[Sca-cooks] Bread-Making Suggestons

[Terry Decker]

If you are planning to use a period recipe, your choices are limited.  I
would recommend manchet, because it is relatively simple and hard to mess up
(but I've done it by making Francis Drake's bowling balls).

It is a plain white bread consisting of flour, water, yeast and salt.

If you have any questions, drop me a line.

Bear

Manchet

To Make Fine Manchet.    Take halfe a bushell of fine flour twise boulted,
and a gallon of faire luke
warm water, almost a handful of white salt, and almost a pint of yest, then
temper these together
without any more liquor, as hard as ye can handle it: then let it lie halfe
an hower, then take it up,
and make your Manchetts, and let them stande almost an hower in the oven.
Memorandum, that of
every bushell of meale may be made five and twentie caste of bread, and
every loaf to way a pound
besyde the chesill.

 The Good Huswife's Handmaide for the Kitchen, 1594


Manchet

5-6 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon dry active yeast
1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water and let the water turn
creamy (10 to 15 minutes).
Add the salt.
Stir in the flour, until the dough forms a ball.  Remove the dough to a well
floured surface and
knead in the remaining flour.
Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for
30 to 40 minutes.
Place the dough on a floured surface.  Divide into four parts.
Roll each piece of dough into a ball and place it  on a greased baking
sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees F. for about 45 minutes.

Note:  Other manchet recipes tell the baker to score the loaf around the
middle with a knife to let
the loaf expand properly in the oven.




      What,in your opinions,would be a good bread for
       a someone not real experinced with bread-making?
      I would like to make some period bread but am a bit
       daunted by the prospect due to in-experince in that
      area.
      Have already been to the floral-jelly thing and looked
       there as well.

        Æthelwülf