SC - French Bread - a supposedly period recipe (long)
david friedman
ddfr at best.com
Thu Oct 5 11:03:42 PDT 2000
- --============_-1241352812==_ma============
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" ; format="flowed"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Unfortunately, this is not a period recipe for French bread. As I
pointed out to the author prior to publication, the worked out
version quoted below has quantities and instructions that are
inconsistent with the original it is supposed to be based on.
=46urthermore, the recipe is from a book published in the mid-17th
century (The Perfect Cook , a translation of Le Patissier fran=E7ois,
published in London in 1656). Hence even the original is not a period
recipe.
Here is what I believe to be the original (I'm getting it from
something Anne-Marie sent me prior to the C.A., but it was
accompanied by the same worked out version).
- ----
To Make Another Soft Cake or Tart Without Cheese, which cake the
=46lemmings do call Bread dipped in Eggs.
Put into a Bason, or upon a Table, two pints of fine flower,
break and beat two eggs into it, adde there unto half a pound of
fresh butter which you shall have caused to be melted over the fire,
with a quarter of a pint of milk, put also into this mixture a
spoonful of good beer yeast which is somewhat thick, and rather more
than less, as also salt at discretion. You must mixe and work all
these things together with your hands, till you reduce them into a
well-knitted paste, and in the kneading of this your paste you must
now and then powder it with a little flower.
Your paste being thus well powdered will be firm, after which
make it up into the form of a Loaf, and placing it upon a sheet of
Paper, you much cover it with a hot Napkin.
You must also observe to set your said paste neer unto the
fire, but not too high, lest that side which should bee too nigh the
fire might become hard. You shall leave this said paste in the said
indifferent hot place untill it be sufficiently risen, and it will
require at least five quarters of an hours time to rise in and when
it shall be sufficieiently risen, which you may know by its
splitting, and separating it self, you must make it up into the form
of a cake, or tart, which you must garnish over, and then put it into
the Oven to bee baked.
The Ovens hearth must be as hot almost as when you intend to
bake indifferent great household Bread. This Tart or Cake will
require almost three quarters of an hours baking, or at least a great
half hour; and when it is drawn forth of the Oven, you may powder it
with some sugar, and sprinkle it with some rosewater before you do
serve it up to the Table, which depends of your will.
- ----
Here are the comments I sent prior to the publication of the C.A. version.
- ---
=46rench bread: The relative quantities in the recipe do not correspond
to the original.
Original: Redaction
2 pints=3D4 c flour 6 c flour
2 eggs 2 eggs
1/2 lb =3D 1 c butter 1 c butter
1/4 pint=3D1/2 c milk 1 3/4 c milk
So the redaction has the same amount of butter as the original, half
again as much flour, and more than three times as much milk. That
isn't the same recipe. It is also being baked for 80 minutes (unless
the author means "1/2 hour, then enough longer to make a total of
about 50 minutes," which isn't what she says), when the original is
for 30-45 minutes. Perhaps making the dough considerably wetter
results in its requiring a longer baking time
- ----
As this example suggests, a system of asking people to comment on
C.A. manuscripts in advance, as was done here, only works if the
author or editor then makes use of the comments to correct errors in
the original.
- --
David/Cariadoc
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/
- --============_-1241352812==_ma============
Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN">
<html><head><style type=3D"text/css"><!--
blockquote, dl, ul, ol, li { margin-top: 0 ; margin-bottom: 0 }
--></style><title>Re: SC - French Bread - a supposedly period recipe
(lo</title></head><body>
<div>Unfortunately, this is not a period recipe for French bread. As I
pointed out to the author prior to publication, the worked out
version quoted below has quantities and instructions that are
inconsistent with the original it is supposed to be based on.
=46urthermore, the recipe is from a book published in the mid-17th
century (<font color=3D"#000000"><i>The Perfect Cook</i> , a
translation of<i> Le Patissier fran=E7ois</i>, published in London in
1656).</font> Hence even the original is not a period recipe.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Here is what I believe to be the original (I'm getting it from
something Anne-Marie sent me prior to the C.A., but it was
accompanied by the same worked out version).</div>
<div>----</div>
<div><font color=3D"#000000"><i>To Make Another Soft Cake or Tart
Without Cheese, which cake the Flemmings do call Bread dipped in
Eggs.<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>Put into a
Bason, or upon a Table, two pints of fine flower, break and beat two
eggs into it, adde there unto half a pound of fresh butter which you
shall have caused to be melted over the fire, with a quarter of a
pint of milk, put also into this mixture a spoonful of good beer
yeast which is somewhat thick, and rather more than less, as also
salt at discretion. You must mixe and work all these things together
with your hands, till you reduce them into a well-knitted paste, and
in the kneading of this your paste you must now and then powder it
with a little flower.<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>Your paste being thus well powdered
will be firm, after which make it up into the form of a Loaf, and
placing it upon a sheet of Paper, you much cover it with a hot
Napkin.<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>You must also observe to set your
said paste neer unto the fire, but not too high, lest that side which
should bee too nigh the fire might become hard. You shall leave this
said paste in the said indifferent hot place untill it be
sufficiently risen, and it will require at least five quarters of an
hours time to rise in and when it shall be sufficieiently risen,
which you may know by its splitting, and separating it self, you must
make it up into the form of a cake, or tart, which you must garnish
over, and then put it into the Oven to bee baked.</i></font></div>
<div><font
color=3D"#000000"><i><x-tab>
</x-tab>The Ovens hearth must be as hot almost as when you intend to
bake indifferent great household Bread. This Tart or Cake will
require almost three quarters of an hours baking, or at least a great
half hour; and when it is drawn forth of the Oven, you may powder it
with some sugar, and sprinkle it with some rosewater before you do
serve it up to the Table, which depends of your will.</i></font></div>
<div>----</div>
<div><br></div>
<div> Here are the comments I sent prior to the publication of
the C.A. version.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>---</div>
<div><font color=3D"#000000">French bread: The relative quantities in
the recipe do not correspond to the original.<br>
<br>
Original:<x-tab>
</x-tab
> <span
></span> Redaction<br>
<br>
2 pints=3D4 c flour<x-tab> </x-tab> 6 c
flour<br>
2 eggs<x-tab>
</x-tab
> <span
></span> 2 eggs<br>
1/2 lb =3D 1 c butter<x-tab>
</x-tab> 1 c butter<br>
1/4 pint=3D1/2 c milk<x-tab>
</x-tab> 1 3/4 c milk<br>
<br>
So the redaction has the same amount of butter as the original, half
again as much flour, and more than three times as much milk. That
isn't the same recipe. It is also being baked for 80 minutes
(unless the author means "1/2 hour, then enough longer to make a
total of about 50 minutes," which isn't what she says), when
the original is for 30-45 minutes. Perhaps making the dough
considerably wetter results in its requiring a longer baking
time</font></div>
<div>----</div>
<div>As this example suggests, a system of asking people to comment
on C.A. manuscripts in advance, as was done here, only works if the
author or editor then makes use of the comments to correct errors in
the original.</div>
<div>-- <br>
David/Cariadoc<br>
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/</div>
</body>
</html>
- --============_-1241352812==_ma============--
More information about the Sca-cooks
mailing list