[Sca-cooks] Bread for 'trenchers'

[margaret]

> Just remember that except for the heels, slices of a coffee can loaf
> won't have a crust.  Putting something under them is a good idea.
> <<<
>
> Yes, for the prototypes. But it sounds like from the household  manners 
> books that the medieval trenchers, at least in the latter  period of their 
> usage, didn't have crusts either.
>

Not necessarily true.  The representation of early trenchers appears to have 
the crust intact.  Representations of trenchers from the 13th Century on 
show only the upper surface.  They've been chipped, trimmed and squared, but 
they still might have crust.  Most of the books on manners date from the 
period when trenchers were on the decline and were not in common use.  The 
other problem is no one actually states what is to be placed on a trencher. 
They assume the user already knows.

> A three pound coffee can has a little more volume than a 2 lb loaf  pan, 
> but
> the exposed surface is smaller which contains and channels the  expansion.
> The can needs to be greased (I recommend solid vegetable shortening)
> before putting in the dough.
>
> Weight is not the issue, mass to surface area is.
> <<<
>
> Yes, that is what I was trying to get at by mentioning the different 
> bread shapes. I was thinking of the distance from the outside to the 
> center of the loaf, though. However, even for the same size loaf,  doesn't 
> the baking time differ between whole wheat and say, a refined  wheat? But 
> I guess that is still volume to surface area, except you  are keeping the 
> surface area constant in that case.
>

There is no real baking time difference between whole wheat and refined 
wheat.  They have roughly the same amount of gluten, similar aeration and 
similar density.  Other flours tend to produce denser bread, but even there 
the times are similar.

> >>>
> The thermal differences between silver and a black baking tins will
> cause more variation in baking than size and weight of the loaves.
> <<<
>
> It will??  What if the outside is dark and the inside is silver? How  does 
> that compare to the reverse?
>

Usually metal tins come in either black or silver.  Glass, stoneware and 
terracotta also have their own temperaure characteristic.  But all of them 
fall roughly into the general time and temperature for baking bread with the 
differences primarily noticed in the crust.

> >>>
> Temperature and time differences are more critical for loaves
> enriched with
> fats or sugars, because they are easier to burn, underbake, or overbake.
> <<<
>
> Okay, this makes some sense. I can see the fats or sugars making the  food 
> easier to brown/burn. But why would the fats or sugar make it  easier to 
> underbake something?
>

Enriched breads are more temperature critical.  Errors in time or 
temperature tend to show as under- or overbaking.

> >>>
> Small loaves like rolls or odd shaped loaves like baguettes having  less 
> mass
> to surface area are also more likely to take less time or special
> temperature handling.
> <<<
>
> But do you mean "are also more likely to take less time or less  special 
> temperature handling"? Or "are also more likely to take less  time or more 
> special temperature handling"? I assume the latter but  wanted to check.
>

Shorter baking time.  Special temperature control.  Or both.

> >>>
> For example, the true French baguette goes into a
> 450-500 degree oven with steam to produce the aeration and crust for an
> initial period then the temperature is dropped to 350 degrees F and the
> baguette is allowed to finish baking in declining heat.
> <<<
>
> I assume the baguette dates from the time of single chamber mass  ovens, 
> as opposed to an oven that can quickly have its temperature  raised or 
> lowered. It is easy to do the declining heat, but how to  you do the 
> little or no drop from 450 degrees to a quick drop to 350  degrees? Two 
> different ovens heated to or let cool to two different  temperatures?
>

No.  The baguette referred to is a modern loaf.  It uses a fast yeast with 
high initial temperature to get tremendous ovenspring, blasting the crumb 
with large ragged cavities.  After the initial baking time, the temperature 
is dropped to get a fast heat decline in the oven.  Gas ovens are preferred. 
It is next to impossible to produce the effect in a heat mass oven.

> >>>
> BTW, most breads are baked at an internal temperature of around 210
> degrees F.
> <<<
>
> "baked *at* an internal temperature of" or "baked *to* an internal 
> temperature of"? I thought with meats, at least, you cooked until the 
> internal temperature read what you wanted and then stopped. Not  continued 
> at the target temperature.
>
> Stefan

That should have been "to" rather than "at."

Bear