[Sca-cooks] soba bien sobada

[Susan Lord]

Please note my publication of "Culinary Abundance Rich Recipes with Medieval Variations," which contains samples of recipes Fernando de la Granja Santamaria translated. Stefan published it as a message but now I find in  a Bucknell publication: http://www.eg.bucknell.edu/~lwittie/sca/food/Fadalat%20-%20Andalusian%20Muslim%20-%2013th%20C.pdf
 <http://www.eg.bucknell.edu/~lwittie/sca/food/Fadalat%20-%20Andalusian%20Muslim%20-%2013th%20C.pdf>
As seen in Recipe 1, Pan Cocido en el horno/Baked Bread in Granja’s translation of Fadalat reads: "se soba bien sobado."

In my vocabulary list, in the same publication, this phrase is explained: 
soba bien sobada, to knead; to add lard or oil dough during the kneading process. Literally, this consists of dipping hands in grease when kneading dough.

If you consult  xhttp://es.thefreedictionary.com/sobado <xhttp://es.thefreedictionary.com/sobado> you will find:

 sobar: Oprimir y remover una cosa para que se ablande. English to knead.
sobado, -da, del bollo o torta a cuya masa se ha agregado aceite o manteca. Adding oil or butter to dough to make bun or a cake. 

Note, I am translating from la Granja as I do not know Arabic nor do I have access to the text la Granja used. 

It is interesting to note that the Marin version No. 1 "Receta de pan cocido en el horno" makes no reference to the addition of oil or grease and calls for the dough to be rolled out like obleas/wafers which I interpret to be flat bread but then it is left to rise.