Bread

[William Brand]

Chris Wills pointed me to this link for Jeff Pavlik, a Boulanger and historian out of Michigan. Jeff's site has some excellent descriptions, images and recipes for baking bread and other food of Colonial North America.

http://colonialbaker.net/

The site even contains a write-up about the 'sea biscuit'.

http://colonialbaker.net/english_sea_biscuit.html

[Mission]

The site even contains a write-up about the 'sea biscuit'.

http://colonialbaker...ea_biscuit.html

He's using the wrong ingredients there...

[William Brand]

You're not kidding. I have a ship's biscuit that's three years old. That thing will break teeth of not soaked in rum or gravy. That biscuit is one of my favorite bits of 'kit' and I love showing it to people. They always look very surprised that such a thing is food.

[michaelsbagley]

Boulanger (Pavlik) is great. I have met him twice over the last few years, and bought bread from him at every opportunity. He is great at mixing his real trade with living history. He actually had a special batch of flour ground for him at the working windmill at Holland Michigan for use in some of his recipes. Talk about taking it to another level.

[William Brand]

Here is another fine bread recipe.

Antoinette Hancock-French Bread, Robert May (1660),

Recipe adapted Elizabeth David (1977)

Toni:

This recipe was adapted by an incredible English author, Elizabeth David, in her book entitled “English Bread and Yeast Cookery”.

See pages 313 – 316 (Robert May’s French Bread) for the complete description of Mr. May and the early measurements and production of the bread.

Ingredients:

“French” Bread Elizabeth David – 1977 Robert May – 1660

flour 1 lb 2 0z 1 gallon (7 lbs)

yeast/barm 1/2 oz 1 pint barm

eggs 2 egg whites 6 egg whites

milk/water 1/2 pint to 12 oz 3-4 pints

salt 1/2 oz some

butter

oven 450 no temp in source

time 30 min no time given in source

Warm flour and salt.

Pour in the yeast creamed with a little of the warmed milk and water mixture.

Add the egg whites beaten until beginning to froth.

Pour in the remaining milk/water mixture.

Mix and leave to rise until spongy and light. 45 to 60 minutes.

Break down the dough, divide and shape into 2 round loaves.

Put them on a floured wooden board and cover with a light cloth to allow them to recover volume. 30 minutes should be enough.

Turn the loaves right side up onto a baking sheet.

Slash the tops with one slanting cut.

Bake on the center shelf of a hot oven (450 degrees) for 15 minutes.

Then cover the loaves with bowls to prevent the crust from getting too hard.

In another 15 minutes, the loaves should be sufficiently baked.

[William Brand]

And another...compliments of http://www.fdcjardin.com

French Sablés According to the “letters” of the Marquise de Sévigné, the biscuit was created for the first time in Sablé-sur-Sarthe in 1670.

Sables, also known as a French Butter Cookie or Breton Biscuit, is a classic French cookie originating in Normandy France. The name ‘Sables’ is French for “sand”, which refers to the sandy texture of this delicate and crumbly shortbread-like cookie. The traditional shape is round with fluted edges and the tops of the cookies are usually brushed with an egg wash to give them a shiny appearance. The finishing touch, which makes them instantly recognizable, is to score a criss-cross pattern on the top of each cookie.

1 cup flour

1/3 cup unsalted butter

4 Tablespoons sugar

1 egg yolk

1 Tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place flour butter and 2 Tablespoons of sugar in a bowl and combine In a small bowl combine the egg yolk and water.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Mix another 5 to 10 seconds, or until the dough forms a ball. (at this point the dough can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 3 days before baking.)

To bake:

Roll out the sablé dough on a floured surface to a ¼-inch thickness. Cut the dough into 3-inch rounds using a round form or cut into squares using a ruler and pastry wheel or knife. (This should yield at least 8 cookies.)

Arrange the cut-outs on an ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle them with the remaining 2 Tablespoons of sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 – 15 minutes or until very lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

[Bright]

Ship's Bisket: 18th Century Breads, Part 1. Cooking with Jas. Townsend

http://youtu.be/FyjcJUGuFVg

Edited May 1, 2013 by Bright

[William Brand]

I love the video presentations that Jas Townsend is putting out. It's a smart piece of advertising.

[William Brand]

From the site godecookery.com

White Ginger-bread

PERIOD: England, 17th century

SOURCE: A Daily Exercise for Ladies and Gentlewomen, 1617 | CLASS: Authentic

DESCRIPTION: Molded gingerbread made of marzipan

To make white Ginger-bread.

"Talke halfe a pound of March-pane-Past made with Almonds, Rose-water and Sugar, and a spoonefull of Aqua-vita, season it very hot with Ginger, mould it vp stiffe, rowle it thin, and print it with your moulds."

[Coastie04]

I'm not sure how it's taken me this long to find this thread, as I love to bake. Keep these recipes coming, and I'll start trying some and giving reviews. Now, anyone know where I can get one of those biscuit presses?

[Iron Jon]

I saw a civil war era press for $14 from the Village Timsmith at www.CSA-Dixie.com

[William Brand]

I'm not sure how it's taken me this long to find this thread, as I love to bake. Keep these recipes coming, and I'll start trying some and giving reviews. Now, anyone know where I can get one of those biscuit presses?

You might try getting a custom press made from someone on Etsy or through other craftsman sites. That way you can ask for exactly what you want and you'll likely get something that will last a long time.

Please take the time to photograph the steps of each recipe or film aspects of it. I know that many serious cooks and novice food tinkering pirates would like to see how it went for you through the process.

[William Brand]

Here is an interesting 18th century take on bread as a 'sause' for turkey.

Bread Sause for Turkeys

Take stale bread & crumble it in as much water as will cover it. Shred a large onion in it & a little pepper, then give it a scald to heat & soften it. Then put as much cream as will make it very white, a little bit of butter, & set it over ye fire & let it stew, stirring it all ye while till you see it look thick & taste well.

[Coastie04]

Sound like a basic gravy, but substituting stale bread for flour. It could be great for camping or reenactments, as it sounds tasty and versatile.

[William Brand]

This stupid recipe has made me crave turkey for several days. It's like stuffing AAAAND Gravy at the same time.

[William Brand]

And here's one for 'cake bread', which is essentially cake.

Cake Bread

PERIOD: England, 17th century

SOURCE: Archimagirus Anglo-Gallicus; Or, Excellent & Approved Receipts and Experiments in Cookery, 1658

"Take one Gallon of flowre, two pound of Currans, and one pound of butter or better, a quarter of a pound of sugar, a quarter of a pint of Rose-water, halfe an ounce of nutmeg, & half an ounce of Cinnamon, two egs, then warm cream, break the butter into the flower, temper all these with the creame, and put a quantity of yest amongst it, above a pint to three gallons, wet it very lide, cover your Cake, with a sheet doubled, when it comes hot out of the Oven; let it stand one hour and a half in the Oven."

[jendobyns]

If you try this, I recommend using half (or less) the recommended amount of rose water and making up the balance with pure water the first time you make it. Modern rose water tends to be more concentrated, a much stronger flavor.

Edited January 13, 2014 by jendobyns

[William Brand]

If you try this, I recommend using half (or less) the recommended amount of rose water and making up the balance with pure water the first time you make it. Modern rose water tends to be more concentrated, a much stronger flavor.

And that's a modern detail that's certainly worth knowing. Thank you.