White Bread in Early Modern England: Manchets (1594) vs Robert May’s French Bread (1685)Fine white breads on the English table, 16th–17th c.
Can you imagine eating two to three pounds of bread a day—and washing it down with ale? In late medieval and early modern kitchens, bread was the staple, from four-day-old trencher loaves to fine white table bread. This overview compares two elite white breads I bake often: manchet “after my Ladie Graies use” (1594) and Robert May’s “French bread” (1685).
I must smile whenever I reference “bread,” because people love the pastry-vs-bread debate. Here’s my stance in short: all pastries are bread, but not all breads are pastries—the line is mostly about fat and enrichment (and intended use). May’s “French bread” sits right on that line: a white, enriched roll—egg whites and warm milk—baked quickly and served hot. It’s not a Parisian baguette; it’s a 17th-century English cook’s idea of French-style white bread.
What May means by “French bread”
Source: Robert May, The Accomplisht Cook (1660; 1685 ed.).
Enrichment: whites of six eggs, warm milk + water, plenty of salt.
Shape & bake: “rouls” or in little wooden dishes; quick hot oven; “chip it hot.”
Leavening: ale barm/yeast (commercial yeast works fine; a splash of mild ale is a nod to flavor).