Ingredients
1 package active dry yeast (1/4 oz)
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp vegetable shortening, melted
1 cup cold water
4 1/2 cup all purpose flour
Directions
In a large bowl, soften the yeast in the lukewarm water. Mix the
salt, 2 tablespoons of the shortening, and the cold water together
and add to the yeast mixture. Sift in the flour gradually, beating
well after each addition for a smooth consistency. You will probably
have to knead in the final cup of flour. Shape the dough into a ball,
brish lightly with the remaining shortening, and cover with a dry
cloth. Set the bowl in a warm place until doubled in bulk, anout 1
hour. Punch the dough down and, on a floured board, knead about 5
minutes. Shape into 2 round loaves on a well greased baking sheet.
Cover with a dry cloth and set to rise another 45 minutes. Preheat
the oven to 400F. Bake the loaves on a cookie sheet 50 minutes, until
they are light brown and sound hollow when tapped.
Servings: 2 loaves
Adobe Bread Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Bread; Breads
The History of Recipes
We can trace the history of meal recipes back into antiquity, in truth as far back as the Egypt of the Pharoahs, and maybe even further. Interesting though that maybe, mostly, these ancient recipes were just simple pictorial, hieroglyphic or cunieform recipes for preparing food.
In fact, the most ancient recipe discovered so far, according to food historians is a series of clay tablets in Sumerian which recount the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making anyone who drank it feel exhilarated. Later on, in Roman times around 25BC a man called Apicius compiled a collection of scripts which described recipes cooked by the Romans. He recounts how the meals were split into starters, main meal and afters, something we still use today. He also describes how the Romans were skilled in the use of a wide range of herbs and spices, including a few that will be familiar to modern cooks such as thyme, fennel and dill. Later on in the 1400s, the Crusaders brought back many new foods and spices from middle-east cuisine, including spices such as parsley, basil and rosemary. The introduction of these new herbs and spices led to an explosion in manuscripts on cooking, most of which still exist in academic collections. For the next few years, the wealthy families of the West tried to offer the most extravagent banquests, and because of this chefs and their collection of recipes could command a high salary. Even so, it was during the 19th century that cooking and recipe books really came of age. The Famous Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Merritt Farmer in the US, devoted much of their lives to assembling, verifying, and publishing recipes for their fellow cooks to enjoy. The introduction of the TV brought us celebrity TV chefs and the demand for the spin-off recipe books. And that neatly brings us to the present day and the invention of computers and the internet, permitting everybody to access massive numbers of recipes just like those on our site. |
We hope you enjoy this Adobe Bread recipe.
