[Sca-cooks] researching recipes

[david friedman]

Lady Hrosvitha von Celle wrote:

>Greetings!  I have riecently become interested in baking and on Nov 2nd I am
>planning on entering my first "real" competition.  I have 2 problems:
>
>1) I have a recipe that I love, know how to make and want to use.  I am fairly
>certain that it is period, but I can't prove it.  Suggestions on how to "work
>backwards" with the documentation?  I can give more specifics as needed.
>
>2) Bread.  When subsitiuting sourdough starter for "dry active yeast"  what is
>a good amount to use? And were can I find a period starter recipe?  I have
>seen them with flour & water  and also flour/milk/sugar combos.
>
>Thanks so much for your help
>
>Lady Hrosvitha von Celle
>Physically in Atlantia, Mentally in Northshield

My lord and Bear both answered the first part of this, and Bear
answered the second as well, mentioning Platina's bread recipe. Here
it is (in translation), with our worked-up version, out of the
Miscellany. I should say that sourdough is less predictable than
modern active dried yeast; every time I have done this it comes out a
little different, although all of them worked.

Another answer than Bear's to how you get a sourdough culture is the
traditional (and, I suspect, period) answer: find someone physically
in Atlantia who has a sourdough culture and ask for a bit. There are
several Atlantians on the list; we, I'm afraid, are in the West.

On Bread
Platina pp. 13-14 (Book 1)

... Therefore I recommend to anyone who is a baker that he use flour
from wheat meal, well ground and then passed through a fine seive to
sift it; then put it in a bread pan with warm water, to which has
been added salt, after the manner of the people of Ferrari in Italy.
After adding the right amount of leaven, keep it in a damp place if
you can and let it rise. ... The bread should be well baked in an
oven, and not on the same day; bread from fresh flour is most
nourishing of all, and should be baked slowly. [end of original]

1 1/2 c sourdough starter
2 1/4 c warm water
1 T salt
1 c whole wheat flour
5 3/4 c white flour: 5 1/4 c at first, 1/2 c later

Put sourdough in a bowl. Add warm (not hot!) water and salt, mix. Add
whole wheat flour, then white, 1 or 2 c at a time, first stirring in
with a wooden spoon and then kneading it in. Cover with a wet towel,
set aside. Let rise overnight (16-20 hours). Turn out on a floured
board, shape into two or three round loaves, working in another 1/2 c
or so of flour. Let rise again in a warm place for an hour. Bake at
350° about 50 minutes. Makes 2 loaves, about 8" across, 3"-4" thick,
about 1.5 lb, or three smaller loaves.

Elizabeth of Dendermonde/Betty Cook