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Showing posts with label 17th Century. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 17th Century. Show all posts

White Bread in Early Modern England: Manchets (1594) vs. Robert May’s French Bread (1685)

White Bread in Early Modern England: Manchets (1594) vs Robert May’s French Bread (1685)
Golden manchet loaves and rounds with fine crumb and traditional equator cut.
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).

Robert May’s “French Bread” (1660s) – Enriched Rolls, Baked Hot

Golden rolls of Robert May’s French bread on a wooden board
Robert May’s “To make French Bread the best way”

Originally published 3/6/2021 / Updated 10/2/2025

Robert May’s “French Bread” (not a baguette!)

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).

Deep dive on period white breads: see my pillar post White Bread in Early Modern England.