[1 stage transcription - RU]
Panificium
The several manners of making bread in France [1 word illeg.]: [where] by universal consent, the best bread in the world is eaten:
To make excellent bread, not only good [corne] is preferable to ill; but the goodness of the mill, water, oven, & making ought to be considered.
For the [corne], the fullest & weightiest is the best: the bread wh. is made of any other grains than wheate; be it rye, barley, oates, peas, [beans] or [1 word illeg] (wh. the poorer sort makes or mingles their bread) is not to be accounted.
That wheate wh[ich] grows in light [not stiff] ground, whose stalk is big & strong makes even the best bread.
New corne to be preferred for bread, as better in colour, crimp, pleasant in taste, but it yields more bran than the old, which by [2 words illeg] weaves [1 word illeg] & falls away to dust.
It is not important whither if to ground in a wind, or water mill. So it be ground quick & speedily; that motion [crushing] the corns better than a more languid, & with less bran:
A mill newly repaired: provided that had passed some corne, through it before, will perform better than whose [2 words illeg] and [1 word illeg]:
Grind as much in a well-prepared mill at a time, as may serve a family a month, because it will yield you a greatest quantity of flower, than when otherwise it comes new from the mill: being careful to keepe it well covered in Binns; wh. preserves it both from the air & vermin. In the summer preserve it where it may be kept cool, or in some cellar or lower roome: greate heate being apt to produce the Nighting-gad magott wh. [1 word illeg] to a black winged insect that feeds upon & corrupts the flower:
Water is so principal an ingredient to the making of bread that the goodness of that much improves it. This is very evident in pains, whose that bread wh. is made in imitation of the of Gonnesse though by the same baker & with the same corne, never succeeds, neither as to the colour or goodness, equal to that wh. is made upon the [plan] itself: this wholly imputed to the excellency of the water.
That water is esteem’d best, wh[ich] is lightest; or you may make a good experiment by tryals w[i]th several waters, as that of the River, fountain, well, or Rains. Those [which] will easily [1 word illeg] you to the best.
Build [your] Oven w[i]th the thickest sort of bricks & works it would in the [1 word illeg]. Let the roofe be low, the mouth narrow the outside [closely] plastered; the bottom or hearth wh. is made of a [loamy] clay is much to be preferred before fine-stone or brick – [style].
It will require a gradual heating wh. better penetrates the sides than a quick fire; & is better dispersed; [2 words illeg] is better than [1 word illeg]: because of the quantity of the lesser of ashes, wh. ought continually to be taken away, that the ember & coals may heat the hearth well.
House-hold bread:
Household bread, the more the quantity of wheate, the better: yet it is a good sort of bread for servants, wh. is made of 4 pairs of course-corn & one of Barley, this is a competent proportion for one batch; [1 word illeg] it through the course [1 word illeg].
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Of this take a Bushell about ten o’clock at night, and put Levin into it covering it with some of the same meale.
To temper it in winter, make the water as hot as you can indure it w[i]th the hand; In summer, it is sufficient it be luke-warme; so proportionately in the spring, & autumn.
The next morning early, Levin the rest of the meale, tempering & kneading it a very long time, until it be pretty stiff, for though the softer, more light & more bulky it appeare; yet it will be lesser tasting; the light bread goes faster away than that which is wrought [close]:
The bread well kneaded, you shall [turne] it in the Trough, laing the bottom upmost; then thrust your fist in the middle of the dow to the very bottom of the trough in 2 or 3 places, then cover it well with meale sacks & clean blankets.
Having let it stand there for a while (longer in winter than summer) & [until] you find those holes closed or swelled up; the rising is perfect; therefore now let somebody be heating of the oven (for it is impossible one person should send both) while you cut the [masse] in pieces; the pieces may be of 16 pound weight each, or some what more; than mould & forme it with loaves, which lay on a cleaned layered cloth, so as a fold of the linen may part and keepe them from inter touching.
Your oven hot (known by raking the end of the a stick against its roofe or hearth, if the sparkles rife plentifully) make it very [cleane], referring only a few coals nearer the mouth; lastly wipe it with a [mop] wett & wrung; then close it up a while to allay the [1 word illeg] heate & dust, wh. will endanger scorching; & when the fiery colour is a little abatted, let in your loaves as fast & quick as possible; ranging the biggest towards the upper end, round about and filling the middle spare last of all. He the heater [of] the Oven must be careful that he burne his wood in every part while kindling it sometimes at one side, sometimes at the other & continually scrapping away the ashes with his [1 word illeg].
The bread put in, stop the mouth well w[it]h the plate doore, & the edges of it with well clothes so keepe in the heate: Four houres time is sufficient for large bread; but you may draw a loafe to see if it be enough; w[i]th your knuckles; if it found & be hard; draw the rest; if not, let them stand a while longer; experience is soone learned; but if you leave the bread too long; it will make it red within, & of ill [relish].
Your batch drawne, place it on that side it is most baked that it may give & [1 word illeg] againe as it cooles; for instance if the upper side be too much (which happens when the ashes were not taken away so often as they should have been during the oven roasting) then range of loaves with the bottom reversed; but if you find them equally well soaked, leave it against the wall on the side which is most baked.
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Let the bread be cold before you lock it up; & then set it side-ways that the [1 word illeg] may equally flow about it.
In Summer time your binns set in the cellar, would preserve your bread from mouldiness, better than elsewhere.
Those loaves which are least baked and worst made should be first eaten; for the most baked [1 word illeg] with standing.
It is a profitable oeconomy to have even a batch of stale bread, when you goe to make new.
The Sorts of French Bread
Pain Bourgois
Cithy or bread:
Take the 6th part of wh. quantity you intend to make, and put Levin into it; making a hole in the dow as you were directed when the masse is risen, cover it with as much more flower as water was at first; & leave it to rise againe; this ready, add to it the residue of flower, tempering it with water, kneading, & allowing it time to rise in every particular [3 words illeg] as has already been describ’d:
Note
Some make bread (as about Rouen in Normandy) without at all seifting the bran as it comes from the Mill; this at first eating seems to be rough & harsh; but by costome, it is both pleasant, wholesome & very strengthening.
Pain de Gonnesse
The best Bread of France
There is of this [both] white and brown & of all [1 word illeg]: take six Bushells of flower (or at lesser quantity you please) of which put leven to a first part at eight a clock at night; then add as much more flower to it; this is called refreshing the leven; The next morning early, make your dow with the remainder of the meale but temper it moderately, or very little; then turne the Dow, and put it in a wooden bowle, sprinkl’d w[i]th flower to keep it from sticking; & when it is ready to get in the oven you shall [stowe] it into another bowle. That when it is set into the oven with your [poole] the right side may stand upmost.
The small light-bread is made by taking the 6th part of the meale, and instead of the [leaven], set it to rise w[i]th new – yeast; and when it is swelled sufficiently, wet it againe, or work it with another sixth part of the meale, & so let it rise for a second time; then temper it a very little, [turne] it & lay the loaves on a cloth with folds (as has been described) to keepe them from touching; & so bake them.
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Pain a la Montauron.
Take of a Bushell of the whitest meale & 4th part to ferment with halfe a pint of new-yeast (if it be stale less will serve) a small handful of salt dissolved in warme water, & three quarts of milke; an hour after; add the rest of the flower, which you shall temper but slightly; then [turne] the part & let it rise in small wooden-dishe, then set it into the oven; an hower is sufficient; when drawne, let them cool edge-ways.
Of this sort of bread, & that of Gonesse is made Bisquit; cutting it in halves, & taking out the crumb, & so set into the oven; but first it must be sprinkled with Aqua-[vile]; some add to it fenell-seeds beaten & scattord into the dow & Aquavile as you temper it: this is an excellent Bisquit to the sopp’d in [Musent] wine, Canary or what wine you please.
Pain D’Esprit
This is made with the finest flower, and temper’d like the
Pain de Chapitre
Which is made in the same manner wh. the Pain Bourgeois (which we have already described) only it must be very [close] kneaded and wrought a good while. There are some Bakers who put this dow under the [breader]. Of this last are made the high [1 word illeg] loaves & some that are cut in halves, & other forms, but that it is only for the very [1 word illeg] sort:
Pain de Gentilly
This is made like Pain a la Montron, & excepting only the adding a little sweete-butter to it.
Pain de Citrouille
Parboil the pulpy part of a pumpion as you would do it to frie; then string it through a course cloth from the strings; then add of the water it boyl’d in, as much as in require to temper the dow) which you are to order in all other respects as in the former recipe with two levins; it is an excellent sort of bread, especially for such as require cooling being good to loosen the belly; it is somewhat of a yellow colour than other bread, & a little fatter.
Pain Benit, & Brioche
Take a Bushell of this finest wheate-flower, of which mix a quarter with leven, yeast & hot water: let this rise in a tray or bowl, first warm’d, and well cover’d, if it be in winter: whilest this is set to rise, take the 3 other parts of your flower, and temper them with water as hot as your hand can suffer, & put in a quarter of a pount of salt, a pound of fresh butter, & a new fresh curd-cheese; two howres after mix this with the Levin-dow, and worke it together; then lay it to rise again in the tray; kneade it again on a table, spreading & working it exceedingly, then make it up upon a large [peele], and let it stand a while when it is ready to set in the oven; but first [varnish] it over with an eff; stopp, & [govern] the heate as for other bread.
When the bread is read to draw, set it on a peele or [1 word illeg] hurdle to keep it from breaking because it is exceedingly brittle.
The varnish is made of yellow of fresh-eggs beaten without water; some to spare cost add honey; but that obliges you to [1 word illeg] the oven:
Pain de Cousin
This is an excellent sort: you must of a bushell of flower take but halfe a [peck] for the Levin, and the rest of the part temper with 3 pounds of butter, two fresh-curd cheeses, & a douzen of fresh eggs; if the paste be so stiff, correct it with milke; but make your Levin at night, and worke on before.
If you will proceed with exactnesse in those [1 word illeg] will you have the [addness], make [Journall trialls]; that is, put a piece first into your oven, & if on tasting, you find anything amiss, correct it according to directions.
That all stale bread set a new into the oven, will much recover it; & if it be eaten immediately, little different from what is new made; but if kept, & set in a third time, it will not be tolerable.
The ferment of cherry-wine makes an excellent yeast for bread.
Some good English house-wines may be [consulted] for your best of English Bread, Bisquit, & Cakes; and it were to be desired, that we had a perfect description of Dr. Keplon’s New-Ovens, stationary & [portable], which both my Lord Breeston, & Mr. Boyle have had experience of.
Also that we had description of the best ways of Brewing Beere & Ale.
1664 | J. Evelyn