photos and text by the Bergen County Historical Society
River Edge NJ, Friday’s Fare from Historic New Bridge Landing Bake-Oven Bread Referred to as A Simple Bread in our recipe collection, this is Andrea’s go-to bread recipe that never fails and has satisfied many a reenactor. For years it’s been baked using a Dutch oven, but with the addition of the Bake Oven at HNBL, and has become our “control” for working this oven. What is most liked about it is that it’s nothing fancy, just honest and great eaten as a hunk pulled from the loaf. Slathered with butter or dunked in a stew, it makes a meal.
This day [4.17.202] was started early with getting a fire in the oven. After it got going and pushed back into the interior, a cup of water was set to warm prior to adding yeast. After yeast is added to water and it bloomed, a bit of salt is added, then flour, little by little until it is the consistency of her satisfaction and then kneading. Oiled and covered in a bowl, it sat by the oven for a rising [one rising]. After removing the embers/ash and swabbing the bake oven floor out, the dough was placed on on a bed of cornmeal. About 35 minutes later it was toasty on top, sounded hollow, and pronounced done. It has a nice browned crust with warm soft moist center that snagged the butter just right as it was spread on. Also, here is our view of the red Westervelt-Thomas Barn, circa 1889, seen past the Bake Oven and some of the many visitors that came by from the HNBL tour that was happening. The day went from overcast/cold/blustery to warmer/sunny and back to overcast/cold/windy, then calmed down during cleaned up.
