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Manchet

Manchet is a traditional Elizabethan recipe for a very popular form of white bread. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Elizabethan version of Manchet.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

20 minutes

Total Time:

40 minutes

Additional Time:

(+90 minutes proving)

Makes:

6 loaves

Rating:

Tags : Bread RecipesBaking RecipesBritish Recipes

Original Recipe

Manchet (from The Good Huswife's Handmaide for the Kitchen

Manchet is a form of white Breads that became popular in Britain during Elizabethan times (recipes for it survive in the archives of Holyrood Palace in Scotland). Traditionally this was baked in the base of an oven. Superior forms of manchet (those intended for the 'high table') were enriched with butter, eggs, or milk; just as the earlier French bread had been. Though the recipe itself is Elizabethan it undoubtedly continues the long-established process of bread making and breads like this were also undoubtedly made during the late Medieval period.

The making of manchets after my Ladie Graies use. Take two peckes of fine flower, which must be twice boulted, if you will have your manchet verie faire: Then lay it in a place where ye doe use to lay your dowe for your bread, and make a litle hole in it, and put in that water as much leaven as a crab, or a pretie big apple, and as much white salt as will into an Egshell, and all to breake your leaven in the water, and put into your flower halfe a pinte of good Ale yeast, and so stir this liquor among a litle of your flower, so that ye must make it but thin at the first meeting, and then cover it with flowre, and if it be in the winter, ye must keepe it verie warm, and in summer it shall not need so much heate, for in the Winter it will not rise without warmeth. Thus let it lie two howers and a halfe: then at the second opening take more liquor as ye thinke will serve to wet al the flower. Then put in a pinte and a halfe of good yest, and so all to breake it in short peeces, after yee have well laboured it, till it come to a smoothe paste, and be well ware at the second opening that yee put not in too much liquor sodenlie, for then it wil run, and if ye take a litle it will be stiffe, and after the second working it must lie a good quarter of an hower, and keep it warme: then take it up to the moulding board, and with as much speede as is possible to be made, moulde it up, and set it into the Oven, of one pecke of flower ye make ten caste of Manchets faire and good.

Modern Redaction

There is another recipe for Manchet bread given in the same volume, which is quite different in character. You can find this alternate recipe at the The making of fine Manchet.

Ingredients:

1kg unbleached white flour
2 tsp salt
500 ml water at just below 40°C
30g fresh yeast, or its equivalent of prepared dried yeast
2 tbsp sugar (for yeast activation)

Method:

If using dried yeast take half a cup of warm water (at about 37°C), mix the sugar in and add the dried yeast to this. Cover and leave aside to activate the yeast (for at least 20 minutes). Meanwhile mix the flour and salt in a bowl and form a hollow in the top. Pour the yeast mixture into this and mix into the flour. Take the remaining water and add half to the dough. Mix this in and keep adding the water a little at a time until all the flour comes together (ensure that the dough isn't too wet; if it is add more flour). Tip the dough onto a floured surface and knead thoroughly for at least ten minutes. Roll back into a ball and return to the mixing bowl. Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place to rise for at least 1½ hours. Knock this back and tip onto a floured surface. Knead for a further five minutes then divide into six equal parts.

Roll the individual breads into balls and make a 5mm cut all the way around. Place the loaves on lightly-greased baking sheets and cover with a cloth. Give these half an hour to rise then remove the cloth and place in an oven pre-heated to 230°C for 15–20 minutes until well-risen and pale golden-brown in colour. Serve warm with a knob of butter.