[Sca-cooks] Bread for 'trenchers'

[Terry Decker]

> So we took round bread loaves of dark bread, cut them
> in half and figured that was a 'trencher' like we'd read about.

It's a fairly accurate version of an early bread trencher.  Dark bread would 
be more likely the further East you went.

>   So what I'm trying to come up with is an edible bread that is dense
> enough to serve as a 8" or so platter, that I can put some sauced food on
> without the bread falling apart before the diner is done eating.

A basic bread of whole wheat, rye or maslin (mixed flours) will give you 
this.  Preferably, they should be staled for four days, but since you want 
people to eat them, I would go with a mix of rye and wheat a day or two old. 
Rye hold moisture better than wheat and makes a denser bread.  You probably 
want the crust a little tough, so don't wrap the loaves after you bake them.

>
> I'm sorry for using 'poorman's authenticity' as a phrase. I had been
> thinking, "what a poor modern researcher would have come up with limited
> resources", not "what a poor man in medieval times would have eaten".

Neither is correct and I think you will find that most of us understood the 
use of "poorman" to mean "quick, dirty and inexpensive.".  Since most SCA 
folk use the term "authenticity" as a synonym for "historically accurate," 
the phrase suggest historical accuracy and a tavern serving bread trenchers 
is historically inaccurate.  The error was in the logic of the statement.

>
> I like the pumpernickel idea. And the whole wheat - many of our folks 
> enjoy
> that (we have some good bakers in the group, who are taking a vacation 
> from
> cooking right now). It looks like I can use a blend of white and assorted
> grains (why bake all the same kind?) and it should work just fine.
>
> Thank you,
> Hrothny

You haven't said how many plates you plan to serve or how much per plate you 
are willing to expend on trenchers.  Both of those are serious 
considerations when determining whether or not to continue.  If you have 
enough bakers willing to help the labor and time should not be problems.

When thinking about mixed grains, remember that blends of flours alter 
texture and taste and that unusual flours often cost quite a bit more than 
wheat or rye flour.  Otherwise, the idea sounds fine to me.

Bear