[Sca-cooks] Bread baking for 12th Night

[Terry Decker]

Assuming you mean a loaf made from whole grain meal rather than actual whole 
grain, here's a recipe for a French country loaf that has done well at 
feasts. You can replace the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour, 
although you might want to boost the recipe with a couple teaspoons of 
diamalt.  I've also got a recipe or two for barley bread around somewhere, 
but the flavor is less than that of wheat or rye and may not please the 
average palate.



Meal scattered on a baking sheet works as well as the greased baking sheet. 
using the meal to seperate the bread from the baking surface is also more 
period.



Bear



Pain de Campagne - Honfleur



1 tablespoon honey

1 cup warm water (105 - 110 F)

1 teaspoon dry yeast

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

all of the starter

2 cups warm water (105 - 110 F)

1 tablespoon salt

2 cups whole wheat flour

3 cups all purpose flour



Starter:

Dissolve the honey in the warm water and add the yeast. Stir to dissolve, 
then let rest for about 15 minutes while the yeast becomes active and the 
mixture looks creamy. Add 1/2 cup each, whole wheat and all purpose flour. 
Stir to form a thick batter.



Add the rest of the flours and mix until the dough can be worked by hand. 
Knead on a floured surface for about 3 minutes. Add additional flour if the 
dough is slack or sticky.



Place dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave at room temperature 
for 4 to 24 hours.



Dough:

Place the starter in a large bowl. Pour two cups of warm water over the 
starter. Stir with a wooden spoon or rubber scrapper to break the dough 
apart.



Add the salt.



Taking 2 cups each of the all purpose and whole wheat flours, add equal 
parts of each, 1/2 cup at a time.If the dough is sticky, add more all 
purpose flour.



On a floured surface, knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes with a strong 
push, turn, fold motion. To be very French, every 2 or 3 minutes, slam the 
dough onto the work surface 3 or 4 times and resume kneading.



Place dough in a clean, greased bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and 
allow to rise until double in volume, about 3 hours.



Punch down dough. Turn out of a floured surface. Divide into four equal 
parts. Hand shape dough into tight balls. Place on a greased baking sheet.



Press top lightly to flatten. Cover the loaves with wax paper and allow to 
rise until triple the original size, about 2 1/2 hours.



In a preheated oven, bake for 40 minutes at 425 degrees F.





> Does someone have a surefire recipe for a whole-grain bread?  I need some 
> variety for a dayboard.  It doesn't have to be a period recipe, but should 
> not contain New World grains.  Also, nothing with seeds, fruits, or other 
> foreign objects.  Thanks!
>
> -- 
> Brighid ni Chiarain
> Barony of Settmour Swamp, East Kingdom
> Robin Carroll-Mann *** rcmann4 at earthlink.net