Hailing from a time of self-sufficiency and simplicity, the rustic charm of medieval bread and pastries carries their likes to the historical romance traveling through the ages. Baking these ancient delicacies, once the sustenance for the masses, introduces a stray path away from the common multitude of modern bread and pastries we are accustomed to today.
Medieval bread was fundamentally distinct due to its ingredients. Using robust grains like rye and barley, sweetened with natural sugars derived from fruits and honey, and sometimes supplemented with ingredients such as oats, peas, beans, and lentils for an extra nutty flavor, the medieval bread was a hearty, filling culinary delight.
Baking was a daily chore and every household baked their daily bread, except the impoverished who relied on baker’s shops. Oftentimes, the baker’s oven was also the common cooking space for many homes that lacked individual ovens. A portion of the dough used to create communal loaves was given to the baker as payment. Different shapes, sizes, and recipes evolved as people experimented and perfected their loaves, prompting a unique variety in different households and regions.
The stringent measures taken to control the quality of bread during the medieval times are particularly interesting. The Assize of Bread and Ale in 13th-century England prescribed the price, weight, and quality of bread in an attempt to prevent fraudulent practices. On occasions, bakers who were found guilty of deceitful baking were made to parade around the town wearing a necklace of stale bread – a rather peculiar punishment pertinent to their crime.
Medieval pastries, another enchanting facet of the age, held a special place in the medieval dining experience. There were two primary categories. The first was a pastry shell, serving as wholesome cooking vessels, either sweet or savory, which contained meat, vegetables, or sweet fillings. While the pastry shells were mostly discarded before, they eventually morphed into eatable and pleasing parts of the dish with progress in culinary experimentation.
Contrarily, the second category celebrated luxurious sweet pastries, filled with fruits, nuts, and sweetened with sugar or honey. Notably, Britain witnessed the introduction of gingerbread, made by adding treacle, spices, and breadcrumbs to heated honey. Gingerbread men, made popular by Queen Elizabeth I, who gifted these to her guests, contributed to the festive spirit surrounding pastries.
Though the flour of the medieval times was coarser and contained many impurities, the bread had its unique, earthy flavor, unlike that we are used to in modern times. Breads containing barley, oats, or rye were heavier, denser, and darker than wheat-based bread familiar in today’s world. Coarse breads, often referred to as ‘horse bread,’ were considered lower class as they were durable, tougher, and had a longer shelf life.
In stark contradiction, medieval pastries were delicate and visually pleasing. The intricate designs on the pastry surface were created using a special tool known as the ‘pie crimper,’ a decorative knife that exhibited the pastry chef’s dexterity akin to an artist.
Modern bakers keen to emulate these authentic and organically flavored medieval bread and pastries can aim to recreate the simplicity and integrity of medieval period baking. By consciously allowing whole grains, natural sweeteners, fermenting agents, and manually grinding flour, they tap into a wholesome baking experience.
The sense of crafted creativity and simplicity in medieval baking underscores its distinctive essence. This rich history provides an excellent incentive for today’s pastry chefs and home bakers to explore these early techniques of baking. They might even discover a newfound appreciation for the sheer variety and heartiness of medieval bread and pastries.
An enticing challenge indeed would be to recreate the mysterious and elusive ‘wastell,’ a coveted luxuriant medieval bread made of the finest wheat flour and fresh milk, reserved only for special occasions or the wealthy. Juxtapose it with the ‘pandemain,’ known as the lord’s bread, a high-quality bread baked from the choicest parts of the wheat grain.
For the sweet tooth, attempting to bake the popular ‘tartys in applis,’ a custard-like open-faced apple tart, or ‘darioles,’ cream-filled pastries decorated with comfits, can be a seamless conduit to the medieval kitchen atmosphere.
Overall, the journey of unraveling and savoring medieval bread and pastries carries remarkable lessons of humanity’s intertwined interaction with food. Furthermore, the art of savoring them offers invaluable insights into the deep-rooted history and evolution of our food culture to decipher the societal fabric of the Middle Ages.
