SC - Pennsic competition

[LrdRas@aol.com]

Bear wrote:

>Molasses is period, but I would expect it to be rather expensive in Russia,
>and probably not used in the bread of the time for that reason.


In Iceland, fairly dark rye bread was baked from rye and water - and nothing
else, no sugar, no salt, no yeast. The following passage describes how this
type of bread was made. The author (who, BTW, wrote the only Icelandic book
available on the foodstuffs of the Viking age) notes that he is describing a
very old method that was still used when he was growing up in rural Iceland
in around 1900:

"In my childhood home it was done thus: coarse, homeground, unsifted rye was
mixed with water and kneaded into a smooth, stiff dough. It was then formed
into a round bread, 30-40 cm across and around 10 cm thick, with a flat
bottom but the top was rounded. This big cake was then placed on a thick
layer of peat embers and a large metal pot was inverted over it. More peat
embers were arranged around and on top of the pot, so it looked like a
mound, and a heavy, flat stone was placed on top and a cross sign made over
it. The embers glowed under the ashes and the stone for a whole night and
into the next day. Then the mound was broken and the baked bread removed. It
was much like rye bread is now. The dark red brown crust did have some
cracks. The bottom was not burned at all, but smooth and evenly baked. These
breads were then cut in slices, just like rye bread. They were dark, malty,
sweetish and moist. They were the best breads I have ever tasted."

Those lucky enough to live close to a hot spring or in an area with
geothermal activity used another method. They placed their dough in a metal
container and buried it in the hot ground. Then it was dug up the next day
and was then baked (or steamed, rather). This is still done and you can buy
dark rye bread baked in hot earth in most supermarkets here. Now it usually
(but not always) contains some form of sugar, though, and salt, and yeast.
If you don´t have a hot spring at hand, you can also steam the bread in the
oven or in a large pot on top of the stove - the longer the better. I have
here a recipe where rye bread is steamed in a 100 C (212 F) oven for 19
hours. This produces a very moist, dark bread.

I note that the label of the German pumpernickel bread (imported from
Germany) that my supermarked carries says just rye, water, salt, yeast. No
molasses, or cocoa, or coffee, or anything else. And it is very dark.

Nanna

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