BREAD

 

          

                                            Replica of Ancient Egyptian Bread                       

 

                                                     Ancient Greek Bread

Bread was central to the formation of early human societies.  From the Fertile Crescent, where wheat was domesticated, and its cultivation spread north and west to Europe and North Africa and east towards east Asia.  This in turn led to the formation of towns, as opposed to a nomadic lifestyle and gave rise to more and more sophisticated forms of societal organisations.

 

Charred crumbs of flatbread prepared  by Natufian hunters from wild wheat and barley between 14.600 -11.600 years ago have been found at the archaeological site of Shubayque in Jordan, predating the earliest known making of bread from cultivated wheat by thousands of years.

 

Bread is found in Neolithic sites in Europe from about 9.100 years ago.  There is evidence of bread making in ancient Egypt in the form of artistic depictions remains of structures and items used in breadmaking and remains of the dough and the bread itself.

 

Even in antiquity, there was a wide variety of bread in ancient times, the Greek bread was barley bread.  Solon declared that a wheat bread might be only baked on feast days.  By the 5^th century BC bread could be purchased in Athens from a baker’s shop. And Greek bakers arrived in Rome in the 2^nd century BC. 

 

In medieval Europe bread was served as a staple food and became very popular, so in the mid-16^th century Britain imported much of its bread wheat from the USA.

Bread baking was industrialised at the beginning of the 20th century and breadmaking machines have become very popular for preparing bread at home.    

 

 Here are a few recipes for preparing bread.

                                                     CRETAN BREAD

 

A delicious nutty bread.

 

250 g (½ lb) wholemeal barley flour

250 g (½ lb) plain flour

30 g (1 oz) fresh yeast

1 tbsp Greek honey dissolved on

2 tbsp warm water

Extra warm water if necessary

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp olive oil, separated

 

Place the two kinds of flour in a food processor and pulse to combine.  Add the diluted yeast and extra water very gradually and the salt and a little olive oil. Blend until the dough forms a ball around the hook.

 

Remove the dough from the food processor, place on a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.  Place the dough in a bowl, brush with olive oil cover with cling film and a small blanket and allow to prove for 40 minutes until doubled in bulk.  Punch the dough down and knead for 5 minutes more.  Shape into two cylinder-shaped loaves.  Place them on a baking tin lined with baking parchment, cover and let rise for 15-20 minutes more.

 

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).  Brush the loaves with olive oil and bake for 40-45 minutes until crisp and brown.  

 

 

                                     BREAD WITH OLIVE OIL AND HERBS

A crunchy aromatic bread

500 g (1 lb) wholemeal bread

1 tbsp yeast

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp thyme

1 tbsp oregano

125 ml (½ cup) olive oil

250 ml (1 cup) tepid water

1 tsp salt or more

 

Combine flour, yeast, sugar and herbs in a large bowl and mix well together.  Make a well on the centre and pour in the olive oil.  Rub the flour with the olive oil until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.  Add the water and salt and knead until the dough is smooth and rather hard.  Brush with olive oil cover with cling film and a small blanket and set aside, in a warm place to prove.  After 40 minutes to 1 hour it should be doubled in bulk. 

 

Punch the dough down and knead on a floured surface for 10 minutes.  Shape the dough into two cylindrical loaves, place on a tin lined with baking parchment, cover and let them rise for ½ an hour.  Bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 30-40 minutes until puffed and golden. 

 

 

 

                                  BREAD WITH ONIONS OLIVES AND FETA

This is a lovely recipe for a delicious bread that keeps fresh for over a week.

 

500 g (1 lb) plain flour

8-10 tsp dried yeast

Salt to taste about ½ tsp

2 medium-sized onions, peeled and finely chopped

1 tsp honey diluted in

250 ml (1 cup) tepid water

1 cup stuffed olives, sliced

1 cup feta, crumbled, separated

 

In a large, warm bowl mix flour with yeast.  Then add the onion, salt half the amount of cheese and mix well together.  Add the honey and water mixture and knead vigorously for 10 minutes until the dough becomes elastic and soft.

 

Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a plastic bag and a small blanket and allow to prove until doubled in bulk about 30-40 minutes.  Shape 2 loaves and cover and allow to rise until doubled in bulk.  Slash the loaves, brush with olive oil and bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 40 minutes until crisp and golden.

 

 

                                                A BASIC LOAF OF BREAD

                                

This bread makes wonderful toast.

 

500 g (1 lb) plain flour

150 g (1 cup) fine semolina

8-10 g (1 packet) dried yeast

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt or more

360 ml (about 1 ½ cup) water at blood heat

 

Mix flour, semolina and yeast together in a large bowl.  Add the water and sugar, then add the salt and knead a little.  Cover with clingfilm and a small blanket and allow to prove for 1 ½ an hour.  Knead well again and shape two equal loaves place in an oiled baking tin, cover and allow to prove for half an hour.

 

Bake the bread in a hot oven, preheated to 220 C (418 F) for 15 minutes then lower the heat to 205 C (390 F) and bake for a further 15 minutes. Remove the loaves from the tin and bake on the oven shelf for another 15 minutes at 180 C (350 F) degrees until crisp.  Place the loaves on a rack to cool.  

 

 

                                                   CURRANT BREAD

This is a delicious bread that resembles a cake.

 

125 ml (½ cup) sunflower oil

300 g (1½ cup) sugar

An ample pinch of salt

The thickly grated rind of 2 oranges

625 ml (2½ cups) orange juice

 

800 g (1 lb 10 oz) self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp grated nutmeg

1 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp cloves, powdered

(Mix everything well together)

 

300 g (10 oz) currents sprinkled with

2 tbsp of the above mixture

 

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) and whip oil with sugar, salt and orange rind and juice until the sugar dissolves.  Add the flour mixture gradually until well combined. Finally, gently fold in the currents.

 

Scrape the batter in a large (30 cm – 15 inch) baking tin lined with oiled parchment and bake for 45 minutes or more until thoroughly baked and golden.