Did this bread cause the Salem Witch Trials? | Ancient Recipes With Sohla | History

In this Halloween edition of Ancient Recipes, Sohla recreates two recipes with a spooky past. First, she bakes a rye bread that may have been responsible for the Salem Witch Trials. Then she crafts the original Halloween treat - Druid Soul Cakes!

THE RECIPES

Rye Bread Recipe:
½ cup medium grind cornmeal
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ cup ale barm
About 5 cups rye flour
About 1/2 cup of lukewarm water

1. In a medium saucepan or cast iron skillet, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Whisk in the cornmeal and salt and simmer until thickened. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool until lukewarm.
2. Add rye flour & salt to a large bowl and mix together.
3. Add ale barm & cooled corn meal. Mix until evenly combined.
4. Gradually add water until a dough starts to form.
5. Knead for about 6-8 minutes. The dough will likely be stickier than a normal bread dough you are used to.
6. Place the dough into a greased bowl. Cover and let rise for an hour.
7. Divide the dough into 2 loaves. Roll into large balls & punch down slightly. Cover & let proof for about 2 hours.
8. Heat the oven with a baking stone to 375F. Transfer the bread to the stone and bake until it sounds hollow - about 45 minutes.

Druid Soul Cake Recipe:
6 ounces unsalted cultured butter, room temperature
6 ounces mild honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
Big pinch saffron threads
1 pound whole wheat flour
½ cup ale barm
4 ounces dried currants
Whole milk

1. Cream together the butter, honey, cinnamon, rosemary, and saffron until fluffy.
2. Add the flour, ale barm, and mix to combine.
3. Fold in the currants so they’re evenly dispersed.
4. Break up the dough into 1” balls. Press them gently into a cookie shape until they’re about 1/4” thick.
5. Use a butter knife to mark each soul cake with a cross. Brush each one with milk.
6. Bake at 375F until golden - about 10 to 15 minutes.

#HISTORY #AncientRecipes

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Ancient Recipes with Sohla takes the food you know and love and traces it back to its origins. In each episode, Sohla El-Waylly details the surprising history of some of our favorite dishes as she attempts to recreate the original version using historical cooking techniques and ingredients. Along the way, Sohla highlights the differences between the ancient recipe and how we would prepare the modern version today.
http://histv.co/ancientrecipes

Follow Adam Richman as he travels the country and tries the most iconic and forgotten foods of the 1980s. Watch new episodes of Adam Eats the 80s Sundays at 10/9c on The History Channel.


CREDITS

Host
Sohla El-Waylly

Created By
Brian Huffman

Executive Producers
Sarah Walker
Brian Huffman
Jon Erwin

Executive Producer
Sohla El-Waylly

Co-Producer
John Schlirf

Writers
Jon Erwin
Diana Davis

Historian - Scripts
Ken Albala

Post-Production Supervisors
Jon Erwin
John Schlirf

Editors
John Schlirf
Aaron Mackof

Colorist
John Schlirf

Mixer
Tim Wagner

Manager, Rights & Clearances
Chris Kim

Executive Creative Director, A+E Networks
Tim Nolan

VP, Marketing Production, A+E Networks
Kate Leonard

VP, Brand Creative, History
Matt Neary

Music Courtesy of
Extreme Music
A+E Signature Tracks

Additional Footage & Photos Courtesy of
Getty Images
Alamy
Pond5
Wikimedia

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Did this bread cause the Salem Witch Trials? | Ancient Recipes With Sohla | History
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