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Time-Tested Traditions: Exploring Centuries-Old Baking Methods

Time-Tested Traditions: Exploring Centuries-Old Baking Methods

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Have you ever thought about how people baked centuries ago?

In this article, I dive into some centuries-old baking methods around the globe. You may even find one to recreate at home!

The History of Baking

Baking is a historical tradition because it’s one of humanity’s oldest cooking methods. As early as 2600 BCE, ancient Egyptians cooked leavened bread in vessels made with clay.

By the 2nd century CE, baking became institutionalized. Bakers’ guilds created strict regulations, and baking became hereditary and obligatory.

It’s amazing how you could only learn how to make bread if you had a master to teach you!

Today, what began as cooking gruel on hot stones has now become an art form. That said, centuries-old baking methods are still a point of interest for many historians and bakers alike.

5 Interesting Old Baking Methods

Learning about old baking methods is a great way to go back to your roots. For me, comparing the differences between ancient and modern cooking is fascinating.

Below are some centuries-old baking methods you should know about.

1 – Pit Ovens

In North America, the earliest pit ovens date back to 8,000 years ago. The pits, ranging from 4 to 8 inches in diameter, took considerable labor to build.

Native Americans dug them out of the ground and lined them with stones. According to archaeologists, these ovens were for community harvests and celebrations.

To operate one, you’d have to build a fire. You then wrap uncooked meat and root crops with maple or grape leaves.

After this, you place the food directly into the pit and cover the food with sand or soil. Baking through this method is slow and can take up to 48 hours!

2 – Baking With Ash

Baking with ash is a traditional cooking method developed by Aboriginals in Australia. They did it by digging a hole in the ground and selecting a wood that would give the best flavor.

This wood gets burned into fine ash. They then use the hot ash to cover the food in the hole.

The low heat from the ash is enough to cook different types of food.

A popular dish Aboriginals cooked was the bunya nut cake. This cake is composed of ground millet, kangaroo grass, bunya nuts, and echidna fat!

3 – Geothermal Cooking

Laugarvatn in Iceland is home to a method of cooking bread using heat from volcanoes.

The rúgbrauð is a dense, earthy, sweet rye bread that dates back centuries. Many compare it to a dense gingerbread and say it pairs well with butter.

To make this bread, you encase it in a metal pot and bury it under the rocks near a hot spring. The hot water from the spring bubbles up and cooks the bread for 12 hours or more.

Geothermal cooking is an old baking method that can impart a distinct flavor to baked goods. You can’t recreate it with a modern oven!

4 – Tonir Ovens

Tonir ovens are ancient ovens in the shape of large vases you’ll find in Armenian homes. They built this round oven directly into the ground using clay and stone.

What makes Tonir ovens unique is how you use them. You start a fire at its base, then allow its walls to absorb the heat.

Afterward, you stick Lavash bread to the inside walls of the oven and wait for them to cook. Aside from this, you can skewer meat and vegetables and cook them over the oven’s mouth.

Tonir ovens saved the lives of many when food shortages and an energy crisis happened after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Yet, people are only now realizing their importance to history and culture.

5 – Ancient Greek Ovens

The use of Hellenic ovens began in the 2nd millennium BCE for religious events.

These ovens are similar to the classic pizza ovens we know today. You light a fire at the bottom of the oven, then place baking pots on top of a slab.

Ancient Greeks made biscuits, twists, pastries, and even layer cakes with these ovens. The cakes, sweetened with honey, would be offered to the gods with animal sacrifices!

Final Thoughts

Baking is a traditional practice that’s always been a part of civilization. Ancient baking tools, like pit ovens, Greek ovens, and Tonir ovens shaped how we eat food today.

Do you find centuries-old baking methods interesting? You can discover more from our website!

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