[Sca-cooks] Period Flour Query and shortbread

[Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius]

On Feb 9, 2007, at 1:55 AM, Stefan li Rous wrote:

> I'm not sure that wheat was grown in Scotland in period, much less
> rice. Yes, it could have been imported, but I don't remember that
> much grain/flour trade going on over long distances in medieval times
> or even the 16th century. Certainly not on the level that was
> apparently being done in Classical times. However, I'm willing to
> listen to contrary info.  Wool out and wheat in?
>
> However, the period recipes that I was referring to, don't specify
> the type of flour.

I believe the addition of rice flour is a modern one (or more so than  
the earliest printed shortbread recipes, anyway), designed to reduce  
total gluten content: I think they may be simulating some of the  
finer and more expensive pastry flours.

Adamantius




"S'ils n'ont pas de pain, vous fait-on dire, qu'ils  mangent de la  
brioche!" / "If there's no bread to be had, one has to say, let them  
eat cake!"
     -- attributed to an unnamed noblewoman by Jean-Jacques Rousseau,  
"Confessions", 1782

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