The Fresh Loaf

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Old war time breads or ancient recipes anyone?

duncang's picture
duncang

Old war time breads or ancient recipes anyone?

Good Morning All!!

I am on a quest to unearth some old recipes as I imagine that hard times like the 2nd world war and rationing will have meant that people will have needed to think creatively and have to substitute some ingredients for others...this must have produced some interesting results I would imagine, but did any of them taste any good? Any recipes about?

Also how about antiquity? Roman, Greek Ancient Egypt, etc..

Please include the source or the background behind the recipes when suggesting them.

I hope we can develop this thread as I am sure others might be interested in reviving these.

Best regards.

Duncan

suave's picture
suave

Search amazon, there's a ton of books on wartime cooking - WWI, WWII, they're often reprinted, the publisher is Applewood books.  Also, a lot them are in the public domain, here's a great collection http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/html/browse.html.  You can probably also check google books.

 Mike

swtgran's picture
swtgran
Oldcampcook's picture
Oldcampcook

I found, on Ebay, a book entitled "Cooking on Shipboard".

It was developed for the Merchant Marine Service back in WWII.

Some of the advice is really cool - Do not run with a knife in your hand.

 The only problem I have is what to do with 200 biscuits.  The recipes are all for 100 person servings.

Okie Bob, the Old Camp Cook

JIP's picture
JIP

MMMMMM sawdust bread!!!

PaddyL's picture
PaddyL

In pioneer days, when flour was at a premium, potatoes were used to stretch the flour to make it last when making bread, so potato bread has to be way up there in 'old' breads. 

Paddyscake's picture
Paddyscake

Type ancient bread in the search box and you'll find quite a few posts.

Betty

saintdennis's picture
saintdennis

Hi there,

  I'm looking for war bread recipe also.I'm looking for the bread that was called "SCHWARTZ BROT" and that bread was really black not brown as pumpenical. That breat you can buy only with the stamps.I'm looking for that recipe for long time and I cannot find it. I know it is silly but is it as part of history how the people lived in wartime.I do believe there is someone who have that recipe and will share that with as. This bread is not brovn bread that is in the books now.

                                          SAINTDENNIS

RFMonaco's picture
RFMonaco

I don't think you will ever find a truly black bread without the use of food coloring.

Everything from Germany labeled "Shwartzbrot" is a very dark brown.

saintdennis's picture
saintdennis

 This bread was in Europe when Germany occupation.There was not wheat for the people to buy because army must have food first and what was over that was for civilians.I'm looking for that recipe for so long and I cannot find it. I'm interested to have taste from the past.This bread is not as bread today,that was bread from WW2 when there was shortage of wheat because everything was ruin.

                                                   SAINTDENNIS

saintdennis's picture
saintdennis

 HI RFMONACO,

 thank you very much for find that book.I will go to the library and I will see if I can located tha book.I do not understand how you fined so fast and I look for that recipe for a few years and I had no luck. Thank you very much.

                                     SAINTDENNIS

RFMonaco's picture
RFMonaco

Hi SAINTDENNIS,

Your last comments gave me the clues as to what to search for. I hope the bread tastes better than the recipe sounds!!