Receipt for Unfermented Bread
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no oven temperature. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point.
Mix the dough
In a bowl, combine the flour and bicarbonate of soda.
Add the cold water and mix until smooth.
Carefully add the muriatic acid and stir well.
Shape and bake
Shape the dough as desired and bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) until golden.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Flour
- Provides the structure that holds the dough together as it sets.
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Reacts with the acid to release carbon dioxide, which leavens the dough.
- Muriatic acid
- Reacts with the bicarbonate of soda to produce the gas that makes the bread rise.
- Cold water
- Hydrates the flour so it forms a smooth, workable dough.
The step that matters
Adding the muriatic acid. The acid and bicarbonate of soda react immediately and release gas, so the acid should be stirred in carefully and the dough shaped and baked promptly. Waiting lets the gas escape and reduces the rise.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
You might also like
The free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.
Cornbread345 recipes
Bread Pudding336 recipes
Milk Bread Rolls242 recipes
Potato Bread124 recipes