[Sca-cooks] Another leavening agent was Baker of Bagels in the 11th C

[Terry Decker]

Curious.  Sodium tetraborate decahydrate (borax) shouldn't react in a way to 
act as a leavening.  It is, however, a water softener and as such could 
improve the quality of the bread.  I note that it is used with yeast and not 
as a separate leaven.

This might also be the reason for the "soda" in the recipe for bread in 
Feast for the Qan.

Bear

> Ok while checking in the circa 950 AD
> Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens. Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq's Tenth-Century 
> Baghdadi Cookbook. English Translation with Introduction and Glossary by 
> Nawal Nasrallah.
>
> I came across mention of another leavening agent---
>
> On Page 563 under an entry for khamir /khumra
> /Nasrallah writes: "fresh yeast, usually a piece of fully fermented
> dough saved from a previous batch. Medieval bakers also used
> /buraq/ 'borax' as a leavening agent. Adding generous amounts
> of yeast and borax is recommended in making bread because
> fully fermented bread is believed to be easier to digest.
> (Ibn al-Baytar 228)"
>
> Borax?!?
>
> Johnnae