Rich Bread

Origin: Ancient      Period: Traditional

This would have been a luxury bread celebrating the arrival of spring. I suggest the use of duck eggs for this (I was lucky enough to have a neighbour who provided me with a supply of duck eggs) as they are larger and richer than hen eggs. They are also more seasonal reflecting the birding exploits of our ancestors. The butter also reflects spring calving time when the milk would have been richer and thicker.

Ingredients:

500g stone-ground or coarse wholemeal bread flour
250g butter
350g honey
60g leaven or 30g dried yeast
3 eggs (duck if you can get them, but hen will do)
1 tsp salt
buttermilk (or milk) to mix

Method:

Preparation

If using dried yeast, mix the sugar into 1 cup of warm water (at about 40°C) then tip the dried yeast into this. Stir in and set aside in a warm place. If using leaven then mix the sugar into leaven and set aside for ten minutes.

Measure the flour into a large bowl, add the salt and mix-in thoroughly then cut the butter into cubes and rub into the flour with your fingers. Next add the honey, eggs and yeast and mix the ingredients thoroughly together.

Add just enough buttermilk (or milk) to form a firm dough. Tip this onto a floured board and knead firmly for at least five minutes (the firmer you knead the more air gets into the bread and the better it will rise). Tip the dough back into the mixing bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place for at least three hours to rise.

At the end of this time tip the dough back onto the floured board, knead for a further five minutes then shape into a round shape. Place the bread on a greased baking tray, cover with a damp cloth then set aside in a warm space for an hour to prove.

Place the bread in an oven pre-heated to 160°C for about one hour or until the bread is a golden brown in colour.

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