Boletinos Artos
(Mushroom bread)
by Athenaeus, The Partying Professors
Roman Cookery: Ancient Recipes for Modern Kitchens.
Yes, this book has a new cover, but I like this one better. Blah, I am so horrible.
There are no mushrooms in this recipe — the name comes from the shape of the loaf. What is common between mushroom and bread? Your first thought probably would go toward flavored bread. And you'll be right. Partly. Ancient people often mixed dough with oil or fat from bacon to improve the taste of a loaf. They also added various spices such as pepper, cumin, poppy or sesame seeds to achieve different types of bread.
White flour is necessary for this bread because brown flour will not give the necessary smoky colour after baking. The use of white flour would have been something of a luxury.
Original recipe:
Translation: What is known as boletinos bread is shaped like a mushroom. The kneading bowl on which the dough is placed is greased and sprinkled with poppy seeds, so that the dough does not stick during rising. When it's put in the oven, some groats are sprinkled over the earthenware pan. The loaf is put on top and takes on a colour like time of smoked cheese.
Ingredients
- 450 g/1lb white flour
- 400 ml/14 fl oz b
- 1½ tsp dried yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 beaten egg-white
- 4 tbsp poppy seeds
- 1 tbsp wheat flakes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
Preparation
- Dissolve the sugar in 150 ml/¼pint of the warm water.
- Sprinkle in the dried yeast, stir and leave to froth for 15 minutes.
- Then add the flour, yeast, olive oil, salt and the rest of the water in a mixing bowl and knead until you have a firm dough.
- Oil a round Cake tin with a diameter of 14 cm/5½"
- Sprinkle the poppy seeds over the oiled sides of the tin so that they are evenly spread.
- Press the dough into the bottom of the tin, cover the tin loosely with a plastic bag and leave in a warm place to rise.
- After 2 hours or so the dough will rise until it flows over the top of the tin. This is where the mushroom shape come sin.
- Remove the plastic bag and brush the top of the loaf with the egg-white. Sprinkle on the wheat flakes.
- Bake the loaf for 40 minutes in an oven at 200°c/400°f/gas mark 6.
