Thought this attempt at re-creating an ancient Egyptian formula might be interesting to bread bakers

[jtuck004]

and others...


ANCIENT EGYPTIAN BREAD, BY MIGUEL ESQUIROL RIOS

Following an old recipe can be challenging. Following a recipe that is not written, but only depicted in pictograms and drawings, archeological examples, and assumptions is even more difficult. The job here is to not only follow the recipe, but also try to understand the culture and traditions where this bread came to be.

In this case, I’m trying to make bread as it was done in ancient Egypt. Bread is not only one of the oldest food staples in many cultures, but it is also a good marker of civilization. It’s present in some way or another in many ancient civilizations. Bread not only needed settlements for growing wheat (or an equivalent grain), but also required knowledge of oven making, and, in many cases, an understanding of leavening. Bread helped to properly use the nutrients of the grains, and allowed them to use the stored grains during long winters. It built communities, brought people together, and shaped the routine of those who needed to bake bread every day.

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THE INGREDIENTS

The main ingredient for bread is always the flour. In this case, it is made from grains of a specific variety of wheat called emmer. Finding this was perhaps the most difficult part of the process. The grains cultivated in ancient Egypt were wheat and barley. Wheat had an important place in the Egyptian economy. It was not only used for bread making, but also as form of payment, both as the treasure of the state in the vaults and as investment for more difficult times.

The variety of wheat used for this ancient bread making is called emmer, also known as farro. This was one of the first crops domesticated in Egypt and surrounding regions and closer to the wild varieties than the wheat we consume today. Nowadays the crop is mostly out of use, and is only cultivated in some mountainous regions of Europe and Asia.
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Found here.
There is a more modern recipe underneath, and a link to a discussion about creating a sourdough starter as well...

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. Very interesting page....thanks!