Sour Dough Baking

Gsufel Hlaf

I am not an expert at this but I love to experiment.
Earlier in the week I made a sourdough cake that barely managed to come out of the tin in one piece but it tasted great!

Today I fed Alfred-Herman (That is his new name). And within an hour he had grown too big for the large jug I am keeping him in. So an experiment was launched to start to use him up.

I am trying to make a Saxon Spiced Loaf (Gisufel Hlaf). This is a festival or high day food only afforded by the wealthy.
I had tried this recipe with sour dough before to be cooked in a wood fired bread oven but the oven got too hot and incinerated it!

I am using the recipe in Mary Savelli's book 'Tastes of Anglo Saxon England' from Anglo-Saxon Books.

I have had to amend the recipe a little as I do not have all the ingredients to hand. And of course instead of dried yeast I am using my Sour dough yeast.

2 oz Flour, I have used strong flour but it is best to use plain.
Butter, softened.
3 oz Honey
1 egg
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 Tsp Ground Cloves
7 oz Plain Flour, again I had only strong flour.
4 - 5 oz dried fruit and chopped nuts.

I have mixed it into a very sticky dough. I will be very surprised if it rises at all!

Watch this space........