Antonia's Manchet

This is the tasty, white-but-not-too-white bread served by the Peerless Kitchen at some feasts. It's not a recipe from a period source, just an adaptation of a modern recipe that may reproduce some the taste of Medieval white bread by combining refined white flour with wheat germ, whole wheat flour and malt.

Ingredients

• 2c. water
• 30g lard (or whatever kind of solid fat you have on hand)
• 1 sachet or 1 scant tbsp dry yeast
• 1/4c. warm water
• 1 tbsp malt syrup
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4-1/3c. flaked wheat germ
• 3/4c. stone ground whole wheat flour
• up to about 6c bread flour

Method

Heat the water and fat until the fat is melted. Cool to lukewarm.

Combine the malt syrup and 1/4c. water, and sprinkle the yeast into this mixture. Let stand 10-15 minutes.

Combine the water and fat mixture with the yeast, and stir in the salt, wheat germ, and whole wheat flour. Add white flour until you have a soft dough. Knead thoroughly (approximately 300 strokes, or until very springy and satiny). Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a teatowel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (approximately 1-1/2 hours). Punch the dough down, turn it out of the bowl and knead it back a few strokes. Shape and place on greased baking trays. Preheat the oven to 210C for rolls or 200C for small loaves. Cover and let rise for another 45 minutes. Bake 10 minutes for very small rolls, 15 minutes for larger rolls, or 20-25 minutes for loaves. (These times are approximate-- if they have a good brown crust and sound hollow when tapped, they're done.)

Yield: 2-1/2 doz very small rolls or 20 average rolls or 8 very small loaves.

See Also

Peerless Kitchen