SC - bread experiment

[Decker, Terry D.]

I think you are talking about mustacei.  Here's a recipe from Cato by way of
Giacosa.  I wonder if the must was used as flavoring or as a leavening in
this case.  Spelt may be a little rough for this recipe, but it is worth a
try.  Bear

Mustacei

Mustaceos sic facito:  Farinae siligineae modium unum musto conspargito.
Anesum, cuminum, adipis. P.II, casei libram, et de virga lauri deradito,
eadem addito, et ubi definxeris, lauri folia subtus addito, coques.

Prepare mustcei thus:  Moisten a modius of fine flour with must.  Add anise,
cumin, 2 librae of fat, 1 librae of cheese, and grate bay twig.  When you
have shaped them, place bay leaves beneath; cook.

For each 3/4 cup flour:
1 Tbsp. lard
1/2 Tbsp. ricotta
1 tsp. total anise and cumin
1 small piece of bay bark, grated
1 Tbsp. must (to make a soft dough similar to that for a pie crust)
bay leaves

Cut the flour with the lard and ricotta; add the anise and cumin, and, if
you can find it, the bay bark.  Add enough must to form a ball (remember
that flour doesn't always absorb the same amount of liquid).  Form small
flat focaccias from this dough; or roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness
and cut into shapes.  Place 1 or 2 bay leaves beneath each one, and cook on
a griddle over low flame, turning then so they cook evenly on both sides.

The name of this dessert survives in cookies that are still made in various
regions of Italy:  mustazzit in Lombardy, mostaccioli in Calabria,
mustazzola di Missina in Sicily, and mustazzueli in Apulia.  But curiously,
the must has disappeared from all of them over the centuries.


> Howdy-
> I just got done with making a loaf of spelt bread filled
> with chestnut puree.
> I used the recipe for bread from the back of the package of
> arrowhead mills spelt flour, with the optional honey but
> without the salt.
> great raves, and a few people over said it was better than
> whole wheat[it is about the same dark color of pure whole
> wheat flour bread] but with a much richer taste.
> now, anybody have a clue on a possible recipe for the spelt
> based mustum cookies served for special occasions in Rome?
> margali
> 
> 
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