(Dutch) Van coeck te backen - Bread with Fennel and Bacon

 Originally published Sep 20, 2022

According to Christianne Muuser this recipe found in Gheeraert Vorselman, Nyeuwen coock boeck was directly borrowed from Platina's "De Honesta Voluptate Et Valetudine". It took some research but I located it. It follows a very long recipe for bread. If you have not visited her site Coquinaria, you are missing out! I cannot take credit for the entirety of this recipe, but I did make a few changes from Christianne Muuser's recipe located on the Coquinaria site.

Be sure to read through the post for the bonus recipes: How to make a whole wheat sourdough starter

Alternate sourdough starter

Historic Sourdough starter made with currants or raisins

Notes: This bread is especially tasty when served with a smear of Kaesssuppen and topped with Man Bradet Zwybein in Bradfeift (savory cheese and onion relish).

Original Recipe

Neemt tarwenmeel oft bloemen met warmen watere also vele als ghi behoeft, ende wercket een luttel samen, dan neemt venckelsaet ende spec ghesneden terlincxwijse ende doeget int deech ende wercket wel tsamen tot tay deech ende maect eenen ronden coec ende bacten in den oven metten brode oft op den heert, &c. Inde plaetse vanden spec moech dy nemen boter oft olijfoly. Men bact ooc coec onder de asschencolen, mer sonder spec, met sout, venckel ende olie. Interpetation

Take wheat meal or flour with warm water, as much as you need, and blend it a little. Then take fennel seed and diced lard. Add it to the dough

and knead together into a tough (elastic?) dough. Make a round cake and bake that in the oven [together] with the bread or on the hearth, etc. You can also use butter or olive oil instead of lard. One also bakes cake under the ashes of the coals, but without lard, with salt, fennel and oil.

This recipe follows a recipe for Platina's (aka Bartolomeo Sacchi) which includes leavening not mentioned in the recipe that follows it.

"... Therefore I recommend to anyone who is a baker that he use flour from wheat meal, well ground and then passed through a fine seive to sift it; then put it in a bread pan with warm water, to which has been added salt, after the manner of the people of Ferrari in Italy. After adding the right amount of leaven, keep it in a damp place if you can and let it rise.... The bread should be well baked in an oven, and not on the same day; bread from fresh flour is most nourishing of all, and should be baked slowly."

The mix of wheat and rye flour is to create the flavor one would find in Bauernbrot, Farmer's bread, and I wanted to recreate that hearty flavor in this bread.

The sourdough starter will be a modern starter. The instructions can be found here: Eating Well Whole Wheat Sourdough Starter. I will be using this as my previous attempts to create a wild yeast starter have led to a mouth-puckering experience, I don't want to recreate!

To make Whole Wheat Sourdough Starter

Ingredients

4 ⅓ cups whole-wheat flour (1 pound, 6 ounces), divided, plus more as needed for feeding

2 ½ cups warm water (85 degrees F), divided, plus more as needed for feeding

2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (4 ounces), divided, plus more as needed for feeding

Instructions

Day 1:

1. Combine 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour and 1/2 cup of water in a 2-quart plastic or glass container. Do not use a metal container.

2. Stir until the flour and water are well mixed.

3. Cover the container with plastic wrap or a loose-fitting lid. A tight fit may lead to an unpleasant experience as the gas expands.

4. Mixture should be allowed to be set for 24 hours in a warm place. If the temperature is lower than 75 degrees the starter will take longer to develop.

Day 2:

1. Discard half the starter, leaving only 4 ounces in the container.

2. Add 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour and 1/2 cup of water, wtir well and cover loosely.

3. Let the starter sit for 24 hours.

Note: At the end of day 2, the dough should have expanded slightly, and slight bubbles will appear. It should smell pleasant.

Day 3: Repeat Day 2

Day 4: The starter should have expanded and should have a distinct, sour odor. More bubbles should be visible on top. You may see the appearance of a dark liquid beginning to form in your starter. This is normal and is called Hooch. This is the sign of an active and hungry starter. To learn more about hooch visit "What is Hooch".

1. You should begin a 12-hour feeding schedule: In the morning, repeat the feeding process from Day 2, discarding half the starter and adding 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour and 1/2 cup of water.

2. Repeat again in 12 hours.

Day 5: The starter should have a ripe and sour odor that is still pleasant. There should also be an abundance of bubbles that have formed throughout the starter.

1. Discard half the starter, leaving about 4 ounces in the container (see below if you need more starter for your recipe).

2. Feed with 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole-wheat flour and 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup water.

3. Continue the 12-hour feeding cycle by discarding half the starter and using 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole-wheat flour and 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup water for each feed until you are ready to bake.

Note: The starter can be stored in the refrigerator and fed once per week at this point.

Notes:

• It is best to use a digital scale to weigh your ingredients and to ensure accuracy.

• Patience is a virtue.

• The starter will keep in a refrigerator but it must be fed at least once a week

• If more than 8 ounces of starter is needed (as per the recipe below) then make sure to discard only 4 ounces for a couple of feedings and continue to add 4 ounces each of flour and water.

Van coeck te backen

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup sourdough starter

~ 5 cups mixed flours (2 1/2 cups stone ground wheat, 1 1/2 cup bread flour, and 1 cup stone ground rye flour)

~ 2 - 2 1/2 cups warm water 1½ tsp salt 1 Tbsp fennel seeds 6 strips of bacon, diced **Alternate to sourdough - dry yeast**

Day 1:

1. Mix 1 1/2 cups of the starter with warm water, and a pinch of salt and slowly add in the remaining flour.

2. Place into a bowl, cover, and allow to rise until doubled. Note: This process could take up to 24 hours depending on many conditions. Practicing patience is a must when working with sourdough!

Day 2:

1. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, add the remaining ingredients (bacon and fennel seeds) and shape into loaves.

2. Allow to rise for another hour.

3. Sprinkle fennel seeds and some bacon on the tops of the dough, or cut in three slashes before baking.

4. Bake in a 350-degree oven for approximately 45 minutes or, until done. Bread should sound hollow when picked up and thumped on the bottom.

Alternate Sourdough Starter

1 c unbleached all-purpose flour or a 50/50 mix of bread flour and stoneground whole wheat

1 c rye flour

1 Tbsp honey

1 c water, warmed to 80F

1 tsp active dry yeast

To Make Starter

Mix all starter ingredients in a large bowl. Cover the starter with plastic wrap and let it rest on the counter for 24 hours, until very bubbly.

Historic Sourdough Starter with Raisins or Currants

To Obtain the yeast

3 1/4 cups raisins or currants

2 cups water

1 tsp sugar

1¾ cups + 2 tbsp flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

To make a "Mother" Dough

1¾ cups + 2 tbsp flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup water

Instructions

1. Prepare the raising liquid by tipping the raisins or currants into a plastic box with a lid. 2. Add water and sugar and mix to combine.

3. Seal the lid tightly on the container and set it aside for 5 days at room temperature to ferment.

4. Tip the mixture into a sieve and press the fruit o extract as much of the liquid as possible.

5. Discard the fruit and reserve the liquid in a large bowl.

6. Add flour and whole wheat flour and stir to combine.

7. Using your hands, form the mixture into a dough and place it into a bowl that has been dusted with whole wheat flour.

8. Dust the top of the dough with whole wheat flour, and then cover it with a bit of plastic. Set the dough aside to rise. Note: this can take up to 4 or more hours.

To Make the Mother Dough

1. Add1 cup lukewarm water along with the flour to the bowl.

Note: You can now add a pinch of commercial yeast if you want your bread to rise quicker.

2. Mix thoroughly to combine then turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead vigorously until you have a smooth and elastic dough.

3. Dust a bowl with whole wheat flour, transfer the dough into it and then dust the top with more flour, cover and allow to proof for 2 hours at room temperature.

4. Transfer to a refrigerator and leave overnight. In the morning the dough should have doubled, if not, leave it out at room temperature until it has doubled in volume. The Mother dough is now ready to be made into bread.

Note: The mother dough can be kept alive and active by refreshing once a week.

To refresh, take 1 cup of the mother dough and place it in a bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water along with 3 cups + 2 tbsp of regular flour and 1/2 cup wheat flour. Mix thoroughly and knead until elastic. Place back into the original container and allow it to rest at room temperature for 1 hour and then refrigerate overnight.

Any Sourdough is better after a minimum of two refreshes.

Sources:

Bauernbrot (German Farmer's Bread)". Curious Cuisiniere, 2016, https://www.curiouscuisiniere.com/bauernbrot/. Accessed 20 Sept 2022.

Tile.Loc.Gov, 2022, https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/rbc/rbc0001/2011/2011thacher64760/2011thacher64760.pdf. Accessed 20 Sept 2022.

Introduction To The Medieval Dutch Manuscript Gent KANTL 15". Coquinaria.Nl, 2022, https://coquinaria.nl/kooktekst/KA15Gent00.htm. Accessed 20 Sept 2022.