Today I achieved* something that I’ve been trying to do for a year. The slice of bread here was made with leavening cultures sampled from ancient Egyptian baking vessels, using ancient Emmer wheat, with an ancient Egyptian recipe, using ancient Egyptian baking tools, and NO OVEN. 
The * is because at the end, I did a dumb thing and burned the top of the bread. But read on...
If this all sounds like completely insane lies, well, probably, but check out the delusional thread below. With the help of some friends, I collected some baking cultures from the time of the construction of the pyramids!
As I mention in the thread above, the ancient Egyptians of that time period didn’t use ovens like we do today. They baked in conical clay pots call “bedja.” Here’s one we made. I’ve been practicing for months, baking in a modern oven with bedja so I get can a feel for it.
After a few months of practice, using the (hopefully-DNA analysis coming soon) ancient starter culture, home milled Emmer flour, and a tajine as a stand-in for a bedja, I got pretty good at making really yummy loaves in the oven. The idea is to take one step at a time.
OK, so the Old Kingdom Egyptians baked using embers, in special sets of holes in the ground. I’ll let my awesome partner @drserenalove send along some pictures/papers of this for those interested. Here’s my recreation- fire pit and baking hole, with baker’s tools.
It’s good I grew up in the middle of nowhere and am a low-grade pyromanic. The combination of having to make quality wholemeal sourdough, and a good fire, with the timing lining up after several hours, is a trick. The Egyptians were quite sophisticated. Note the ideal 280C temp.
OK so I was a little disingenuous in the first tweet- this is, I guess, a kind of an oven, but it’s SO MUCH COOLER than a modern oven...
This is so much fun!
...and of course I left it in too long - IT WAS TOO FUN TO WATCH IT BAKE! - and I also scorched the top with the lid. But the bread is AMAZING. Wholemeal Emmer with coriander, light and fluffy and satisfying. Old Kingdom Egyptians were really smart, and really good bakers!
I’m sorry to be gushing. I’m hella excited and a little freaked out. There’s serious science and Egyptology to do, which we are doing. @drserenalove and @rbowman1234 are amazing partners on this. But hey, WHAT A COOL BAKERY! More soon! Good night!
I know I said good night, but I couldn’t resist. More fun than a normal oven? 😂👊❤️
