Bread from ancient Egyptian yeast

Angela

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It looks really good and is being described as light and airy. :)

https://www.archaeology.org/news/7885-190807-egypt-yeast-bread

BOSTON, MASSACHUSSETTS—According to a BBC report, an avocational egyptologist and baking enthusiast has succesfully baked a loaf of bread using yeast from ancient Egyptian ceramics. Seamus Blackley and his collaborators, archaeologist Serena Love and microbiologist Richard Bowman, managed to non-invasively extract dormant yeast from the pores of Egyptian beer-and bread-making vessels held in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Harvard University's Peabody Museum. Next steps involved identifying the strains of yeast and feeding them nutrients in order to revive them. Finally, using water and ancient grains he had milled himself from barley and einkorn, Blackley was able to cultivate a starter and bake a bread he believes may be close to that enjoyed by ancient Egyptians over 5,000 years ago."

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That looks like a nice hearty bread that you can get at a Greek/Italian or French bakery!
 
It looks even crustier than what I can find, which is good. I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

True story...I had a bit of a meltdown on our trip over to America. They served me a sandwich made with American white bread. I think it was ham and cheese...AMERICAN cheese! I said where is Babbo bringing us that they can't even make bread! :)

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For my new classmates, it wasn't soggy and disgusting enough...they made their mothers cut the crusts off entirely.
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my husbands favorite brand is the one pictured.... I can't hardly eat it
 
I'll only eat packaged "American" bread if it's toasted and then you put mayo, bacon, lettuce and tomato on it. :) I was an instant aficionado when I tasted that! Well, maybe butter and some jam if pressed, although I still like butter and jam on toasted Italian or French bread better.

So much of life is about habit, I suppose. To me, the crust is the best part of the bread. My idea of a perfect picnic lunch would be a really crusty baguette, maybe brie, some fruit, and white wine, or maybe sliced cured meats like copa, some parmigiano and peaches with wine.

Terrible how much I love good bread. I could live on it.

I really like Irish soda bread too, and adore cinnamon raisin bread. I can't get into rye or pumpernickel bread, however. Early conditioning again, I suppose.

We like our pasta chewy too, the proverbial "al dente" or "to the tooth". I don't expect much in the way of tomato sauces at most American restaurants, but there's no excuse for over cooking the pasta. I always make sure to say I want it al dente, and if it comes out too soft and floppy I send it back. I figure I warned them. It's not rocket science: follow the directions on the box and set a damn timer.
 
I love soft American bread but then again I prefer soft foods over "hard" foods. Covering a slice with baked beans and mustard is always a pleasure especially with a can of coke lol.

I would probably end up pouring butter all over harder breads like the Egyptian bread. I cant eat it like that
 
I love soft American bread but then again I prefer soft foods over "hard" foods. Covering a slice with baked beans and mustard is always a pleasure especially with a can of coke lol.

I would probably end up pouring butter all over harder breads like the Egyptian bread. I cant eat it like that

Could it be that the Ancient Egyptians had teeth stronger than ... ? :)
 
Could it be that the Ancient Egyptians had teeth stronger than ... ? :)
Every time I eat bread that isn't soft as a cloud i find myself fighting to rip a piece off and chewing it is a chore. I usually end up smothering whatever I eat with condiments to not only add flavor but to soften it up as well. I can't eat a thick steak without adding ketchup or some other sauce bc without that it would be torture. And i would eat soda bread only when it's fresh otherwise I would toss it in the garbage. Soda bread is painful to eat when it isn't fresh in spite of the raisins.
 
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who said that? there are some afrocentrist historians that say that greece got a lot of their knoledge from AFRICA even though there is proof that keeps contradicting them.
Who are you to talk down on the Egyptians? They have influenced many and their contributions are numerous and off the charts.

Ok i fold. The Indo Europeans built the pyramids. Happy now?
 
Who are you to talk down on the Egyptians? They have influenced many and their contributions are numerous and off the charts.
Ok i fold. The Indo Europeans built the pyramids. Happy now?

We should all respect the Ancient Egyptians, not just for their Great Accomplishments, but especially for “The Curse of the Pharaohs” (disrespect at one's own peril, Anubis is watching ...) :grin:
 
I'll only eat packaged "American" bread if it's toasted and then you put mayo, bacon, lettuce and tomato on it. :) I was an instant aficionado when I tasted that! Well, maybe butter and some jam if pressed, although I still like butter and jam on toasted Italian or French bread better.

So much of life is about habit, I suppose. To me, the crust is the best part of the bread. My idea of a perfect picnic lunch would be a really crusty baguette, maybe brie, some fruit, and white wine, or maybe sliced cured meats like copa, some parmigiano and peaches with wine.

Terrible how much I love good bread. I could live on it.

I really like Irish soda bread too, and adore cinnamon raisin bread. I can't get into rye or pumpernickel bread, however. Early conditioning again, I suppose.

We like our pasta chewy too, the proverbial "al dente" or "to the tooth". I don't expect much in the way of tomato sauces at most American restaurants, but there's no excuse for over cooking the pasta. I always make sure to say I want it al dente, and if it comes out too soft and floppy I send it back. I figure I warned them. It's not rocket science: follow the directions on the box and set a damn timer.

You have to mention a good crusty sourdough . . . while I know the original recipe goes back thousands of years, the current variety seems like an American (or Californian) invention to me.
 
You have to mention a good crusty sourdough . . . while I know the original recipe goes back thousands of years, the current variety seems like an American (or Californian) invention to me.

You're right. That was a deplorable omission. :)

First time I had this was in California, although I don't know if it originated there; outrageously good. I was in Newport, Rhode Island recently, one of my favorite places, and they were selling it everywhere.

Sourdough round filled with New England clam chowder:

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I bought this cinnamon raisin bread yesterday at the bakery. I freeze it and take out a piece or two for breakfast sometimes.

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Obviously not yeasted, but my ode to bread would not be complete without a mention of cornbread. Usually, when I find it at a bakery, it's sweet; it's good, but very soft, and I would only eat it at breakfast.


Having eaten the unsweetened version in the south I'm now a convert. :)
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My Gosh, how did I forget bialys and bagels???? When I first moved to New York I only ate the bialys. I thought the bagels were too doughy and undercooked. I slowly grew to like them too, and not just with a shmeer of butter or cream cheese. :) If they look too thick and pale I just have bialy instead.
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It's my considered opinion that with every mile you take outside of New York City the quality of the pizza (American pizza, of course) and bagels deteriorates. :)
 
Homemade cornbread and black bean soup, one of my favorite winter meals. And by the way, having actual bits of corn in the cornbread is an abomination.
 
It seems like most of the Greeks were influenced by earlier Chinese thinkers in physics and philosophy from what Ive read, and then the Greeks surpassed them later on. This question depends on time periods and other factors, but I am voting Greece too.
 
Heres a question for all the folks with an interest in Egyptology.We seem to know all about the Pharaohs and way of life of the Egyptians apparently So the question is, does anyone know of any documented sighting of an Egyptian Pharaoh outside of his / her kingdom of Egypt. ?I know Cleopatra came close to being taken to Rome, but never actually got there, after deciding suicide was a better option..Mind you, I see where the old girl was coming from, having been there for this court case more times than I care to remember...
 
Heres a question for all the folks with an interest in Egyptology.We seem to know all about the Pharaohs and way of life of the Egyptians apparently So the question is, does anyone know of any documented sighting of an Egyptian Pharaoh outside of his / her kingdom of Egypt. ?I know Cleopatra came close to being taken to Rome, but never actually got there, after deciding suicide was a better option..Mind you, I see where the old girl was coming from, having been there for this court case more times than I care to remember...

They certainly did so when they led their troops into battle. The most famous example which jumps to mind is Ramses II at the battle of Kadesh.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kadesh

However, other pharaohs also commanded troops up and down the Near East. They weren't like Louis IV sitting on his rear end while sending the pride of France to die on the battlefields which bankrupted his kingdom (and other Kings of France before him, although some did go to battle), or our unlamented dynasty which ran off as fast as possible. One of the best things the Italians did after the war was get rid of them and prohibit members of family from going back to Italy.
 
In effect, the Hittites bring us back to the Ancient Greeks though, geographically and with the same religious origins from Sumaraia.All roads regarding Ancient Egypt lead to either Rome or Greece.It always seemed odd that the Egyptians never seemed to have made a left turn when they got to the shores of the Mediterranean. Modern day Libya was within their empire, and I cannot help feel that ALL we know about the Ancient Egyptian empire comes from just 2 sources, who actually worked together in later years.The Greeks certainly learned much from Sumaria, and copied much of what they saw, then the Romans seem to have copied the Ancient Greeks in many things, such as the buildings and architecture, the images of gods and even down to soldiers in red tunics, like the Spartans.The final problem about these alleged battles that took place between the Egyptians and the Hittites is the desert. A hostile environment, difficult to travel through even today, and even if you followed the coast, its still ALL sun and Sand. But with full battle gear and chariots.. ??
 
These photos look extremely appetizing. Of course, all people have a special bread and a special recipe.
 

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