[Sca-cooks] [sca-aands] Bread was libraries and the Internet

[jenne at fiedlerfamily.net]

> All of the extant bread recipes have been gathered up along
> with a number of posts explaining why we don't have more
> bread recipes in the various cookery books and manuscripts that survive.
> The information is in  http://www.florilegium.org/
> Click on the left hand column under Food - Breads and Grains.

This is a nice file, but somewhere along the way some of the period bread
recipes that were posted to SCA-Cooks appear to have gotten detached or
misplaced. At last count, I think we were at either 9 or 10 recipes, up
from the previous 7. But this doesn't exactly match what's in the
Florilegium.

This is what I've extracted; could people take a look at it and see what's
missing or repeated? I apologize to those whose translations have lost
their attributions in the extraction process.

A. From "The Good Huswife's Haindmaide for the Kitchen", 1594

THE MAKING OF FINE MANCHET
Take half a bushell of fine flower twise boulted, and a gallon
of faire luke warm water, almost a handful of white salt, and
almost a pinte of yest, then temper all these together, without
any more liquor, as hard as ye can handle it: then let it lie
halfe an hower, then take it up, and make your Manchetts, and
let them stand almost an hower in the oven.  Memorandum, that
of every bushell of meale may be made five and twentie caste of
bread, and every loaf to way a pounde besyde the chesill.

B. The making of manchets after my Ladie Graies use

Take two peckes of fine flower, which must be twise boulted, if you will
have your manchet verie faire: Then lay it in a place where ye doe use
to lay your dowe for your bread, and make a litle hole in it, and take a
quart of faire water blood warme, and put in that water as much leaven
as a crab, or a pretie big apple, and as much white salt as will into an
egshell, and all to breake your leven in the water, and put into your
flower halfe a pinte of good Ale yest, and so stir this liquor among a
litle of your flower, so that ye must make it but thin at the first
meeting, and then cover it with flower, and if it be in the winter, ye
must keepe it verie warm, and in summer it shall not need so much heate,
for in the Winter it will not rise without warmeth.  Thus let it lie two
howers and a halfe: then at the second opening take more liquor as ye
thinke will serve to wet al the flower.  Then put in a pinte and a halfe
of good yest and so all to breake it in short peeces, after ye have well
laboured it, and wrought it five or sixe tymes, so that yee bee sure it
is throughlie mingled together, so continue labouring it, still it come
to a smooth paste, and be well ware at the second opening that yee put
not in too much liquor sodenlie, for then it wil run and if ye take a
little it will be stiffe, and after the second working it must lie a
good quarter of an hower, and keep it warme: then take it up to the
moulding board, and with as much speede as is possible to be made, mould
it up, and let it into the Oven, of one pecke of flower ye may make ten
caste of Manchets faire and good.

C. To make leavened bread

Take five yolkes of Egs, and a litle peece of Butter as big a Walnut,
one handfull of verie fine flower, and make al these in paste, and all
to beat it with a rolling pin, till it be as thin as a paper leafe, then
take sweet Butter and melt it, and rub over all your paste therewith
with a feather: then roll up your paste softly as ye would roll up a
scroll of paper, then cut them in peeces of three inches long, and make
them flat with your hands, and lay them upon a sheet of cleane paper,
and bake them in an Oven or panne, but the Oven may not bee too hot, and
they most bake halfe and houre, then take some sweete butter and melt
it, and put that info your paste when it commeth out of the Oven, and
when they are verie wet, so that they be not drie, take them out of yoru
butter, and lay them in a faire (ash? word obscured) and cast upon them
a litle Sugar, and if you please, Synanion and Ginger, and serve them
forth.

D. Rastons  from the Harleian MS

Take fayre Flowre and the whyte of Eyroun and the yolk, a lytel.  Then take
Warme Berme, and putte al thes to-gederys and bete hem to-gederys with thin
hond tyl it be schort and thikke y-now, and cast Sugre y-now ther-to, and
thenne let rest a whyle.  An kaste in a fayre place in the oven and late
bake y-now.  And then with a knyfe cutte yt round a-bove in maner of a
crowne, and kepe the crust that thou kyttest, and then cate ther-in
clarifiyd Boter and Mille the cromes and the botere to-gederes, and kevere
it a-yen with the cruste that thou kyttest a-way.  Than putte it in the oven
ayen a lytil tyme and then take it out, and serve it forth.

        Harleian MS 279, approx. 1430, as taken from Austin, Thomas, Two
Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books.


E. Bread from Platina's De Honesta Voluptate
I recommend to anyone who is a baker that he use flour from wheat meal, well
ground, and then passed through a fine sieve 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.  That is the way bread
can be made without much difficulty.  let the baker beware not to use more
or less leaven than he should; in the former instance, the bread will take
on a sour taste, and in the latter, it becomes heavy and unhealthful and is
not readily digested,  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.

F. To Make Good Restons -- The Good Huswife's Handmaide for the Kitchen, 1594

Take a quart of fine flower, lay it on a faire boord, and make a hole in the
midst of the flower with your hand, and put a sawcerfull of Ale Yest
therein, and ten yolkes of Egges, and put thereto two spoonefuls of Synamon,
and one of Ginger, and a spoonfull of Cloves and Mace, and a quarterne of
Sugar fine beaten, and a little Safron, and halfe a spoonefull of Salt.
Then take a dishfull of Butter, melt it and put it into your flower, and
therwithall make your paste as it were for Manchets, and mould it a good
while and cut it in peeces the bignes of Ducks Egges, and so moulde everye
peece as a Manchet, and make them after the fashion of a Ackorn broad above,
and narrow beneath.  Then set them in an Oven, and let them bake three
quarters of an howre.  Then take five dishes of Butter and claryfie it clean
upon a soft fire the drawe foorth your Restons foorth of the Oven, and
scrape the bottoms of them faire and cut them overthwart in foure peeces,
and put them in a faire charger and put your clarified butter pon them.
Then have powder of Synamon and Ginger ready by you, and Sugar very fine.
And mingle them altogether, and ever as you set your peeces thence, together
cast some of your sugar, Synamon and Ginger upon them, and when you have set
them all by, lay them in a faire platter, and put a little butter upon them,
and cast a little sugar upon them, and so serve them in.

G. Sweet bread 1 from  the Libro Novo (1557?)
Prima per Fare Cinquante Pani de Latte e Zuccaro di Oncie nove l�uno

Fatto Che haverai la tua Sconza, o levaturo, pigliarai di fiori di
farina burattata libre 35. e tanto meno, quanto meno sara quella di che
haverai fatt il levaturo, e libre 6.di zuccaro ben bianco, e Torli
dUova 75 e libre 3 d�acqua rosata, e libre 6 di latte fresco, e
oncie 6
di butiro fresco, e impastarai il tuo Pane, avuertirai bene, chee
l�acqua, o latte non scottasse, e farai anchor ache torl
d�uovu sian
caldetti, & li scalderai, ponondoli nell�acqua calda, e li porri, il
conveniente sale, e farai la pasta, sic he non siane dura, ne tenera,
ma pui tosto ch�habbia del saldetto, e la gramarai moto bene, e poi
farai il tuo pane, e lo lasiaraben (?) levare, e lo cuocerai con
grande ordine, si che non pigli troppo fuoco, ma che al tuo Giuditio
stia bene, e questo pane e piu bell a farlo tondo, che intorto, o in
pinzoni, sia dopoi piu grande, o piu picciolo, come tu vorrai: ti
govererai adunque secondo questo modo, che e provato.

TO FIRST MAKE FIFTY BREADS OF MILK AND SUGAR OF NINE OUNCES EACH
             When you have made your sourdough or yeast, you shall take
thirty-five pounds of the flower (i.e. the finest ground) of sifted
wheat and a much less amount, so that it shall be enough to have made
the yeast (starter), and six pounds of good white sugar, and seventy
-five egg yolks, three pounds of rose water, and six pounds of fresh
milk, and six ounces of fresh butter, and you shall knead your bread
             You shall note well that the water or milk does not scorch,
and you shall make certain that the egg yolks are to be warm, and you
shall scald them, putting in the hot water.  And you shall put suitable
salt, and you shall make the dough, so that it is neither hard nor
tender, but harder than you shall have at firm.  And you shall knead it
very well and then you shall make your bread, and you shall leave them
to rise well, and you shall cook them with serious method so that they
do not take too much fire, but that at your very good judgment.
             And this bread is more beautiful by making them round, that
twist, or in buns.  Then they can be made larger or smaller, what ever
you shall want.  You shall govern yourself to one according to this
way, which is proven.

H. Sweet bread 2 from  the Libro Novo (1557?)
Brazzatelle di Latte, E Zuccaro

A fare 50 brazzatelle, di oncie4 l�una Pigilarai libre 15 di fiore di
farina, d�acqua rosa oncie 3 di latte libre 3 e di Zuccar bianco libre
2. Uova numero 25 di butiro oncie 4 e queste cose insieme grammerai
molto bene. Poi farai le tue Brazzatelle, secondo l�ordine che si
fanno, e le farai levare con diligenza, et dopoi che saranno levate,
farai bogliere la tua acqua, ele getterai detro dette brazzatelle a
cuocere, e come verrano si sopra le cavaraifuori, & lep orrai in acquae
fresca, e quando d�iui le levarai le porrai a cuocere nel forno, e se
vorrai porre anesi dentro, sera buona opera.

BAGELS OF MILK AND SUAR
             To make fifty bagels of four ounces each you shall take
fifteen pounds of best flour, three ounces of rose water, three pounds
of milk, two pounds of white sugar, twenty- five eggs, four ounces of
butter, and you shall knead these things together very well.  Then you
shall make your bagels according to the method that is done, and then
you shall let rise with careful attention, and then when they are
risen, you shall boil your water, and then you shall place inside the
name bagels to cook, and when they come to the top you shall take them
out, and then you shall put in fresh water, and when from there you
shall have removed them you shall put them to cook in the oven, and if
you shall want to put inside anise, it shall be a good deed.

I. Sweet bread 3 from  the Libro Novo (1557?)

A fare dieci Mantegate

Piglia di Pignuoli ben netti e mondi, libre una, e pestali ne mortaio,
e ne farai come un latte, co oncie sei d�acqua rosata. Poi pigliarai
libre tre di farina biancha e torli dieci d�uvoa, e libre unado
Zucarro, e lib. Meza di butiro fresco, e di specie d�ogni sorte oncia
una in tutto, e oncia una di levaturo, & un poco di sale, poi piglairai
il latte li pignoli, e lo ponerai al suoco tanto che perda il freddo, e
cosi impasterai ogni cosa insime, e non bastando l�Acqua rosa, gli
aggiungerai altra acqua tanto che la pasta habbia del tenero, e la
sbatterai sopra una tavola per spacio di due hore: & nella sbattere
della pasta, gli andarai ponendo a poco a poco libre meza di Pinuoli
mondi mmaccati. Poi pigliarai due Vasi, e le metterai detta pasta
dentro, e la farai stare per due hora in loco coldo, poi batterai per
spatio di meza altr�hora, & fatto questo la compartirai in dieci
Mantegate overo Cresentine, come uvoi dire. Poi piglialibra mezza di
Butiro disfatto, & ongi il fondo
  d�una Tiella grande, & pongliela dentro, & e ongi anchora esse di
sopra, e poi ponle a cuocere nel forno, che non sia troppo caldo,
perche vanno cotte sdagio, e cotto che saranno, li porrai sopralibra
mezza di Zucarro fino fra tutte, & potria so anche fare senza specie

TO MAKE TEN CLOAK SHAPED PASTRIES
             Take a pound of pine nuts well cleaned and shelled, and
pound them in a mortar, and with them you shall make a milk with six
ounces of rose water.  Then you shall take three pounds of white flour
and ten yolks of eggs, and a pound of sugar, and one-half pound of
fresh butter, and spices of all kinds an ounce in all, and an ounce of
yeast, and a small amount of salt.  The you shall take the milk of
pine nuts, and you shall put it to the fire so much that it would warm
it.  And so you will knead everything together, and (if there is) not
enough of the rose water, you shall add other water, so much that the
pastry would be tender, and you shall beat (or knead) over a table for
the space of two hours.  And in the beating of the pastry, you shall
proceed placing little by little a half-pound of shelled bruised pine
nuts.
             Then you shall take two vessels and you shall place named
pastry inside, and you shall make to stand for two hours in a warm
place.  Then you shall beat for the space of another half-hour, and
having done this you shall divide it in to ten cloak shaped (or shell
shaped) or crescent shaped, whatever you want to do.
             Then take a half-pound of melted butter, and grease the
bottom of a large tart pan, and put it inside, and also grease it on
top, and then put it to cook in the oven that is not too hot, because
tey are cooked slowly.
             And when they shall be cooked, you shall put over a
half-pound of fine (ground) sugar between all of them, and you can also
make without spices.

J.         Ain i Akbari (from India)
        From Cariadoc's Miscellany. Copyright � by David Friedman,
1988,
1990, 1992.
        There is a large kind, baked in an oven, made of 10 s. flour; 5
s. milk; 1 1/2 s. ghi; 1/4 s. salt. They make also smaller ones. The thin
kind is baked on an iron plate. One ser will give fifteen, or even more.
There are various ways of making it; one kind is called chapati, which is
sometimes made of khushka; it tastes very well when served hot.

K. Mustacei

        Recipe from Cato by way of Giacosa.
        Posted by Bear / Decker, Terry D. (TerryD at Health.State.OK.US)
        Mustaceos sic facito: Farinae siligineae modium unum musto
conspargito. Anesum, cuminum, adipis. P.II, casei libram, et de virga
lauri deradito, eadem addito, et ubi definxeris, lauri folia subtus
addito, coques.

        Prepare mustcei thus: Moisten a modius of fine flour with must.
Add anise, cumin, 2 librae of fat, 1 librae of cheese, and grate bay
twig. When you have shaped them, place bay leaves beneath; cook


L. Libum (Roman)
        From Giacosa, A Taste of Ancient Rome, pp. 169-170. (Cato 75).
Posted by Bear / Terry D. Decker, (TerryD at Health.State.OK.US)
        Libum hoc modo facito. Casei P. II bene disterat in mortario. Ubi
bene destriverit, farinae siligineae libram, aut, si voles tenerius esse,
semilibram semilaginis eodem indito, permiscetoque cum caseo bene. Ovum
unum addito et una permisceto bene. Inde panem facito, folia laurea
subdito: in foco caldo sub testu coquito leniter.

        Make a libum thus: Thoroughly grind 2 librae of cheese in a
mortar, When it is well ground, add 1 libra of fine flour or, if you want
[the loaf to be] softer still, 1/2 libra of the finest flour; mix well
with the cheese. Add 1 egg and mix well. Then form a loaf, placing the
bay leaves beneath. Cook slowly under a testo on a hot hearth.

M. Bastons, Beinecke Manuscript, 15th Century
 Make a stif bature of yolkes of eyron, & paryed flour, &
 sigure, a grete
 dele, & a lytle yest of new ale. set hit by the fyre, or els in a pot
 boylyng, that hit may take a lytyl hete. When hit is rysyd,
 sweyng hit well
 togedyr that hit fall doun ayene. Loke thy oven be hote, &
 clene swepyd;
 poure hit on the floure of the oven & bake hit as french bred.

N.
-- 
-- Jenne Heise / Jadwiga Zajaczkowa
jenne at fiedlerfamily.net