American physicist and video game designer Simos Blakely prepared a loaf of bread, using a yeast in pottery from ancient Egyptian times.
Blakely worked with Egyptologist Serena Love and microbiologist Richard Bowman to get yeast samples from Harvard's Peabody Archaeological Museum.
The yeast was planted in the pores of ancient Egyptian crockery used to make beer and bread.
"The idea is to make a dough from ingredients similar to the yeast that was eaten 4,500 years ago," Blakely said, adding that the yeast flavor was completely different from anything he had tried before.
He mixed the yeast with organic cereals, and added some water and unrefined olive oil, making a loaf of fermented dough.Blakely took pictures of the stages of bread, and the word "bread loaf" was inscribed in hieroglyphics on the face of the loaf.
This crazy ancient dough fermented and rose beautifully. Here it is in the basket, just before being turned out to bake. The ancient Egyptians didn't bake like this- you'll see- but I need to get a feel for all this so I'm going conventional for now. pic.twitter.com/lcGnOsaT9n - Seamus Blackley (@SeamusBlackley) August 5, 2019 |