Examples of Recipes Page 5: French Bread

To Make French Bread (Pennsylvania Housewife p29) Recipe (See Bibliography)

Original Recipe

Take half a peck of fine flour, put to it six yolks of eggs, and four whites, a little salt, a pint of good ale yeast, and as much new milk, made a little warm, as will make it a thin light paste; stir it about with your hand, but by no means knead it, then have ready six wooden quart dishes, and fill them with dough, let them stand a quarter of an hour to heave and then turn them out into the oven; and when they are baked, rasp them; the oven must be quick. E. Smith, 1750, p.176

Ingredients

14 cups unbleached flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

4 cups (more or less) warm milk

2 cups water

4 teaspoons dry yeast

6 eggs 

a little butter (optional)

Equipment

large bowl

small saucepan Or kettle & trivet

6 quart-size wooden bowls

linen cloths

grater

small bowl

measuring cup

measuring spoons

baking sheets (optional)

bake oven & peel OR bake kettle & fire shovel

Procedure

Butter the wooden bowls well and set them aside until needed.

Heat 1/4 cup of water to 100-115 F. (baby bottle heat) in the saucepan on a trivet over hot coals.

Pour water into small bowl, sprinkle yeast over surface and allow it to dissolve.

Put milk in saucepan on trivet over hot coals and heat gently to 100-115 F. (baby bottle heat).

Mix flours and salt in large bowl; make a well in the flour and pour in the yeast mixture.

Break 4 eggs into a small bowl; separate 2 eggs putting the yolks in bowl & discarding the whites (or use in another dish). 

In the small dish, whisk together the yolks and whites, then add to flour. 

Add as much of the warm milk as needed to make a soft dough. 

Divide dough into the six wooden bowls and cover with linen cloths. 

Allow dough to rise in a warm spot, free of drafts, until it has doubled in bulk.

If you use baking sheets, lightly butter them. 

If you are using a bake oven, sprinkle the peel with a little flour before putting a loaf on it. 

Transfer loaves to the oven and bake until the bread is lightly browned and sounds hollow when removed from the oven and thumped with your knuckles.

Allow bread to cool completely before cutting.