During one session of 2008′s Fireside Feasts, we made Oyster Loaves.
I used the receipt in Hannah Glasse’s First Catch Your Hare¿ The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy
Now, you may be wondering, “Just what are Oyster Loaves?” Well, it’s a dish
in which cooked oysters are served inside hollowed-out French Rolls. Sounds
easy enough, particularly the “cook the oysters in their own liquor” part. The
more difficult portion was finding French Rolls. I didn’t find any, so I made
my own. As I’ve previously mentioned, there are many historic receipts
for French Bread, but I chose Hannah Glasse’s:
TO MAKE FRENCH BREAD
Take three Quarts of Water and one of Milk, in Winter
scalding hot, in Summer a little more than Milk warm,
season it well with Salt, then take a Pint and half of good
Ale yeast not bitter, lay it in a Gallon of Water the Night
before, pour it off the Water, stir in your Yeast into the Milk
and Water, then with your Hand break in a little more than
a Quarter of a Pound of Butter, work it well till it is dissolved,
then beat up two Eggs in a Bason, and stir them in, have
about a Peck and half of Flour, mix it with your Liquor,
in Winter make your Dough pretty stiff, in Summer more
slack; so that you may use a little more or less of Flour,
according to the Stiffness of your Dough, mix it well,
but the less you work it the better, make it into Roles,
and have a very quick Oven, but not to burn, when they
have lain about a quarter of an Hour, turn them on the
other Side, let them lie about a quarter longer, take them
out and rasp them, stir your Liquor into the Flour as you
do for a Pye Crust; after your Dough is made cover it
with a Cloth, and let it lie to rise while the Oven is heating.
Oyster Loaves
