Rustic breads of mixed grain meals and flours formed an early American baking tradition. Thirded bread was one-third wheat, one-third Indian meal (corn/maize) and one-third rye. With the addition of pumpkin, this Early American “make do” recipe was a type of Boston brown bread. On Saturday, October 28 from 11:00 – 12:30 the Wilton Historical Society will be holding a Colonial Cookery and Customs Workshop for Kids, and the focus will be on the daily task of making bread. Museum Educator Lola Chen will be showing the children how to make Thirded Bread with Spiced Pompion (pumpkin), and sampling some fresh and warm from the oven.
The Colonial Cookery and Customs for Kids workshop at the Wilton Historical Society teaches kids a “reciept” (recipe) used in the Connecticut region. While the food is prepared, they hear about Colonial manners, morals, and way of life. The monthly workshops feature relatively simple dishes made with local, seasonal ingredients, adapted for modern kitchens. All participants will sample their own cooking and take home recipe cards – as well as any leftovers! The children will learn how a Colonial kitchen would have operated, in order to appreciate the modern conveniences we take for granted. Previous sessions have made bannock cakes, pease porridge, pickles, an amulet of green peas, apple tansey, fairy butter, pumpkin bread, cranberry shortbread, New Year’s “cakes”, New England chowder, hand pies, cheese and ramp soufflé, and pea and watercress Rappahannock, and blackberry maslin. Suggested for ages 6 – 12.
Members: $10; Non-members $15. Space is limited — please register by contacting info@wiltonhistorical.org or call 203-762-7257.
The Wilton Historical Society, 224 Danbury Road/Rt. 7, Wilton, CT 06897 http://www.wiltonhistorical.org
Did You Know?
After our Revolution, pearlash-leavened thirded bread became popular throughout the Colonies, particularly one known today as Boston brown bread. Since that time, the bread’s fundamental elements have not changed: rye meal, cornmeal, and graham flour mixed with water—later milk or buttermilk—and molasses and baked in a mold. There are hundreds of variations on classic thirded bread, but the basic elements of rye, wheat, corn, cane, and pumpkin appear in different iterations throughout the vast scape of recipes over the last four centuries. The triple-blend concept was not new to America. In 1792, some Parisian bakers were baking “Bread of Equality,” a combination of brown, white and rye grains.
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