunately, I don't have any
sources with me (at work) and the ones I have read are currently in the local
library.

>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.

The wheat I don't know much about.  What is your recommended reading on this?

>Adamantius

Derdriu
swensel at brandegee.lm.com

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