Maison rustique, or The countrey farme· Compyled in the French tongue by Charles Steuens, and Iohn Liebault, Doctors of Physicke. And translated into English by Richard Surflet, practitioner in physicke. Now newly reuiewed, corrected, and augmented, with diuers large additions, out of the works of Serres his Agriculture, Vinet his Maison champestre, French. Albyterio in Spanish, Grilli in Italian; and other authors. And the husbandrie of France, Italie, and Spaine, reconciled and made to agree with ours here in England: by Geruase Markham. The whole contents are in the page following

CHAP. XX.

Of the Bake-house.

IN vaine should the husbandman toyle himselfe in tilling his ground so carefully according to the forme and manner which we haue before des∣cribed, and in like carefull sort to gather in, heape together and keepe his corne, if hee hoped not for some fruit and profit of his paines and labours. But what that profit is which he receiueth of his corne, I 〈◊〉〈◊〉 my selfe vnto the sale, which hee may yearely make vnto foreine and strange 〈…〉〈…〉, as whereby there redoundeth vnto him an incredible summe of money. Witnesses in this point may be the infinite number of rich husbandmen in France, and namely in Beauce, Brie, and Picardie, who liue in better estate and fuller of money, than many great Seigneours and Gentlemen: and I referre my selfe likewise vnto the di∣uers sorts of bread which they make of their corne, for the feeding and sustaining of themselues and their families, as also their cakes, cheese-cakes, custards, flawnes, tartes, fritters, and a thousand other prettie knackes and daintie conceits, which may be made and wrought of the meale which their corne yeeldeth. And yet further I report me to the beere, (which standeth in steed of wine in the countries where the vine cannot beare fruit) made commonly with wheat and barley. And lastly to the sale of bread which hee may practise and vse euery day, whithout any whit disad∣uantaging himselfe; as wee see in the husbandmen of Gonesse neere to the Citie of Paris.

Now therefore seeing that matters stand in this sort, me thinkes it should bee an vnseemely thing, not onely for the farmer, but also for the Lord of this our farme, to vse to send to the towne or else whither to buy bread, custardes, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, cakes, tartes, beere, and other such necessarie things, for the food and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of his house, either yet to borrow of their neighbours strangers, as bakers, paste-cookes, and brewers for the vse, or to bee beholden vnto them for any of 〈…〉〈…〉, when they stand in need of them: For it is my intent ••nd 〈…〉〈…〉 countrie house should bee another Pandora, furnished and flowing with 〈◊〉〈◊〉 all manner of good things and commodities, in such sort, as that the neighbour townes might haue recourse and seeke vnto it in cases of their 〈…〉〈…〉, but without taking or receiuing any thing at their handes but 〈◊〉〈◊〉, as the price and sale of the wares shall amount and come vnto, which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sendeth and furnisheth them withall day by day. I 〈◊〉〈◊〉 therefore 〈…〉〈…〉 a baker, panter, worker in pastrie, and a brewer when need shall be 〈…〉〈…〉,

that he should not be ignorant of any thing which might helpe to keepe, sustaine, and inrich his house.

Whereof Bread is made.

ANd to the intent that I may enter into my purposed matter of the Bake-house, I doe not here intend to crie or search out, who was the first inuenter of Bread-making, or what meates were in vse amongst them of auncient time, before the ma∣king of Bread was found out, or whether it was the man or womans labour to play the Baker: these I leaue to such as make their whole profession that way, to discourse of; contenting my selfe to teach and instruct my Farmer what graine or corne hee may imploy and vse for the making of bread. For certaine there may be bread made of all sorts of corne, but not of all sorts of graine: for Pulse (as we call them) that is to say, such graine as is inclosed in coddes or huskes, and which are not cut downe with Sythe or Sickle, but gathered by plucking them from the earth by the rootes, as Pease, Beanes, Rice, Lentils, great Cich-pease, small Cich-pease, Lupines, Fasels, Fetches, Fenugreeke and other such like, are not fit to make bread of, except in time of famine, and when as other corn doth ••aile altogether, or else fall to be exceeding deere: according as wee see in such times of hard distresse, bread of Oats, Barley, Beanes, Rice, Millet, and Pannicke (for such I haue seene in Perigord) yea of Bran, Fishes dried in the Sunne, Acornes, Chesnuts, and Ferne rootes (for such haue I seene in base Britaine) or which is more, of Brickes, Tiles and Slates, as is reported to haue beene made by the inhabitants of Sancerra, who during the time that they were besieged, did make and eate bread made of Slates.

Of Corne, and of such differences and sorts of the same as will make good bread.

THe excellentest, wholsomest and best kind of graine for to make bread of, is corne; of which as there are many differences and diuers sorts; according to the regions, countries, grounds, and soiles where they grow, according to the industrie of the husbandman: so likewise there are diuers sorts of bread, made differing as well in sauour and taste, as in maner of nourishing. Therefore that you may be able to make your choise wisely of all sorts of corne of euery countrie that is fit to make bread of, you must see that it be thicke, full, grosse, massi••, firme, of colour somewhat inclining to yellow, cleane, yeelding great store of cleane and white meale; which being s••eept and boiled in water doth quickly swell, which being newly threshed, commeth pre∣sently from the sheafe: for that which is old threshed, although it be drier than that which is new threshed, as also more light, apt and ready for to make meale, & to keep in ••••ale, notwithstanding the bread is not of so pleasant a taste, seeing it hath lost a gre••t part of his well relishing iuice, and hath gotten as it were another nature by the alteration of the aire: for certainly euen so deale the Corne-Merchants who, well be∣thinking themselues at what time to sell their corne, doe not thresh it before the very same moneth, wherein they meane to sell it; and as on the other side the Baker will not buy (if possi••ly he may choose) any other corne to make good bread of, than that which being new threshed, commeth fresh from the shease.

The excellentest corne in all France, and which they vse most in Paris, are those sorts which com•• out of Beauce, France, Bri••, Picardie, Champaigne, and Bassignie in Burgundie: howsoeuer also these in Berre••, Poictou, Zanctonges, ••••goulmois, Limoges, Normandie, Li••agne, Languedoc and Auuergne, be not altogether to bee reiected. The corne of Beauce maketh a fai••er shew than the corne of any other countrie, because it is growing in a fertile and a fat soile, and such a one a•• i•• not drie, and it hath in it a band which sheweth great when it is in bread, altho••••gh there 〈◊〉〈◊〉 lesse quantitie of paste. The corne of France hath a shor•••••• and 〈…〉〈…〉 that 〈…〉〈…〉, because it groweth in a ground neither too fat no•• too leane, but indiffe∣rent;

so that the bread that is made thereof, is not of so great shew as that of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Beauce: but yet to make some manner of recompence, more white, and such as ••••∣teth better than that of Beauce. The corne of Brie is of a lesse graine than that of France and Beauce: as also a lo••e of this corne is of lesse quantitie than that of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 corne, and of lesse whitenesse and pleasure in eating, than that which is made of the corne of France, because that Brie is a countrie of sweet cherries▪ and yet notwith∣standing it is found, that the countrie properly and truely called Brie doth surpasse and goe beyond the two other in massinesse of corne: and the cause making it so▪ to be, is the shortnesse and thickenes of the skin thereof, which is euidently more ap∣parant in it than in the rest, which make it to weigh the more. The corne of Picar∣die is of a lesse graine than any of the other three aforesaid, and so the bread of this corne is not so good, great, white, or profitable: because that this corne is more hard, stiffe, stubborne, and vneasie to grind than the others, and therefore such as out of which the flower cannot be well drawne, which causeth men commonly to call the corne of Picardie more vile and filthie than the rest, seeing when it is ground, the bran thereof detaineth and keepeth backe of the flowre within it. Champaigne not∣withstanding that it flow and abound with corne, and make a verie faire and great shew, yet it is inferiour vnto the other aforesaid countries; because the corne thereof yeeldeth lesse bread than the others, because naturally it is giuen to be choking, and to run vpon wreathes betwixt the milstones, and more redious to grind than others: againe it is long, thin, and clouen in the middest, which maketh that it carrie••h so much wast bulke.

Generally wheat the smaller it is, and the thinner the huske is, the better and whi∣ter the meale is which commeth from it, as is both seene in France and in other coun∣tries: for in England the wheat which groweth on the rich stiffe soyles, and is called whole straw wheat, being a great large corne with a thicke huske, is euer the cour∣sest and blackest of all wheats, yet good to the yeeld, and rich in meale, but the flaxen, and chilter wheate, which are much smaller and thinner huskt, and grow vpon barrenner grounds, as for the most part vpon the Iunams and such like, doe euer yeeld the finest and whitest meale, and therefore are most sought after, for the making of fine maunchets, sweet bisket, Iumballs, and such like 〈◊〉〈◊〉 pasts.

To grind corne.

THe husbandman hauing made good choice of his corne, shall send it to the mill whether it go with water or with wind, according as the countrie shall be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fit and conuenient for: or and if he haue choice and may send it to either, then 〈◊〉〈◊〉 shall rather chuse to send it to a watermill, carried about with a very swift 〈◊〉〈◊〉 for the more forcible turning about of the stone, and which hath his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of a ve∣ry hard greet and all of one peece if it bee possible, such as are in B••ie and Cham∣paigne, especially, at Ferte vnder Ioarre: for, the milstones that are tender and soft, doe easily breake and quickely grow out of frame, and withall do continually 〈◊〉〈◊〉 some grauell in turning about, which being mixt with the meale, taketh away all the pleasantnes and good sauour of the bread, and becommeth oftentimes troublesom•• vnto the teeth. Many doe counsell and aduise to beat the corne in a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 before it be sent to the mill to be ground, and in beating of it to sprinkle it ouer with 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and after to drie it in the Sunne, and then in the end to send it to the mill. Some 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not send it to the mill except it be very drie, and when as it is not drie, they set it in the Sunne to drie; as holding this opinion that the drier it is the more 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it yeel∣deth. Others besprinkle it with salt water, hoping by such watering of it, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the meale will become more white, and that they shall haue greater quantite of 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Of old time as may be gathered out of Aristotles problems, barley was woone to be p••rched before it was ground. In France none of these waies of preparing their 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to the mill are vsed, but as the corne is, so they send it to the mill. It is true, that the miller is to lay his stones in such sort, as that according to the owners will, 〈…〉〈…〉

make a greater or a smaller meale, as also according as the corne it selfe shall be more grosse, hard, small or soft. Yet the lesse the corne is bruised the finer the meale will be, and the grosser your branne is, the better and vvhiter will your paste be: vvhence it comes that the skilful Baker wil euer chuse the great black Cullen stones to grinde his fine Wheat vpon, which no more but bruising, and, as it were, crushing the corne makes the meale as pure and as vvhite as Snow. As for the drinesse or danknesse of corne, it is certaine that no graine, except Wheat, can be too drie, but that the skilfull Miller sayes should euer sticke to the Hopper: vvhence it comes that he will, vvhen he findes his Wheat too drie, dash or sprinkle some vvater vpon it, which makes it grinde a great deale the better, and makes the meale much vvhiter.

Of Meale, Mil-dust, flower of Meale, Branne, fine Meale, Wheate, Starch, and mundified Barley.

THe corne being ground is turned into Meale, in such sort as that meale is no o∣ther thing but that vvhich commeth of the corne vvhen it is ground: and so the meale falleth out to be such as the corne was, that is to say, very vvhite, if so bee that the corne were pure and cleane, thick and short, such as the corne of France (proper∣ly so called) is, blacke and full of bran: if the corne were starued, small, wrinckled, full of filth and dirt▪ long and flat, such is the meale of Rie. But the husbandman be∣fore the grinding of his corne and turning of it into meale, must thinke with himselfe vvhether he will keepe it long or no: such as he vvill not keep, there is no need vvhy he should care of what corne he causeth it to be ground, as vvhether it be old or new threshed, neither yet how and in what maner: but such as he doth entend to keep for some time, as in a store-house for to answer the times of necessitie, hee must chuse the driest corne that he can meet vvithall, because that if it be not verie drie, it might ve∣rie quickly take heat in the meale; and so it is meete that it should bee old threshed and not new, and comming from the sheafe (although the bread that is made of corne old threshed be not so good as that which is made of new threshed corne, and that vvhich commeth fresh from the sheafe) for the meale that commeth of corne olde threshed & reserued a long time in the garner, keepeth better than that vvhich com∣meth of new threshed corne, because that the corne being driuen and laide naked from his first and vtmost huske and coate, taketh the aire, as also his vndermost coue∣ring vvherewith it is couered, and so groweth drier and harder, not only in his coate, but also in the meale and marrow inclosed therein. Whereupon it commeth to passe that this meale being left naked and voide of any coate by the grinding of the Mill, becommeth more apt to keepe in being the more drie. On the contrarie, the meale of new threshed corne, is not of so good continuance, but spoileth sooner, because that the corne new threshed, retaining yet his natiue moisture, maketh the meale the more moist and heauie, and that it can not be so drie: vvhereupon it falleth out to be more inclinable and readie to corrupt. For euen as drinesse doth preuent and hinder putri∣faction, so moisture doth hasten and help forward the same. And that it is so, vve see by experience, that the painfull husbandmen for the good keeping of their corne, do leaue it in the sheafe mowed vp in the Barne, there to Winter and sweate, causing it after such sweate to be threshed, that so they may shift it out of its place into another that is more drie, and laying vp higher in a more open ayre: vvhere being laide and gathered together in heapes, after a long and not high raised manner, he diligently bestirreth himselfe to cause it to be remoued from place to place, that so it may take the aire by little and little, but especially to ayre that vvhich lieth vnderneath, by laying it about: vvherefore it is not to be doubted but that the meale vvhich is made of corne that hath beene thus ordered in the Garner, is of much better continuance than that vvhich is of corne comming newly out of the sheafe. Besides, the husband∣m••n must giue in charge (if so be hee vvould haue his meale to keepe long) to the Miller, to grinde his corne somewhat grosse: for if it be ground fine, it is not possible for him to keepe it so long in good state and condition. Notvvithstanding, for the

well keeping of all sorts of meale, whether it bee of corne new or old threshed, you must make choice of the highest roome of all your dwelling place, whether it bee towre, towne, or towne-house, and being placed there as in a store-house, it shall bee let rest full fifteene daies, to relieue and ease it selfe of the trauell which it hath had in the grinding: after which time of rest, for the better and longer keeping of it, it will be needfull to change it oft from one place to another, and by this meanes it will be kept a whole halfe yeare, and being often remoued and changed from one place to another, it will bee increased a fift or sixt part at the least, o•• which, notwithstan∣ding, there cannot be made so good bread, as of the meale that is newly ground. And thus much for the farmers duetie about baking, which consisteth in chusing the corne, causing it to bee ground, and laying vp of the meale in some garner, either to bee kept, or to be presently vsed about the making of bread. The ordering of the meale, and making of the bread belongeth vnto the house-wife, according to the cu∣stome of the auncient Romans, amongst whom, the women of speciall note and ac∣count did worke and knead the meale, and made bread with their owne, hands, as Plutarch reporteth in his Problemes. The house-wife then being possessed of so much meale in the garner, shall goe about to doe her indeauour to make bread: but before she beginne to make it, she shall seperate the finer part thereof from the gros∣ser, with some temze, searce, or bolter, to the end that of these seuerall sorts of meale, she may make seuerall sorts of bread: the finest part of the meale is called the flower of meale, and of the Latins Pollen, whereof the pasterers or cookes for pastrie doe make wafers, and such like daintie knackes: the grossest part is the brane, called of the Latins Furfur, which commeth of the coat or huske cleauing next vnto the nar∣row and kernell of the corne. Betwixt the flower of the meale and the bran, there are yet other parts of the meale, more or lesse fine, or more or lesse grosse, according to the widenesse or narrownesse of the temze or bolter through which they passe, and according to the difference and diuersitie of these parts, there are made different and diuers sorts of bread, that is to say, more or lesse white, according to the taking forth of two, three, or foure parts of the bran, by the helpe and meanes of the bolter: be∣sides these parts and seuerall sorts, there is yet another sort of meale, which is called mill-dust, and this riseth vp from the corne, as it is vpon the mill, grinding vnder the mill-stone, but hereof there is no vse for bread, the millers vse to sell it onely for the vse of booke-binders and gold-smiths, to make their pastewithall: there is yet ano∣ther kind of meale, which the Italians call Semole, which is fine meale, or course flower, called of the Latins Simila, or Similago, whereof wee haue spoken before: Wee haue it not in this countrie, it is brought vnto vs from Italy and Naples, neither doe men vse to make bread with this, but either thicken their meat-broths, or else make pap-meat. It is as fine as the flower of meale, but not so white, notwithstan∣ding, hauing a colour halfe like the straw colour: It is of a very good iuice and no••∣rishment. There is yet further another sort of very white meale, that is very fine, which is commonly called in French Amydon, and of the Greeks and Latins Amy∣lon, as though it were made without mill-stones. It hath heretofore beene made di∣uers waies, but in this countrie they vse to make it in this sort: They chuse the faire•••• and purest wheate that may bee got, and cause it to bee ground verie finely: which done, they cast the ground meale into a vessell whch the other fill vp with water, scumming off the bran that swimmeth aloft, and after passing all the water through a cloth or strainer, and then they put new water into the vessell, which they likewise straine in such manner as they did the former, leauing the white meale in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 whither it is setled: and this they drie in the heate of the Sunne about the dog daies; and when it is dried, it becommeth hard, and is afterward broken into gobb••••s, and so made into fine meale.

You may make meale likewise of other corne, than of wheate, as of barley, 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ mes••••, secourgeon, and many other sorts of graine, whereof wee haue said before that bread is woont to bee made in the time of dearth and famine, or else in poore countries that haue want of other, or at least of better corne. Barley meale is very full

of branne: and hence it commeth that the bread made thereof, doth losen the belly. Notwithstanding, there vvas in old time made of Barley a sort of meale vvhich vvas called Polenta, that is to say, of Barley newly dried, then fried, and afterward ground: and this vvas vsed to make pappe-meate of, or else to put in meate brothes to thicken them. Some doe the like vvith mundified Barley.

The Meale of Rie is likewise full of branne, but that of Oates is yet more full: not∣vvithstanding that, Oatmeale vvhich is made of Oates husked, is a vvelcome dish to the tables of great Lords. The Meale of Rice is vvhiter than any of the rest. As for the Meale of Pulse, it is oftner made by being braied in the mortar, than by grinding: howsoeuer, it may more commodiously and a great deale better bee made vvith the Mill.

Leauen.

LEauen, called in Latine Fermentum, because it puffeth vp, and swelleth in conti∣nuance of time, is a lump of paste left of the last masse of dough, couered and hid∣den in the meale vvhich is kneaded, to take away the clamminesse and cleauing pro∣pertie vvhich is in the meale that is purposed to bee made into bread. This Leauen becommeth sowre by continuance of time, and thereby maketh the bread more delightsome, and of a more pleasant taste. Againe, vve see that bread, by how much the more Leauen it hath, by so much the more vvholsome and vvell relishing it is, o∣uer and aboue that vvhich hath lesse store of Leauen in it. It is indifferently hote, and a little cold: hot by reason of the putrifaction vvhich it is cast into, and cold by the nature of the meale. This Leauen is made diuers sorts of vvayes, according to the manners and fashions of countries: wee make it of Wheat paste to make Wheat bread, and of Rie paste to make Rie bread: some put vnto it Salt, some Vineger, and many Verjuice made of Crabbes. The workers in Pastrie do vse the rising of Beere to make their Wigges vvithal, as vve shal haue further occasion to speak of it in lay∣ing open the vvay to make Beere. People of old and auncient times did make it di∣uers vvayes, as Plinie reporteth. The Flemings do mightily boile their Wheate, and take off the scumme that riseth thereof in boiling, which they let grow thick, and vse the same in stead of Leauen: and that is the cause vvhy their bread is a great deale lighter than ours. Howsoeuer it is, the Leauen vvhich men-bakers and vvomen-ba∣kers doe vse to make their bread vvithall, may bee kept fifteene daies and not any more because after such time it corrupteth and decayeth. But to be sure▪ it is not good to keepe it so long: for to keepe it you must vvorke it vp into a round paste, couer and hide it ouer in meale; and besides, in vvinter it must be couered ouer withgood store of clothes in the kneading trough. When the good vvife of the house is purposed to bake her paste, she must two or three dayes before, or, vvhich is better, ouer night, kneade in her said Leauens vvith hote vvater, or else with cold, according to the time and diuersitie of the corne, vvhereof she meaneth to make her bread, as we will speake further of by and by. The vvorkers in paste-meates doe vse but verie little Leauen in their crusts, or none at all, either because it vvould make so small a quantitie of paste as they vse to make their crusts of, too sowre, or else because the Leauen vvould draw vnto it all the Butter, or such other fat as they should mingle amongst their paste, for as much as Leauen hath the power to draw moisture vnto it, as vvee may easily proue by Apostumes, vvhich vvhen we vvould haue to ripen and swell vp higher, vvee vse to applie a paister of Leauen to them. Furthermo••e, if it should happen that the Baker, or good vvife of the house should finde her Leauen too sowre, and that she cannot come by any other, the remedie must be to knead her Leauen with hotter wa∣ter than she would if it vvere in its proper nature and kinde, that so by the heate of the vvater the Leauen may recouer some strength, and somewhat renew its naturall force, hauing lost its naturall heat, vvhereas on the contrarie, vvhen the Leauen is in its kind and as it should be, there is not any thing but cold water to be vsed about it.

The making of bread according to the diuersitie of corne whereof it is made.

THe house-wife must bee ruled and aduised in the making of her bread, by the natu••e and condition of the meale whereof she maketh it: wherefore if shee dwell in Beauce, or dwelling out of Beauce, do make her bread of the corne growing in Beauce (the meale of which corne for certaintie, holdeth the chiefe and principall place of account amongst all the sorts of meale of France) she shall be carefull in a∣ny case, to make her leuens at certaine and well appointed houres: In Sommer she shall refresh her leuen vvith cold vvater at noone day, and renew it againe at fiue a clocke, and lastly at nine, without failing of keeping these houres in very precise manner: This water thus vsed in Sommer must be drawne fresh out of the Well, or from the fountaine and riuer, because that Well vvater as it is more heauy than the other, so it maketh the bread more heauy: and on the contrarie, spring vvater, or vvater from the riuer, as it is lighter, so it maketh lighter bread. In Winter she must renew her leuen with fresh vvater vvarmed or made hot: and with this water both Winter and Sommer, she shall vvet her armes, and knead her paste throughly, tur∣ning it ouer and ouer, hither and thither, on euerie side, for a long space and many times, that so all the parts thereof may shew that she hath been there, and that all the clamminesse and cleauing qualitie of the same may be throughly broken and dried vp, that so the bread may be the more short and finer in chawing, and not eating like paste in the teeth, mouth, and stomach. After such handling of it, she shall take the pains to turne her paste oftentimes, that so it become not leuen, for otherwise it would not eate so well. It is true that when the leuen is faultie, the meale of the corne of Be∣auce hath such a band and list as that she might easily couer and hide such fault, pro∣uided that the baker whether man or woman, at the kneading therof would but help it a little with some fresh vvater.

If the farmers wife do dwell in France, or make bread of the corne growing some∣time in France, she shall not vse so much leuen thereunto as she did vnto the meale made of the corn growne in Beauce, both because the corne commeth short in yeeld∣ing like quantitie of paste, for like quantitie of corne, as also because the meale hath not so good a band, neither yet is it altogether so clammie: and therefore you must vse a meane and reasonable measure in your leuen, and withall let your water be lesse hot, than in the kneading of Beauce meale; for if you knead it vvith vvater that is more hot than needeth, the paste will swell vp the more a great deale, and afterward vvill drie out of all reason.

To make bread of the corne that was growne in Brie, you must vse a quite other manner of order, because that countrie corne is much more churlish than that of France or Beauce: the first flower that commeth out of huske or skin of the said corn, is better bound than the others, because the corne is shorter, and so hangeth in the bolter as doth the oatmeale, contrarie to the nature of other corne, in as much as the said oatemeale is sweeter than the other sorts of corne, which causeth that the bolter letteth some small quantitie of meale somewhat roundly ground to crosse it ouer∣thwartly, and that may bee the second ••lower: and this was not, neither should it bee shorter than the corne of Picardie.

Picardie corne must be much corrected, as being hard to be vvell ordred, either in paste or in any other such manner of vsages, as also for that it craueth a very h••••o∣uen, and when it is in it, it maketh such a couering to the bread, as though there were no manner of leuen in it at all. It is hard to bake, and hard to take colour, which may seeme somwhat strange; for seeing that it is so sowre and drie, it should arg••e that the bread should the sooner bee baked in the ouen: but the hardnesse and heauinesse of the meale is the cause that it is so hard to bake: as also there may be ioined thereto for another reason, the crust that groweth vpon the same presently; for it is a meanes to hinder the heate of the ouen, that it cannot enter into the inward parts of the bread

so easily as it should: and this is the cause that maketh the bread to bee alwaies as it were ••at.

The meale of the corne of Champaigne craueth a newer made leuen when it is to be made into bread, because it hath a smatch of the earth, which would make it to be become worse in past, if it should not haue added vnto it such leuen as were ex∣cellent good, as also for that the corne comming out of the sheafe, doth smell of the ground whereon it grew, and this cannot be amended without great diligence vsed, and care had in the making of the bread.

Besides these breads made of these seuerall cornes, you shall vnderstand that gene∣rally the breads which are most in vse are first the manchet, which is the finest of all other, and is made of the purest and best part of the meale finely bolted or searst, and made light with barme onely, and not with leuen, neither must it be made too light or spungie, but of a good solide temper, ••irme and fast wrought: the next to it is fine cheate bread, which is made of the next meale to the finest, and brought onely to differ through the coursnesse of the boulter, which being a little wider than the first giues more libertie to the meale to passe away and goe neerer to the branne: this must be made light both with leuen and barme, yet very well wrought and made altogether as firm as the manchet: the next to this is course cheate bread, the which is made of the coursest meale as being boulted as cleane from the branne as it can possibly be got, and the boulter which is for this purpose must bee a course searse or a fine temze: this bread must be made light with leuen onely, neither is it much materiall how spungie or open it appeares; for this kind of bread is euer to be puft vp and made to appeare in as great quantitie as possible it may bee: the last sort of bread is that which is made for pessants or hinde seruants, and it is made of meale vnboulted, the branne and the meale being all knodden together, and in this case your meale would bee ground as fine as is possible. There be some that after they haue ground their meale grosse, and boulted out the manchets, they will then send that which is remaining to the mill againe, and haue it newly ground ouer againe as fine as it possible may bee, and of it they make this course hindes bread: and of a certaintie it is a well allowed husbandrie; for thereby you shall reape a double commoditie. This bread some mixe with leuen, some doe not: but certainly the leuen is best, for it giues vnto the bread a pleasant and delight∣some tast, whereas the other wanting the same hath a very rough, waterish and vn∣wholesome tast, and it is onely profitable in this, that a man not taking any delight to eat it, it will last a great deale the longer: this bread would be bakt in great loaues, and that somewhat hard also.

Meslin thriueth not so well, as not yeelding so much when it is made in bread: it is by nature fat, as also the meale thereof being boulted: it is no easie thing to pull out ones hands when they are in kneading of it: the good huswife that hath not bin acquainted to worke in this kind of corne, doth find herselfe much incumbred ther∣with, and that in part, because the better part of the meale vseth to stay behind with the bran; and therefore for the profit of the house it were better to bolt the meale of rie and mes••in, than to sift it, because the bolter with the working of the arms, doth cause the bran to let go the meale that is within it, which is more than either the poc∣ket or searce will do, because they make no mouing or stirring of the meale, but from one place to another.

The paste therefore being well kneaded, shifted, and prepared, as need requireth, it must be parted into round peeces, of reasonable greatnes & thicknes, to be set in the ouen made reasonably hot, euen in such sort as that the bread may (according to the greatnesse, thicknesse, & qualitie of the paste) be sufficiently baked: for a weightie and thicke loafe of paste made of the corne of Picardie, would haue a longer and greater baking than a small loafe, and that made of the corne of Beauce or France. If the ouen be too hot, the crust will bee scorched, and within it will remaine raw and vnbaked, the heat not being able to enter and pierce to the inner parts, the crust that is so hard dried vpon it being a let thereunto.

In the meane time it must not be forgotten that when any man is 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to make salt bread, or to mixe annise seed therwith, or any other such mixture, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 bee must mingle and put the same thereto, whether it be salt or annise seed, or any such thing, at such time as the past is in kneading.

There are likewise diuers sort•• of bread made of one and the same meale, accor∣ding as the bolter, pocket, temze or searce shall be, through which it passeth. Of the meale wholly together, and hauing nothing sifted out, is made houshold bread. And when the greatest of the branne is taken away, then there is vsually made ther••of ci∣tizens bread. Againe, when as the bran is cleane taken away, they vse to make thereof small white lo••••es: and when as the grossest part of the white flower is taken away, and nothing left but the very fine, they vse to make chapter bread, wafers, tarts, cakes, and other workes of pastrie. Some also do make bread as it were of pure bran, and therin likewise sometimes to be found straws and chaffe, and that for to feed dogs withall.

The fittest place for the baking of bread is the ouen, because it admitt••th the heat of the fire equally and indifferently on all sides: vpon the harth or gridyron, the one part of the loafe baketh, and the other remaineth raw: and vnder the ash•••• it is not so well baked.

The fire that is for to heat the ouen, must bee fagot wood, or bille••, or shiuer•• of thicke wood that hath no stinking or vnsauoury smell: or for want of wood, straw or stubble, as is vsed in Beauce, or of thicke reeds, according as the countrie will most conueniently afford.

The bread must be baken in the ouen, in a good sort and meane, and with a reaso∣nable heate: for ouer-great a heat would scorch the crust that is aboue, and so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it selfe of inward entrance, to the causing of the said inward part to remaine raw and paste-like: a lesser heat than is meet and conuenient would let it remaine all raw: af∣ter it is baken enough it shall bee drawne forth out of the ouen, and laid to rest and abide in a place that is neither stinking nor vnsauourie, nor yet infected with any euil aire; for the hote bread doth easily draw and sucke in any vehemous or corrupt qualitie of the aire. In moist places bread doth soone become hoarie and sustie: and in too drie a place it becommeth mouldy and ranke. The good husband that is right carefull of his profit to the end that his bread may last the longer, and that they may eate the lesse of it, doth set it in some celler or place which is vnder the ground, or in some other place which is moist: and his rie bread in some place neere vnto the fire harth.

The bread made of other sorts of corne as also of certaine pulse.

BArley bread must bee made of the best barley that may be found or gotten, and not of the meale whole and entire, as it commeth from the mill, but of that part of it which hath beene ••em••ed and cleansed from his grosse bran. It is true that the bread will be very drie, very apt to crumble, and of a sower tast; so that it would be better to mingle amongst this meale, some meale of pure wheate, or mes••in. The ma∣ner of seasoning it with leuen, as also of kneading and baking of it, is no other, than is vsed in wheate. After the same manner is bread made of Secourgion: but neither the one nor the other is fit for the eating either of the Lord of the f••rme or of his farmer, but rather for the seruants, and that especially in the time of dearth, for their better contentation, although there bee no great store of nourishment to bee loo••ed fo•• from the same. After this sort also they make bread of oates, which is ••eldome or not at all eaten, except it be in the time of extreame famine; for indeed it 〈◊〉〈◊〉 very vnpleasantly.

Bread may bee made of millet as also of panicke, but such as is verie drie and brittle, and yet the Gascoines vse it very commonly, and especially the Biarnoyes, who for this cause are called millet mangers of their neighbours dwelling 〈◊〉〈◊〉. The Biarnoyes do make hastie pudding after this manner: They take three or 〈◊〉〈◊〉

pounds of the meale of the millet for the morning, and as much for the euening, they set it vpon the fire in a Kettle whereinto there is powred fiue or sixe pints of water: thus they let them boile together, vntill such time as that it swell vp to the top of the kettle, and then taking it from off the fire, they stir it well about with a round sticke, so long as vntill the paste be very throughly broken and made all one, then afterward taking it out of the kettle, they diuide it with a thred into many peeces and eate it in that sort with cheese, or with thin salted milke.

Bread is likewise made of rie, but such as eateth very clammie, whereof wee haue spoken in the discourse of rie: for the taking away of the clamminesse thereof it will be good to mingle barley flower with it, or rather wheate flower, or else to take the flower of the rie meale: it will be of a wax colour, if yet while it is hot you lay vpon it some heauie meale.

It is vsed likewise, to make bread of rice, beanes, spelt corne, and many other sorts of corne and pulse, and that after the same sort that wheat corne bread is made.

In like manner the industrie and indeauour of the baker may be the cause of the making of many sorts of bread, as that which is called the finest bread, or Court bread which is the lightest of all the rest, and which is very exactly kneaded, full of leuen and of a well raised paste. Bisket bread which is of three sorts, one that is made of rie, another that is made of maslin, or barley or oates, or of all the foresaid mixt together, fit for Saylers to liue withall, which vndertake long voyages by sea, or for such as are besieged within some ••ort or holde, because it will keepe a long time: this kind of bread hath not much leu••n in it: the second kind of bisket is made of pure wheat without any mixture, fit for the poore that are infected with the pox, to make their diet bread vpon: the third sort is made of the flower of meale, and it is vsuall to put to the paste thereof sugar, cynamome, pepper or ginger, and some∣times annise seeds, and it serueth to eate in the time of abstinence, as Lent, and such o∣ther. At Reyns they vse to make spiced bread with honie and a little quantitie of pepper or cynamome. The Bakers which belong vnto the Court make their bread with milke.

Notes

• To make choist of your corne.
• Good corne.
• Corn of Beauce.
• Corn of France.
• To keep Mea••e.
• Mill-dust.
• Barley meale
• Polenta.
• The meale of Rice and Oats, O••tmeale, Rice∣meale.
• Bread of corne growing in Be∣auce.
• Bread made of the corne of France.
• Bread made of the corne of Brie.
• Bread of Picar∣die.
• Bread made of the corne which was growne in Campaigne.
• Bread made of meslin.
• Barley bread.
• Bread of milles
• Bread made of rie.
• Bisket.
• Spiced bread.
• Bread of milke.