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How to make…<br />
SAXON RYE BREAD<br />
WHOLESOME LOAVES FOR DUNKING IN STEW<br />
ENGLAND AND EUROPE, 420-PRESENT<br />
Ingredients<br />
250g wholemeal flour<br />
130g rye flour<br />
7g dry instant yeast<br />
1 teaspoon of sugar<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1 tablespoon honey<br />
Jug of warm water<br />
(around 250-300ml)<br />
© Alamy<br />
90<br />
The average Anglo-Saxon lived on a diet<br />
made up of meat such as deer and wild<br />
boar, vegetables for hearty stews, grain<br />
crops for flour, and barley, which made<br />
beer to wash down the feast. Bread was a<br />
mealtime staple, but for some, a bite of Saxon<br />
rye bread could lead to much more than a full<br />
belly. Crops of rye are susceptible to infection<br />
by the Claviceps purpurea fungus, which causes<br />
ergot. When the infected rye was ground into<br />
flour and baked in bread, the eater was poisoned<br />
with what we now know as ergotism. Sufferers<br />
would experience convulsions, insanity,<br />
hallucinations and even lose limbs to gangrene.<br />
Here you can learn how to make rye bread the<br />
Saxon way, without the hallucinogenic trips.<br />
METHOD<br />
01 In a jug, mix the dried yeast with the sugar and<br />
50ml of warm (but not hot) water. This is a step<br />
for modern convenience – the Saxons didn’t have<br />
the luxury of dried yeast. They also didn’t have<br />
sugar, and used just honey for sweetness.<br />
02 Set the sugar, yeast and water aside for ten<br />
minutes to allow the yeast to develop, and<br />
combine the flour in a big bowl with the salt.<br />
03 Add a small amount of warm water to the flour,<br />
along with the honey. Mix a little and then add the<br />
water and yeast.<br />
04 Continue mixing while slowly adding warm water<br />
until you have a doughy consistency. Rye flour<br />
absorbs lots more water than wheat so keep an<br />
eye on the texture.<br />
05 Once your dough has come together in the bowl,<br />
transfer to a floured surface and knead it for a few<br />
minutes. Then pop it back into the bowl, cover<br />
with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for one<br />
hour so it can rise.<br />
06 When the dough has visibly risen, shape it into a<br />
loaf and dust with flour before placing on a baking<br />
tray. Bake in a preheated oven at 220 degrees<br />
Celsius for 40-45 minutes until browned.<br />
07 Once the loaf is baked, leave to cool on a wire tray<br />
before enjoying with traditional pottage and beer.<br />
Did you make it? How did it go? www.historyanswers.co.uk /<strong>All</strong><strong>About</strong><strong>History</strong> @<strong>About</strong><strong>History</strong>Mag
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