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 large bowl, combine the flour and bicarbonate of soda.
Gradually add the cold water, mixing until a dough forms.
Carefully add the muriatic acid and mix well.
Shape and bake
Shape the dough into a loaf and place it in a baking pan.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) until golden brown.
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 starch and gluten-forming proteins that give the loaf its structure.
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Reacts with the acid to release carbon dioxide, which lifts the loaf.
- Muriatic acid
- Reacts with the bicarbonate of soda to produce the gas that makes the bread rise.
The step that matters
Adding the muriatic acid. The acid and bicarbonate of soda react as soon as they meet, releasing carbon dioxide. Shaping the dough and getting it into the oven without delay keeps that gas in the loaf, so it rises well.
“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
Cornbread345 recipes
Bread Pudding336 recipes
Milk Bread Rolls242 recipes
Potato Bread124 recipesThe 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.