FW: SC - Intro and Bread Request

[Decker, Terry D.]

> Greetings from Elizabeth Braidwood,
> 
> On Wed, 28 Oct 1998, Decker, Terry D. wrote:
> 
> > You've probably got the two best sources on historical baking available.
> > You might wish to add Bernard Clayton Jr, The Breads of France
> 
> I just bought Clayton's "New Complete Book of Breads" last weekend and
> haven't had a chance to really read it closely. It's reassuring to see
> his name in your list.
> 
> I haven't seen this one, but I will probably purchase a copy.  I've been
> using The Breads of France as a recipe source for about 20 years.
> 
> Has anybody heard of/seen "Six Thousand Years of Bread: Its Holy and
> Unholy
> History (The Cook's Classic Library)" by Heinrich Eduard Jacob? I've only
> seen it in a book list. It -sounds- promising...
> 
> Jacob's work is a history written from a Central European viewpoint.  It
> is of value as a documentation reference.
> 
> She says
> that he said that this starter came from the Poilane Bakery in Paris
> where it's been in continuous use for more than 350 years. Yeah well,
> whatever the story, it's a good strain that I'd be happy to share. Get
> your address to me before this weekend (when I'll be in the US) and I'll
> send you some of the dried starter.
> 
> Best,
> 
> E.B.
> 
> I believe it.  French bakers often keep a levain.  This is commonly a
> stiff dough mass of 3 to 5 pounds rather than a semi-liquid starter in a
> quart bowl.  You pinch off a chunk and break it apart in the liquid before
> making your dough to leaven the mix.  A good levain can make or break a
> baker, so the levain is a valuable asset of a bakery, at least in France.
> 
> Bear 
> 
============================================================================

To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".

============================================================================