Uzbekistan is famous for its bread, or naan. The bread seems to be largely unchanged from the Middle Ages. You can see examples of bread that survived in graves from near Astana here, along with the image of a medieval bread stamp.
Following my recent class on sourdough, which took a side turn into discussing naan, it was time to test my bread stamp. I used my sourdough starter, with a mix of whole wheat and white flours.
I let the sourdough sponge grow in a bowl for a day, then kneaded it before dividing it into five pieces about the size of my fist. I formed each piece into a hall and let them rise overnight, covered with a cloth. This morning I preheated my oven and a pizza baking stone to 435F (220C). While it was heating, gave the dough balls another quick knead, then used my hands to flatten them, leaving an indentation in the centre and a thicker rim.
I pressed the stamp into the centre of each load, then brushed it with a wash made from a slightly beaten egg. Finally, I decorated each loaf with nigella seeds before putting them into the oven for about 18 minutes.
The breads puffed up beautifully, but led to a lesson for next time. The dough balls should be a little smaller, and pressed out even flatter so the the lovely stamp pattern remains visible. Also, be sure to flour your work surface really well because it will be easier to pick up the raw loaves and help prevent them sticking to the pan. Only one stuck a little, which was amazing. I had forgotten to flour the surface for the first few, and was certain I would have a mess on the pan to clean up.
When we have a lot of freezing rain, my mind turns to experiments in transportation. Last summer, I tried my hand at blacksmithing, with the able support of Darrel Markewitz at Wareham Forge. I blogged about the crampons I made here.
Today I got out some scrap leather and made a pair of straps to attach the crampons to my shoes, then headed out to the back yard to see how the worked.
I chose two possible patterns, both from this article on Viking Age Crampons.
The leather stripe from medieval Tønsberg. The crampon was fixed in the stripe and then covered with round leather piece, which held the crampon in the stable position. Taken from Brendalsmo – Lindh 1982: 27. The method used in 13th–14th century in Riga, Latvia. Taken from Petrov 2005.
I decided that the first one looked simplest, even though my crampons are much more like those in the second image. I cut out two strips that were wide enough for my crampons,
punched holes through the leather
I cut out two strips of leather that were wide enough for my crampons.
I punched holes through the leather and stuck the crampons in place,.
I cut out patches that I will stitch into place to hold the crampons more securely. For today, I simply stepped on them, and they stayed in place very well.Then did a bit of testing and trimming until they felt secure. I still need to add straps that will go around the heels, but I wanted to test them before the light disappeared.They still need some adjusting to make them more streamlined and snug, but they worked quite nicely on the thick layer of ice over the snow in my back yard.The icy roof of my garden shed, just for fun.
I still have enough leather to eke put a pair of straps using the second pattern. I would like to compare how they would be to walk in. The current pair places the points under the ball of the foot, but the others would be at the heel. I wonder how that would change my balance and stability. For that, I will either need another blacksmithing lesson or (a conversation with Darrell about making me a second pair).
These are notes for the second class I will be teaching later today at Practicum, the annual arts and sciences event in the Canton of Caldrithig.
You need a large-eyed, blunt needle. Bone, antler, wood, even a carved popsicle stick or tapestry needle will work. Some needles have two eyes, with the second one being used to hold longer strands of yarn. You also need yarn. A worsted weight two ply pure wool is an excellent choice for starting, but unplied, heavier, finer, and acrylics can all work too. I tear (rather than cut) my yarn into lengths about six feet long.
Starting with a round start:
1. Make a slip knot with a loop.
2. Make loops around that base loop, catching the previous loop each time. Bring your working thread over your left thumb to create a new loop. If you are familiar with the buttonhole or blanket stitch, this is basically what you are doing. About 15 loops is good for starting a sock or mitten
3. Pull the short tail of the slip knot to snug things up.
4. Start your stitches.
5. Add extra stitches as needed. In first row, add one every second stitch, then every 3rd, every 4th etc.
6. To add a stitch, simply make a second one into the base loop.
7. I like to work both socks or mitts at the same time so that I can add the same number of stitches on each row, without forgetting where I am. A bit of yarn tucked in as a stitch marker can help you keep track of where the row starts, until you get the hang of spotting where stitches have been added (they look a little different).
8. If working in stripes, measure out your yarns two lengths at a time, to help keep the patterns even. It probably won’t be perfect, but that’s okay.
1. Working left to right, pick up the first stitch to the right (front to back), then the loop immediately to the left (front to back). Both of these are in the previous row of stitching.
2. Pick up the loop you just made (in the new row you are working), which is immediately behind your left thumb (back to front), and through the thumb loop. Do not pull the needle all the way through, just yet.
3. Slip the loop off your thumb.
4. With your needle still in place, snug up your stitch around the needle. You can leave the loops a bit looser if you wish.
5. Pull your needle through, and bring the working yarn over your thumb to start a new loop and stitch.
6. Add in extra loops to expand, as needed, by making two stitches in that loop to the immediate right.
7. To reduce the size of your work, simply catch two of the loops to the right (stitching two together).
8. The Coppergate stitch, also known as York Stitch, is quite twisty, so don’t panic when your work twists.
9. For a YouTube video of how to this, check https://youtu.be/p7eOlUDyy1Q, starting at 5:45. She starts her video with a straight stitch start, so ignore that for now.
Joining:
1. Traditional method is to felt two ends together. I spread out the fibres, apply some spit (water also works), mix the two ends together and rub vigorously to felt.
2. A Russian join is a good alternative with fibres, such as acrylics, that do not felt well. It also works if felting makes you crazy (it took me quite a while to master felting).
3. Russian join: twist your yarn around needle, working back for about an inch from the open end. Thread needle and pull though, to form a loop.
4. Draw second yarn through the loop. Repeat the twisting action for the second yard to make another loop (the two should now be connected).
5. Pull on both yarns to tighten the loops, then trim loose ends.
These are my notes for a class/discussion about sourdough that I will be teaching later today as part of Practicum, the annual arts and sciences even hosted by the Canton of Caldrithig
Historical context
In the Middle Ages, sourdough was associated with poverty, especially in England. If you had money, you used ale barm. Galen had stated that sourdough was healthier than yeast, and this did influence French bakers.
Sour flavour not popular either. This can be managed by feeding the starter and sponge often, so it doesn’t have time to really ferment.
Salt, which helps brown bread crust and has a role in making the large “eyes” popular in sourdough today, was either not present, or barely used (no more than 1.5% of the weight of flour – in a loaf using 1 lb of flour and 1 lb water, that would be 1.5 tsp). William Rubel (author of : A Global History, and blogger at https://williamrubel.com ), bread with really fresh flour doesn’t need salt because the dough has more flavour.
White, soft bread was prized, so no crispy crust or artisanal whole wheat or other flours. Whole wheat or other flours would have been used if you were poor. Crispy crust goes soft after a day, and baking was often done only once every two weeks, or even less often. This would give a variety of stale breads used for sauces etc. Keep in mind that breads were large, often 4 lb or more by weight. Of course the wealthy had bread more often, and also smaller breads such as rolls.
Starting a starter
1. Set mix of flour and water and water (about 40% water, 60% flour by weight) on the counter. Let it sit until it starts to bubble. You should feed it each day until it looks enthusiastic. In summer, you can catch some lovely wild yeasts by setting it outside (covered with some cheesecloth to keep out the bugs).
2. Alternatives: use a bit of yeast or ale barm to bump things up, to get a lump of sourdough from a friend.
3. How much to feed? About the same amount you started with, so that your sponge doubles in size each time it is fed. Using warm, but not boiling, water will make the yeast ice beasties extra happy.
4. Obviously unsustainable over long term, so you can store sourdough in fridge for up to a week (let it grow on the counter for an hour first).
5. Still too much sourdough? Use some to make pancakes, pizza dough, muffins, etc, and then feed the remainder.
6. No time to use your sourdough? It is possible to freeze it, though I have never tried it myself. Just pop a small quantity in an airtight container and put it in the freezer, where it will stay viable for months. Allow it to thaw on your kitchen counter, and feed with warm water and flour when you are ready to use it again.
7. No room in the freezer, or want to travel with your sourdough? You can spread it in a thin layer on a piece of parchment paper and let it dry on your counter until it is brittle. Break it into pieces and store in an airtight container. When you are ready to use it, add water to dried sourdough to turn it back into a smooth liquid. Then add flour to feed it. Repeat until you have enough sourdough sponge for your bread. I wish I had known about drying sourdough before smuggling it in liquid form to two postings abroad!
6. If your starter is looking sad or smells off, you can resuscitate it by pouring off most of the starter, then feeding it. Repeat until you have a bubbly, fresh smelling and enthusiastic starter.
Bread tips
Sourdough takes time. I allow myself at least 24 hours.
1. Wake up the starter wth flour and water by feeding it. Don’t forget to set some aside to feed and store for your next batch.
2. After 3 hours, add more flour and water, then get the gluten working with a long knead (15 minutes or even 20). You can also add a little salt at this point. I use about 1 tsp for a single loaf.
3. Let rest for at least eight hours
4. Give it another light knead and put it either a final rise (if putting it into a loaf pan) or close to final (if you put it into a basket or bowl to rise).
5. When the dough has doubled, you can tip it gently onto a pan or onto a floured bread peel and then onto a preheated griddle stone.
6. Preheat oven (and griddle stone, if using) to 425F. If you want a crispy crust, you can slide a pan of water onto the bottom rack of the oven. It will add moisture that is more like conditions of a wood fired oven.
7. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the bread has a hollow sound when you tap it. You can lower the temperature during baking, to further simulate a wood-fired oven.
Final tip, if you have the luxury: use a dedicated wooden bowl or trough for your sourdough. Between uses, clean by scraping out any dried dough. You can also give it a wipe with a damp cloth. However, do not scrub it. A few yeast organisms will survive in the microscopic cracks of the wood, and add flavour/rise to your next loaf.
Baking Bread (detail) in a psalter by an unknown illuminator, Belgium, mid-1200s. Tempera colors, gold leaf, and ink on parchment, each leaf 9 1/4 x 6 1/2 in. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Ms. 14, fol. 8v
This was all Michelle’s fault as she posted that quinces were available for sale so I had to go buy some, and I landed on her recipe book as a source for an interesting recipe to try them with. Mostly I know quinces for jellies and pastes, but I don’t like really sweet things so the pie recipe she had included in her cookbook looked like a good option.
Pare them, and core them (the best of the quince is next unto the skin, therefore pare it as thin as possible), stuff them with sugar , then with as much other sugar as they weigh, put them with pieces of sliced ginger in a coffin, sprinkle on a little rose water before you close your pye. Bake it, and let it stand long a soaking in the oven, ice it, and serve it in. (John Murrel, A New Book of Cookerie, 1615, found in The Big Buttes Book by Michelle Enzinas).
I peeled and cored two quinces. Next, I made a batch of whole wheat pie crust (I didn’t have any white flour), and divided it in two before rolling it out. I mixed up about 1/2 cup of brown sugar with 1 tsp of rose water and 1 tsp of powdered ginger (because I didn’t have fresh ginger). I put the quinces on the crusts, in a pie pan, poured in the sugar mixture, and wrapped the crusts up and over to cover each quince. Then I baked them in a preheated 350F oven for an hour and turned off the oven, leaving the pies to continue cooking for another 45 minutes.
The result was quite delightful. Quinces have a flavour that is like a mix of apple and apricot. The pies weren’t overly sweet, and there wasn’t an excessive amount of crust.
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