Barley Bread

INGREDIENTS:


STEPS:

<Note, all of the following steps prior to making patties may be done in a bread-maker on the dough setting, adding all ingredients at once.  You may need to pull barley flour off the sides to obtain a good mixing.>

Combine yeast, water, and honey, and let proof for 10 minutes - should have a layer of bubbles on the top

Add salt, egg, and oil or other shortening

Stir in barely flour until dough is workable

Turn out out onto lightly floured surface and kneed for 5 minutes

Place in a large oiled bowl, turning to coat

Cover with hemp (or cotton) simple-weave cloth and let stand in a warm place for 2 hours. Dough will rise slightly, but will not double.

Use large disher to place 12 portions onto a lightly oiled (or parchment covered) baking sheet - take care not to press out bubbles from the dough

Preheat oven to 425 F and bake 20-30 minutes until bread patties are pale brown and sounds hollow when tapped

Cool on rack

Eat now or wrap in cloth and place in leather wallet to enjoy while in the woods.

NOTES:

(1) Some form of sugar is needed to feed the yeasts, it can even be slave sugar if that is what is available.

(2) Other cooking oils will also work.  Consider canola or olive oil if no sunflower oil is on hand

(3) If you can not get barley milled by the Smiths, other barley flour should work as well.  If you can not find any barley flour in the market, consider using a hand-mill to grind barley.  However, most hand-mills will not grind the barley fine enough, so  you will need to run what the mill produces through a blender, and then sift the result.

Barley after ground by a hand-mill

Barley after run through a blender

Dough shaped into seven small loaves

Out of the oven