Needed: An Authentic Black Bread Recipe

[David Fryer]

I am currently teaching a unit on the Middle Ages and I'm looking for an authentic medieval black bread recipe to make so they can experience what peasents ate. However, every one I find on the internet includes either chocolate or coffee, neither of which would have been in Europe dure the Middle Ages. Can anyone help me?

[Set]

I've seen one that's;

675g rye flour
650ml warm milk
1 tsp salt
30g baker's yeast

Dissolve the yeast in a little of the warm milk, add a little of the flour and leave to rise. Mix the remaining ingredients together then incorporate the yeast mixture and form a dough. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with a cloth and leave to rise until it has doubled in volume. Once risen, knock back and tip into a cake tin. Cover and allow to raise for about 90 minutes then bake for two hours in a slow oven (about 150°C).

but I've no idea if that's kosher or not. I coulda sworn that molasses was a major ingredient...

[Jal Dorak]

Here's a handy website with a list of things not to use.

I haven't found anything for Black Bread, but apparently rye or wheat bread was more common.

Here's a detailed pdf on making medieval bread.

From what I can tell, this one gives a decent breakdown of actual recipes.

The basic ingredients seem to be: starter, flour (white, rye, wheat), and salt. Some include eggs, butter, or milk.

[Vic Wertz]

Huh. And here I thought black bread was just what you get when you jam down the lever on the toaster until flames erupt from the bread slots.

[Kevin Mack]

Vic Wertz wrote:

Huh. And here I thought black bread was just what you get when you jam down the lever on the toaster until flames erupt from the bread slots.

I'm pretty sure they call that carbon these days

[Callous Jack]

David Fryer wrote:

I am currently teaching a unit on the Middle Ages and I'm looking for an authentic medieval black bread recipe to make so they can experience what peasents ate. However, every one I find on the internet includes either chocolate or coffee, neither of which would have been in Europe dure the Middle Ages. Can anyone help me?

Wait, what is this for again?