How to make 2,000-year-old-bread

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  • Опубліковано 13 чер 2013
  • In AD 79, a baker put his loaf of bread into the oven. Nearly 2,000 years later it was found during excavations in Herculaneum. The British Museum asked Giorgio Locatelli to recreate the recipe as part of his culinary investigations for the cinema production 'Pompeii Live from the British Museum'.
    RECIPE:
    INGREDIENTS:
    600g biga acida (sourdough)
    4 tsp sugar
    4 tsp salt
    c. 500ml water
    500g spelt or buckwheat flour
    500g wholemeal or plain flour
    METHOD:
    Mix the wholemeal and spelt flours together, and pour this on to your work surface. Create a large depression in the centre.
    Dissolve the salt and sugar into the water. Mix the sourdough into the flour bit by bit, pouring it into the well you’ve just created. Once the sourdough is roughly mixed, begin to pour the water into the well slowly, mixing gently with your hands. Mix until all the water is gone, and any excess flour is incorporated into the dough. You will end up with a rough ball.
    Start kneading the dough gently, folding it back on itself so it can ‘take in’ some air. Knead for a few minutes until you can form it into a smooth ball.
    Flatten the ball slightly as in the video, and transfer it to an oiled baking tray. Cover it, and leave it to rise for 1.5-2 hours in a warm room. While you’re waiting, perhaps investigate some other ancient recipes to enjoy your bread with!
    The next two steps are optional, but if you’re going for historical accuracy here, they’re a must. Cut a piece of string long enough to go round your risen dough, with a bit left over to tie a knot. Wrap the string around the sides of the dough, pull it tight so it makes a lip around the side, and tie a knot to secure it.
    Now, take a knife to score the top into eight equal segments. Real loaves from the Roman period were often stamped too. If you want, now’s the time to add your own stamp. It could be your initials or whatever you want, but bear in mind that your stamp must be oven-proof, and will need to be weighed down during baking with something heavy (like baking beans wrapped in foil).
    Bake for 30-45 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius (around 400 degrees Fahrenheit). Keep an eye on your loaf so it doesn’t come out looking carbonised like the one from Herculaneum!
    Let it cool and enjoy your Roman bread!
    HISTORY:
    In response to the many interesting, thoughtful and sometimes amusing comments we've received for this video, we've asked Paul Roberts, the curator of our Pompeii exhibition 'Life and Death in Herculaneum', to give us the academic background:
    It was one of the Romans’ great boasts at table that they could serve white flour bread at fine banquets (at normal tables they might well have eaten poorer grades of wheat or other grains, such as spelt or barley, and even beans, lentils or chestnuts.)
    You will see that Giorgio scores the loaf: I’ve examined lots of the loaves and I am convinced that they are scored. It's important to remember that the loaves survived because they were carbonised. They have, in effect, shrunk somewhat from their original form, because of the loss of liquid on exposure to the sudden blast of heat form Vesuvius - conservatively estimated at 400 degrees centigrade. All other foodstuffs - figs, beans, grain etc are noticeably smaller than they ought to be - and there is no reason the same shouldn’t be true of bread.
    This could explain why the scoring and the stamp seem implausibly clear - in effect they may have contracted to a smaller (and in the case of the stamp, more legible) form. This carbonisation must, I think, be taken into account and means the loaves when complete and fresh from the oven may have looked very different from how we see them now - not just in colour.

КОМЕНТАРІ • 2,8 тис.

  • @britishmuseum
    @britishmuseum  2 роки тому +14

    If you'd like to make the bread yourself, the recipe is in the description, but you can also find it here: bit.ly/3KQEx7p
    And if you want to make the bread with history-inspired cookware, the Museum has a range of exactly that: bit.ly/3ifS6RI
    All purchases support the British Museum's research, object care and help us to make more videos like this.

    • @vegard3940
      @vegard3940 7 місяців тому +1

      Why does your recipe contain sugar, when it was not known in the Roman Empire and has only been brought to Europe some 1000 years later?

    • @onexpressocafe1821
      @onexpressocafe1821 4 місяці тому

      Perhaps they used honey back then?@@vegard3940

  • @ErbyboyMV
    @ErbyboyMV 7 років тому +2370

    God what am I doing here. I have to study for two tests for tomorrow. I don't even cook.

    • @MI-jp4nq
      @MI-jp4nq 7 років тому +19

      Haha get some sleep. Or nootropics if you're in Physics, Chem, or Engineering.
      /partially kidding

    • @silvervixen007
      @silvervixen007 7 років тому +25

      Same, beside the only ingredient that I have is water 😅

    • @cams.3287
      @cams.3287 7 років тому

      ErbyboyMV It's life ... just go with it

    • @carissajordan7757
      @carissajordan7757 7 років тому +11

      ErbyboyMV omg same! I have a chemistry and an environmental science test tomorrow and yet I'm watching some guy make bread

    • @franekdolas1364
      @franekdolas1364 7 років тому +10

      how did it go?

  • @P-Bass_Pete
    @P-Bass_Pete 7 років тому +1256

    Instructions unclear, covered my town in burning Ash and lava

    • @FfblastBlogspot
      @FfblastBlogspot 6 років тому +14

      Pete Pompeii reference nice

    • @KimiHayashi
      @KimiHayashi 5 років тому +6

      that got dark

    • @Phelan666
      @Phelan666 5 років тому +18

      Close the oven, stupid.

    • @freddiemercury8288
      @freddiemercury8288 5 років тому +3

      He is Italian. I'm italian too And he's restaurant is LOCANDA LOCATELLI in London

    • @MB-rc7qk
      @MB-rc7qk 5 років тому

      @@freddiemercury8288 don't go there unless you like the test of his under nail collections

  • @HolgerLovesMusic
    @HolgerLovesMusic 7 років тому +1822

    bake bread; wait 2000 years.

    • @fallindeshields3047
      @fallindeshields3047 6 років тому +5

      H. W. 😂😂😂

    • @sectionq1
      @sectionq1 6 років тому +34

      H. W. Exactly and who in this day and age has got that much spare time?

    • @thomasscream4179
      @thomasscream4179 6 років тому +37

      Just divide your time in a disciplined manner, and keep a strict schedule. You'll find that 2000 years is quite easy to come by.

    • @FfblastBlogspot
      @FfblastBlogspot 6 років тому +1

      lol

    • @tinymetaltrees
      @tinymetaltrees 6 років тому +4

      I don't have 2,000 years to watch this guy do it.

  • @Ian-nl9yd
    @Ian-nl9yd 4 роки тому +251

    this guys accent is caught between england and italy

  • @kornelcajka5320
    @kornelcajka5320 5 років тому +459

    Only AD 70's kids will remember this bread

    • @mz7315
      @mz7315 4 роки тому +4

      Ayyy!

    • @Side_Bar
      @Side_Bar 3 роки тому +2

      You mean 70CE

    • @kornelcajka5320
      @kornelcajka5320 3 роки тому +2

      @@Side_Bar "In AD 79, a baker put his loaf of bread into the oven." Its in the description buddy, and if it wasn't then 2021 - 2000 = 21 AD

    • @Side_Bar
      @Side_Bar 3 роки тому +2

      @@kornelcajka5320 CE or Common Era is scholarly notation as opposed to the religious AD. You probably thought i meant BCE- Before Common Era

    • @kornelcajka5320
      @kornelcajka5320 3 роки тому

      @@Side_Bar Yeah my bad mixed those up, looks like I'm the dumbass here :(

  • @Ramdodge582
    @Ramdodge582 7 років тому +2518

    step 1: make some bread
    step 2: wait 2000 years

  • @666THEMARK666
    @666THEMARK666 7 років тому +450

    step 1: read comments section
    step 2: realize your joke about waiting 2000 years after baking bread are unoriginal.

    • @CriticalRoleHighlights
      @CriticalRoleHighlights 6 років тому +2

      It's not a joke. It's a comment to show the absurdity of putting a stupid title on a video.

    • @MC-xw2ro
      @MC-xw2ro 6 років тому +10

      Critical Role Highlights Or you could think about it for just a moment and realize they're obviously reffering to a 2000 year old recepie for bread. You don't have to click on the video to realize that.

    • @yamiyomizuki
      @yamiyomizuki 5 років тому +2

      @@MC-xw2ro yes but they really should have just called the video How To Make Ancient Roman Bread, it would have been less open to dumb jokes and still attracted views

    • @Marqan
      @Marqan 5 років тому

      it's not unoriginal, it's just that someone else already made it...
      you can have original ideas just cause you're not the first..

    • @maxxomega6599
      @maxxomega6599 4 роки тому

      Bah...you are stuck up...

  • @LeastTresCharLargo
    @LeastTresCharLargo 5 років тому +23

    As having been a baker for half a decade. It's not surprising how little things have changed. A little flour, a little yeast...and sometimes a little salt or oil, plus patience. I miss being a baker. It was once a very honorable profession for many thousands of years.

    • @spumantemerrick2832
      @spumantemerrick2832 Рік тому

      Why did you stop baking? Asking for a friend!😊

    • @LeastTresCharLargo
      @LeastTresCharLargo Рік тому +1

      @@spumantemerrick2832 Started a family and needed more money. 🤷‍♂
      I still remember it rather fondly. Easy work and it was very easy to get in "the zone" as it were.

  • @Zach-tf2qu
    @Zach-tf2qu 7 років тому +2469

    I tried this recipe out today but my bread is still only a few hours old, has anyone else encountered this problem?

    • @Scbubzor
      @Scbubzor 7 років тому +75

      Ah yes I encountered the same problem, my bread would have been done by now but some dickhead street performer decided to steal it to feed some slaves.

    • @TheBluBalls
      @TheBluBalls 7 років тому +43

      Zach
      the secret ingredient is ash, copious amounts of ash.

    • @fullmindstorm
      @fullmindstorm 7 років тому +129

      Give it a 2,000 year old birthday party and voila.

    • @barbarajoseph-adam8337
      @barbarajoseph-adam8337 7 років тому +74

      Zach you did something wrong, mate. Mine came out perfect - volcanic ash and all.

    • @chenelson185
      @chenelson185 7 років тому +13

      you had to pray to the god (Priapus ) the god of the garden ,look him up ,

  • @Thathappened703
    @Thathappened703 9 років тому +1750

    3:55, there is a very interesting image on the left

    • @DumbassAdult
      @DumbassAdult 9 років тому +81

      Alexander Hoang Thank you, world's greatest detective!

    • @bpuppin
      @bpuppin 9 років тому +35

      +Alexander Hoang Kids back then were all 7 years old making bread

    • @mgbsecteacher
      @mgbsecteacher 9 років тому +1

      +Alexander Hoang Could it be a variation of an Egyptian ankh?

    • @Kakifruit194
      @Kakifruit194 8 років тому +12

      +Alexander Hoang that was a special kinda cake for people like you.
      recipe:
      www.cockcakesforbatman.com

    • @lalalalopez1631
      @lalalalopez1631 8 років тому +9

      ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

  • @georgeghleung
    @georgeghleung 7 років тому +298

    On a serious note: Maybe the "equator" around the bread is not due to a string, but possibly baked like a Prosphora, which is always assembled from two separate round pieces of leavened dough placed one on top of another, and baked together to form a single loaf?

    • @DanielBrownsan
      @DanielBrownsan 6 років тому +151

      Once again, "string theory" has been proven to be questionable.

    • @DanielBrownsan
      @DanielBrownsan 6 років тому +28

      Wow, was not expecting an intelligent response given the rest of this thread. Had never heard of this but that does seem to be the more likely explanation. Wildly curious why they did it that way. Wanted thicker bread but leavening was easier separately?

    • @b33lze6u6
      @b33lze6u6 6 років тому

      nice profile pic

    • @cazek445
      @cazek445 6 років тому +31

      George Leung I actually tried this (yes I bake bread) and it did not make a line, instead the top piece kinda folded over the bottom piece, making a weird crusty part in the bread...

    • @raffaeleirlanda6966
      @raffaeleirlanda6966 5 років тому +21

      Stranded NYer None said it was to be hanged. Chef said it should be a measured string of a fixed lenght, in order to bake bread loafs of the same size.
      It is Locatelli joking with the string and hanging it.

  • @jasperc6101
    @jasperc6101 5 років тому +478

    3:41 Did anyone catch that? (On the left)

    • @saulgoodman7450
      @saulgoodman7450 5 років тому +49

      mines bigger

    • @jerryaldrin93
      @jerryaldrin93 5 років тому +18

      I'm waiting for this comment. Hahah

    • @bjadi6670
      @bjadi6670 5 років тому +4

      LOLOL

    • @alexainezm
      @alexainezm 5 років тому +44

      yes the romans were really into phallic symbols actually

    • @pitipua62
      @pitipua62 5 років тому

      😂😂😂

  •  7 років тому +341

    The string is baked into the bread so that when it comes out of the oven, you can hang it up to cool. This eliminates the need for cooling racks that take up valuable horizontal space in the kitchen. Plus, it's easier to sell if the customer can see all sides of the bread without too much handling.

    • @haroldhenderson2824
      @haroldhenderson2824 6 років тому +22

      Áine MacDermot
      Another possibility: sale by street vendor.
      Not everyone would buy an entire loaf. Needed to carry around to be delivered.

    • @aklassen3525
      @aklassen3525 6 років тому +16

      I didnt know you were there in Pompeii when they did this

    • @benbarker8154
      @benbarker8154 6 років тому +7

      Brilliant comment! Very insightful. And makes perfect sense.

    • @kikkoman789
      @kikkoman789 6 років тому

      Then.. a littlé weght

    • @iLitAfuseiCantStop
      @iLitAfuseiCantStop 6 років тому +21

      A Klassen don't be a dick. It actually makes a lot of sense. That is unless you have a better hypothesis.

  • @thetwistedsamurai
    @thetwistedsamurai 7 років тому +47

    "add a little bit of weight"
    smooshes entire half of piece

  • @funghoul2199
    @funghoul2199 7 років тому +25

    I've seen always wondered what bread this would taste like when reading about the ancient civilization with the volcano
    science, history, & many years later I'm 20 and bakers are reviving this lost art
    what a time to be alive

  • @PandaBurrie
    @PandaBurrie 2 роки тому +2

    It’s amazing to me how little bread making has changed. Flour, water, salt, and depending on the region some sort of yeast/sour flour, mix it, knead it, and throw it in a hot oven or hot surface. It’s the foundations of global civilization yet it’s basically the same that it’s been for thousands of years.

  • @danzigrulze5211
    @danzigrulze5211 7 років тому +287

    He really sounds like an Italian Christopher Walken.

  • @patrickkeller2193
    @patrickkeller2193 7 років тому +352

    The original doesn't look like the top was cut, more like they put a wheel shaped weight on it.

    • @antoniofarinaccio541
      @antoniofarinaccio541 7 років тому +12

      I agree. it doesn't look like it.

    • @floravermette312
      @floravermette312 7 років тому

      Antonio Farinaccio

    • @jesamindee6783
      @jesamindee6783 7 років тому +30

      That was what I thought, a wheel shape was placed on top of the loaf, which caused the indentation, and the initials came out nothing like the original, so had to have been made a different way!

    • @mav598
      @mav598 7 років тому +14

      they actually used bread as wheels back then ;)

    • @TheDemethar
      @TheDemethar 7 років тому +16

      And the logo was probably engraved on the weight.

  • @Mobin92
    @Mobin92 4 роки тому +20

    I'm low key mad at the cuts he made....

  • @chaoticB81
    @chaoticB81 7 років тому +360

    you are not even going to cut it so we can see the texture?

  • @ImadZeryouh
    @ImadZeryouh 8 років тому +149

    Found it anoying that I couldn't find the ingredients in the description.
    So guys thumbs up and here it is
    Ingredients:
    400g biga acida (sourdough)
    12g yeast
    18g gluten
    24g salt
    532g water
    405g spelt flour
    405g wholemeal flour

    • @alexmcclellan5302
      @alexmcclellan5302 8 років тому

      WTF?!?!?

    • @kleineroteHex
      @kleineroteHex 8 років тому +4

      really quite different from what he says in the video!

    • @ImadZeryouh
      @ImadZeryouh 8 років тому +2

      kleineroteHex I got it from the website, just trying to help

    • @cinzyahrox7203
      @cinzyahrox7203 8 років тому +1

      Didn't he mention buckwheat flour at the beginning of the vídeo? He even stated which is the flour they used all the time but it's not in the recipe

    • @dnmurphy48
      @dnmurphy48 8 років тому +1

      He did say buckwheat. I also doubt they had gluten separated from wheat. Also, you need the recipe fr the sourdough, which they don't give

  • @reggiemartin4505
    @reggiemartin4505 6 років тому +5

    That is absolutely the coolest thing ever. As someone who loves to bake bread I find this infinitely fascinating.

  • @vacatiolibertas
    @vacatiolibertas 5 років тому +3

    As someone who can't cook, this guy's hand motions alone are absolutely mesmerizing.

  • @GenghisKhanBruseySkyz
    @GenghisKhanBruseySkyz 7 років тому +246

    They forgot to mention you have to wait 2000 years after you make this bread.

    • @jeebtheweeb
      @jeebtheweeb 7 років тому +1

      Genghis Khan 8 months and no reply Bro

  • @lemonke8132
    @lemonke8132 7 років тому +1515

    Fine, i clicked on it, are you happy youtube?

    • @cooper5324
      @cooper5324 7 років тому +26

      the recommended is so messed up I constantly have the same videos recommend for months at a time until I click on it.

    • @hoodwinkedfool
      @hoodwinkedfool 7 років тому +13

      How does one even get listed on "appear on everyone's recommendation regardless of preference" registry? I'd love to spam my terrible videos and force people to watch my garbage.

    • @hanswurst5420
      @hanswurst5420 7 років тому +4

      Yes, same with me :(

    • @KnuxSD
      @KnuxSD 7 років тому +5

      i think they pay for that

    • @KnuxSD
      @KnuxSD 7 років тому +3

      Cause i love jesus

  • @Honeymoon1988
    @Honeymoon1988 4 роки тому +2

    I bet that bread taste amazing! I also love watching him make it too. You can tell he really loves doing what he does.

  • @sethguest781
    @sethguest781 4 роки тому +4

    It's really amazing when people recreate ancient foods, truly unique, different and unlike anything we eat today!

  • @Hotshotter3000
    @Hotshotter3000 10 років тому +31

    This has been extremely informative. I started baking traditional English bread, and some medieval bread. I would really like to go as far back as possible in history with baking. It's really a piece of history that you can taste.

  • @DanielGonzalez-op9ez
    @DanielGonzalez-op9ez 9 років тому +38

    i was gonna make a time travel joke, but then my future self showed up and told me not to

    • @seedee42
      @seedee42 9 років тому

      ha ha(this is like the first joke online that has made me smile)LOL(serioulsly)

    • @DanielGonzalez-op9ez
      @DanielGonzalez-op9ez 9 років тому

      :D

  • @loreedavis9592
    @loreedavis9592 4 роки тому +1

    Wow, I find this so fascinating. The bread looks beautiful and the carrying string around the bread is genius. Thank you for sharing this!

  • @Orbweaver-Creations
    @Orbweaver-Creations 6 років тому +4

    This is so amazing, thank you for posting!

  • @laurie-dk9zf
    @laurie-dk9zf 9 років тому +41

    It is tricky finding the page with the recipe, so here you go...
    www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/past_exhibitions/2013/pompeii_and_herculaneum/pompeii_live/live_event/bread_recipe.aspx

    • @giodrakes
      @giodrakes 9 років тому

      laurie 00000 , thank you SO much. I tried to search the site and wasn't able to find it, so thank you!

    • @jennifermcgaffey3269
      @jennifermcgaffey3269 9 років тому

      +laurie 00000 Ditto - I searched it all over and found nothing. Thanks a million.

  • @sail2byzantium
    @sail2byzantium 8 років тому +107

    Dear British Museum,
    Given that Mr. Locatelli can be at times difficult to understand, did you HAVE to put the closed captions in WHITE letters against a VERY LIGHT GREY background??? Jesus. I mean you guys all have Oxbridge degrees right? . . . .

    • @britishmuseum
      @britishmuseum  8 років тому +85

      +sail2byzantium These are the default colours for captions on UA-cam. However, if you go into settings in your UA-cam account you can change the font size and/or colour of the captions on any video on UA-cam. Hope this helps!

    • @biggreenblob
      @biggreenblob 8 років тому +27

      Was it that difficult for you to understand what the man was saying???

    • @sail2byzantium
      @sail2byzantium 8 років тому +2

      In parts, yes.

    • @biggreenblob
      @biggreenblob 8 років тому +13

      I guess I can understand, I just had no problem understanding everything he said.

    • @sail2byzantium
      @sail2byzantium 8 років тому +1

      Well, he has a notable accent to me, there is some noise in the kitchen and I'm on a new computer whose sound I have not been able to fully adjust to my liking compared to my prior computer. Thanks!

  • @trixr4orkids70
    @trixr4orkids70 7 років тому +25

    5:20 I would like to see how to make that bread on the left

  • @BELCAN57
    @BELCAN57 6 років тому +72

    I think that the ridge around the loaf was made using a round mold that put the wedge marks in the bread. It was a way to standardize the process.

    • @ATINKERER
      @ATINKERER 6 років тому +3

      I think you're on the right track.

    • @alexainezm
      @alexainezm 5 років тому +11

      I'm also aware that at the time there was an issue of people making "fake bread" things like ridges etc could be sort of a certification for the bread to say it was baked properly by an authenticated baker

    • @johndefreitas1888
      @johndefreitas1888 5 років тому +2

      That was my first thought when I saw this video too. I believe you have the right idea

    • @EricLS
      @EricLS 4 роки тому +3

      My immediate thought as well. Literally looks like it squished out of the ring mold/scorer.

    • @steveythefox
      @steveythefox 4 роки тому +6

      they would have found a mould, he mentions that

  • @LucasOliveira-dj6gg
    @LucasOliveira-dj6gg 7 років тому +135

    "First of all, you will need to be born in 17 AD..."

    • @ranindyzahra6432
      @ranindyzahra6432 5 років тому +2

      17 AD.
      Dec 12 0017
      Isnt it?

    • @Kruegernator123
      @Kruegernator123 5 років тому +1

      @Raiden Browning 19 A.D.

    • @JEAthePrince
      @JEAthePrince 5 років тому

      @@Kruegernator123 20 A.D

    • @valkeakirahvi
      @valkeakirahvi 5 років тому

      You shouldn't let kids bake the bread, you'll just end up burnings the whole city down!

  • @ziwao
    @ziwao 9 років тому +31

    probably the string would also be used to make the cuts on top

  • @gabrieletedeschi7744
    @gabrieletedeschi7744 4 роки тому +15

    "E il pane mi piace"
    "Ti piace il pane?"
    "Mi piace il pane."
    "a te il pane piace?"
    "Joe, a me, piace il pane"

  • @charzipuddin6129
    @charzipuddin6129 7 років тому +3

    Loved this, love Chef Locatelli! So interesting and fun, thank you!🌺

  • @Waltham1892
    @Waltham1892 9 років тому +35

    Here is my recipee for 2000 year old bread:
    Give teenage daughter 5$ and ask her to go to the store and buy a loaf of bread.
    Wait 2000 years for her to do it...

  • @georgei4756
    @georgei4756 7 років тому +22

    *makes joke about waiting 2000 years for bread before seeing video*

  • @kaylasuecoleman3642
    @kaylasuecoleman3642 5 років тому +1

    This is so cool! Please make more old time recipes please

  • @MikeRoberts1964
    @MikeRoberts1964 5 років тому +7

    I love the times there's a hint of cockney creeping in...@1:20-ish. "ear I gaht a little bit a wahtuh..."

  • @marksierra3522
    @marksierra3522 7 років тому +18

    How to make 2,000 year old bread
    Step 1: Make Bread
    Step 2: Wait.

    • @Venomal16
      @Venomal16 7 років тому

      Exactly what I was about to comment! How to make bread for beginners :D

  • @TheMurlocKeeper
    @TheMurlocKeeper 7 років тому +48

    I love the idea of the string around the bread so you can hang it up later, no doubt when it's put out for sale. I have not seen any modern day bakery do that at all! The art of bread making interests me greatly, so I really appreciated seeing this historical technique! Thank you for making a vid of this!

    • @pAoLiNsTO
      @pAoLiNsTO 7 років тому +5

      TheMurlocKeeper
      I am more than a fish...I am more than a man...death will rise, from the tides...

    • @SarthorS
      @SarthorS 7 років тому +1

      That is not an historical technique. That was a modern chef guessing. They didn't even bother asking a baker.

    • @WOWfunnyVideos
      @WOWfunnyVideos 7 років тому

      +TheMurlocKeeper : WoW player?

    • @nnelg8139
      @nnelg8139 7 років тому +1

      SarthorS - In order for a technique to become historical, someone has to write down about it (and that text must survive until modern day). In absence of such records, we can only speculate.

    • @SarthorS
      @SarthorS 7 років тому

      Nnelg, what's your point? Read my comment. I said that what we saw in the video is not an historical technique. I also said it was a guess by a chef, not a baker. So a related profession, but not the most relevant one.
      Are you trying to say that the expertise of the person doing the speculation makes no difference? That a baker knowns no more about baking bread, or the realities of running a bakery than a chef? It's like asking a builder who's a carpenter to speculate about how the Parthenon was built instead of asking a mason.

  • @gameapril
    @gameapril 7 років тому

    Great work! Thank you for the thoughtful video!

  • @jeffreynerhood1096
    @jeffreynerhood1096 6 років тому

    Well done Giorgio. Quite educational. Thank you.

  • @Maniaxe613
    @Maniaxe613 7 років тому +56

    I just hope it doesn't taste like 2,000-year-old bread.

    • @MH-up1xe
      @MH-up1xe 4 роки тому

      @Komrade Dust.

  • @PierreElRey
    @PierreElRey 8 років тому +51

    Don't you have to wait 2000 years though for it to be a 2000-year-old bread?

    • @ethandagamer255
      @ethandagamer255 8 років тому +1

      the recipe is 2000 years old

    • @PierreElRey
      @PierreElRey 8 років тому

      Diy crafts and Projects with Ethan Come on...

    • @viviannadzharyan3558
      @viviannadzharyan3558 8 років тому +2

      It will take another 2000 years to find the recipe in the webside provided

    • @Robovski
      @Robovski 8 років тому +3

      I think letting it cool for 2,000 years is integral to the recipie for 2,000 year old bread.

    • @katiaitalia
      @katiaitalia 7 років тому

      Seriously????? Are people that dumb!? Its the damn recipe which is to make a bread like the one discovered..

  • @JulieWallis1963
    @JulieWallis1963 5 років тому

    Man can not live by bread alone.
    Although when it’s fresh, handmade and as lovely as this, I’m willing to give it a try.

  • @noahwood5686
    @noahwood5686 6 років тому

    It's good to know I'm not alone in mixing my dough by hand

  • @Jenibirm6114
    @Jenibirm6114 9 років тому +26

    How to make 2,000 year old bread:
    1.Find a loaf of bread at local store.
    2. Let it sit in your pantry for 2,000 years.
    3. You're done! Enjoy!

    • @Kakifruit194
      @Kakifruit194 8 років тому +1

      +Jennifer Birmingham I should hire you!

  • @kalolord
    @kalolord 7 років тому +12

    1) Make regular bread.
    2) Wait 2000 years.
    3) ???
    4) Profit.

  • @Sunshine-zm1fx
    @Sunshine-zm1fx 5 років тому

    This is a fantastic video! I love it!

  • @JogieGlenMait
    @JogieGlenMait 4 роки тому

    It's amazing how he figured the string part out.

  • @Itxazoa
    @Itxazoa 8 років тому +77

    Very interesting.Thank you so much.I can't find the recipe though.The bread looks awesome and tasty.I bet the smell attracted customers just as Bakeries still attract customers nowadays with their delicious, comforting aroma.Thank you very much for sharing.I subscribed.Best regards from Delaware, USA.

    • @britishmuseum
      @britishmuseum  8 років тому +15

      +Itxazoa Cheers for subscribing and glad you liked the video! You should be able to find the recipe at www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/past_exhibitions/2013/pompeii_and_herculaneum/pompeii_live/live_event/bread_recipe.aspx

    • @Itxazoa
      @Itxazoa 8 років тому +3

      Thank you very much. It is fascinating.

    • @mauroj.bonazzi4440
      @mauroj.bonazzi4440 8 років тому +3

      +Itxazoa
      Ingredients
      400g biga acida (sourdough)
      12g yeast
      18g gluten
      24g salt
      532g water
      405g spelt flour
      405g wholemeal flour
      Carbonised loaf of bread, AD 79, Roman, Herculaneum.
      © Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e
      Pompei
      Method
      Melt the yeast into the water and add it into the biga. Mix and
      sieve the flours together with the gluten and add to the water mix.
      Mix for two minutes, add the salt and keep mixing for another three
      minutes. Make a round shape with it and leave to rest for one
      hour.
      Put some string around it to keep its shape during cooking. Make
      some cuts on top before cooking to help the bread rise in the oven
      and cook for 30-45 minutes at 200 degrees.

    • @Itxazoa
      @Itxazoa 8 років тому +1

      Mauro,
      Thank you very much.
      This will be a nice project.
      Best regards.

    • @sail2byzantium
      @sail2byzantium 8 років тому +4

      +The British Museum
      I saw the recipe for the bread itself and I am willing to try it.
      However, I am a bit frustrated by the recipe's incompleteness: You do not state what the recipe is for the biga.
      Yes, I can easily go on line and look one up--but I'd prefer to know exactly what Chef Locatelli is using in terms flour type, ratios of water and yeast and any other additives--esp. as most biga recipes I know of tend to be thick and more dough-like, but was much intrigued by Chef Locatelli's for how fluid and pourable it was (my bigas even when starting out fairly fluid get all stretchy, stringy and glutenized--I am quite intrigued, and very puzzled, as to how fluid and pourable the biga was in the video. Did it sit out for any length of time? My first guess is "no"--but then why bother with a biga? Just combine flour water and yeast as the first step and go from there. So, still confused.
      And as I'm writing from the States, I assume the 200 degree oven temp is in centigrade / Celsius rather than Fahrenheit.
      Thank you kindly,

  • @brittaliperti3019
    @brittaliperti3019 7 років тому +15

    Step 1:Make bread
    Step 2: Wait 2,000 years
    Step 3: Enjoy!

    • @achanwahn
      @achanwahn 7 років тому +3

      It's UA-cam. Not a graduate thesis, grammar troll

    • @MetalKabu
      @MetalKabu 7 років тому

      just clicked on the video to find this comment. thanks

  • @IamAvidity
    @IamAvidity 4 роки тому

    That looks delicious, thanks for sharing!

  • @ilovemesomechickenbutimave7052
    @ilovemesomechickenbutimave7052 6 років тому

    Oh this was amazing very well done video

  • @OhBoysPaintball
    @OhBoysPaintball 7 років тому +34

    For everyone who is curious about the penis in the book, the bread recipe is coming from Pompeii. They believed that this phallus shape would ward off evil and bring good luck. Most businesses or homes would have one. It would have been a common sight to see in a place like Pompeii at that time.

    • @Skitdora2010
      @Skitdora2010 6 років тому +12

      Lots of good luck it brought them.

    • @qasimzaffar2119
      @qasimzaffar2119 6 років тому +3

      Skitdora2010 Lol!

    • @sim392
      @sim392 6 років тому +2

      nerdd

    • @Hy-Brasil
      @Hy-Brasil 6 років тому +1

      in a way i guess they are telling forces of evil to fuck off...

    • @DanielBrownsan
      @DanielBrownsan 6 років тому +2

      My phallus has brought on many bad things. Okay, granted, not as bad as being buried by a volcano, but close...

  • @date_vape
    @date_vape 10 років тому +16

    He forgot the final step: waiting 2,000 years

  • @alexrobert4614
    @alexrobert4614 4 роки тому

    I have an exam tomorrow, but here I am learning how to make ancient bread

  • @elenacerasela
    @elenacerasela 7 років тому

    Such a nice video!!! I learned something from it.

  • @hafe19
    @hafe19 9 років тому +11

    DEAR GIORGIO, THE THREAD WA USED TO HANG IT WHEN SELLING. THEY HAD A CORD ALONG AND THE PIECES OF BREAD HANGING. THANKS GEORGIO.

  • @UnclePutte
    @UnclePutte 7 років тому +15

    Fascinating!
    I wonder if Giorgio had the courage to try a bit of Finnish ancient cuisine in form of the famed robber's roast?
    The recepy starts several days before the cooking itself, with by cover of night infiltrating an unsuspecting farmer's estate, evading his hounds and his servants and stealing away with one of his lambs. The lamb is then butchered, drained and hung, but not skinned or wooled. At this point one must already have a secure camping position beyond the reach of lawmen, vigilantes, and other robbers alike, but more importantly, with a spot of exposed fresh clay loam in its surface terrain. As the lamb is hung in a dry and cool place, the rogue chef now has to build a fire within a rock-laden pit which he must always keep full of glowing embers, and await patiently, for he needs rain. Once a proper squall presents itself, our rogue must make haste to stir the clay vigorously, to produce a suitable lean mix of clay. Then he must have his seasoned lamb filled with herbs of the wild, and then sown or tied into a neat ball of external wool, with all the meat to be cooked inside. The ball of lamb-fur is then rolled in this puddle of clay until a solid covering encases the carcass, after which the firepit is opened, a shovelful of embers be removed, and the clay-pot lamb laid over a layer of remaining coals. The rest of the embers are then piled up top, and another campfire built on top of it. Within a hour or two, spent drinking and gambling and carousing, the menu is ready - the formed small clay vase is retrieved from the fire, and cracked carefully over a bowl, after which the entrapped scaldingly hot juices spill out - these will be used for dipping both meat and bread, and for drinking gleefully. Then, once the case has cooled a little, the pieces of the jar are pried away. With them the fur and the leather peels off, leaving only the moist and succulent lamb to be consumed by our greedy evildoer.

  • @rexmundi3108
    @rexmundi3108 4 роки тому +14

    2019. That bread is now 6 years old.

  • @davidmair9894
    @davidmair9894 5 років тому +23

    My guess is they had a topper for the loaf. Something to always have the same design and portions. The edge is just where it sat on the loaf.

    • @andresvillanueva5421
      @andresvillanueva5421 4 роки тому

      Highly likely.

    • @hannibalburgers477
      @hannibalburgers477 4 роки тому

      I am sure that's 99% true, here in near Near east we use some mold of weight to shape bread to make it look similar to one in the book

  • @chrisharrison763
    @chrisharrison763 7 років тому +8

    What a peculiar way of dividing a circle into eight equal parts.

  • @Larry
    @Larry 7 років тому +37

    Maybe the string was there as there was an upper crust to the bread. they sold the top and bottom halves seperately.

    • @Menuki
      @Menuki 7 років тому +8

      Larry Bundy Jr I don't know know what you're doing here, but it's cool. I assumed it was so it could be hanged for storage to keep it away from mice and moisture

    • @7531monkey
      @7531monkey 7 років тому +5

      Larry Bundy Jr Are you a bottom? Call me!

    • @kanesmith8271
      @kanesmith8271 7 років тому +5

      Larry Bundy Jr , Possible, It makes sense especially how even food we take for granted now like bread was a luxury back then.

    • @caroegc
      @caroegc 7 років тому +7

      Kane, nah bread was the ol regular regular even back then

    • @BernieSanders-bn5dk
      @BernieSanders-bn5dk 6 років тому

      7531monkey Gays at their finest

  • @BernardvonSchulmann
    @BernardvonSchulmann 3 роки тому

    How very cool, the string thing is a brilliant thought

  • @peternierop3241
    @peternierop3241 6 років тому

    Upvoted overdue by 2000 years but still. Good one

  • @zipcaster
    @zipcaster 7 років тому +37

    1. Make bread
    2. Wait 1999 years, 364 days (assuming no leap year), 23 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds.
    3. Wait one second
    4. Eat your delicious nothing! the was bread decomposed by bacteria.

    • @amaulana090
      @amaulana090 7 років тому +2

      How about you put them in a stone oven during that time period?
      All the bacteria would die from the heat, first.

    • @EmeraldCake3575
      @EmeraldCake3575 7 років тому +2

      DatGameh then we would have a bunch of ash dont we

  • @KimiHayashi
    @KimiHayashi 7 років тому +220

    There are only 2 kinds of comments in this comment section. The "bake a bread then wait for 2000 years" comment, then there's the "picture of a penis at 3:45" comment .
    MY GOD

  • @aiai-j7i
    @aiai-j7i 7 років тому

    Oh what a lovely accent! I could listen to him for hours...

  • @elenaraps6612
    @elenaraps6612 Рік тому

    Thanks for sharing! Beautiful loaf

  • @BD12
    @BD12 9 років тому +5

    "We're gonna need a bit more heat!" and then a volcano fucking appears.

  • @WarriorsCats321
    @WarriorsCats321 7 років тому +23

    Step 1: Make bread
    Step 2: Let sit for 2,000 years
    Finished

  • @UrbanCohort
    @UrbanCohort 5 років тому

    I wasn't sure what to think at first, but this guy is clearly both a chef (baker?) AND a historian.

  • @gardengalsu
    @gardengalsu 7 років тому

    I enjoyed, how like a detective, you took in every detail; it gave me a peek as to what life was like.

  • @Supermario0727
    @Supermario0727 7 років тому +4

    How to make 2000-year-old bread: (1) make a loaf of bread, (2) wait 2000 years.

  • @randywatson8347
    @randywatson8347 9 років тому +43

    lol why didnt he cut across the whole length and devide to 8

    • @RayyanKhanRayyanKhan
      @RayyanKhanRayyanKhan 9 років тому +8

      Nik Neuy becuz hes a hippie

    • @nightingalewhiteowl8805
      @nightingalewhiteowl8805 9 років тому

      +Nik Neuy Wondered the same thing! ;)

    • @jennifermcgaffey3269
      @jennifermcgaffey3269 9 років тому

      +Hudson Nunes I suspect it was cut first and then banded with the string - possibly cut with the string too, depends on how solid the dough was.

    • @NotbutContent
      @NotbutContent 8 років тому

      s

    • @hairyneil
      @hairyneil 8 років тому

      +Tanner Collins
      Check again buckeroo

  • @thedebatehitman
    @thedebatehitman 5 років тому +8

    5:51
    ...when you realize that 2,000-year old bread packs a lot more fiber than contemporary breads.

  • @ivymike2691
    @ivymike2691 4 роки тому

    That string is super clever. I could easily see stringing a bunch of loaves together to carry on a journey or to a market or what have you.

  • @abdallaaljarwan7176
    @abdallaaljarwan7176 7 років тому +4

    They used a frame to hold the bread not string that's why they are equal every single time

  • @lordofbanana6869
    @lordofbanana6869 7 років тому +53

    EAT IT ON CAMERA! TELL US HOW IT TASTES! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH

    • @juansolo78
      @juansolo78 7 років тому +9

      Shockingly, it tasted like bread.

    • @jaungiga
      @jaungiga 7 років тому +15

      It was a Pompeian recipe, I bet it tasted like ashes

    • @Adirondaque
      @Adirondaque 7 років тому +1

      Dude. Am I going to hell if I lol'd?

    • @jaungiga
      @jaungiga 7 років тому +10

      Probably but at least you don't have to worry about Pompeian people coming after you. They've been busy doing the mannequin challenge since 79 AD.

    • @Adirondaque
      @Adirondaque 7 років тому +1

      Santiago Sánchez Santarelli Dayum, son.
      (That's perfect and amazing.)

  • @Litzbitz
    @Litzbitz 7 років тому

    FASCINATING AND FAIRLY EASY. THANK YOU.

  • @bushputz
    @bushputz 6 років тому

    Saw this in July, 2018. Great - less than 1,995 years to wait...

  • @ghostsoup1313
    @ghostsoup1313 9 років тому +8

    Such an interesting video. I just wish he had told us how it tasted!

  • @Mekanik.b
    @Mekanik.b 7 років тому +4

    Anyone else think the the reason the bread was that shape is because they used a preformed press the divide, shape and stamp the bread?

  • @suzitagroom2869
    @suzitagroom2869 6 років тому

    Fantastic. I love homemade bread. And the smell of homemade bread is delicious. My Grandma was good at cooking

  • @ladytess57
    @ladytess57 6 років тому

    BEAUTIFUL!!!

  • @Connected2U2
    @Connected2U2 9 років тому +5

    I'm pretty sure he over thought why the outside edge looked like that.
    If anything the bread was just starting to bake when the fire went out (ash smothered the oven) leaving the center uncooked.
    As it cooled more, the bread collapsed (top folded down over itself) causing a crease around the edge, as time pasted by (a lot of time) it dried out and contracted, leaving a more predominated crease.

    • @nightingalewhiteowl8805
      @nightingalewhiteowl8805 9 років тому +6

      +Connected2U2 That's hilarious, but having baked a lot of bread, not very plausible. The string idea is pretty brilliant though.

    • @jennifermcgaffey3269
      @jennifermcgaffey3269 9 років тому +4

      +Connected2U2 Nope. The bread was instantly carbonized, long before ash smothered the fire (if it did - the heat may simply have devoured all the fuel, without the fire ever being touched by volcanic material). It's still in the shape it was being baked in, no collapsing happened (or it would have rotted away long ago).

  • @HeatherSpoonheim
    @HeatherSpoonheim 8 років тому +7

    Ok, so pull that string through to slice it in half, horizontally - now make me a burger to fit that monster hamburger bun!

  • @cberger9447
    @cberger9447 6 років тому +1

    That’s a beautiful loaf of bread!

  • @MrSilver261
    @MrSilver261 6 років тому

    wow that looks great

  • @keithlarsen7557
    @keithlarsen7557 7 років тому +327

    Step 1, Make bread. Step 2, wait 2000 years.

    • @Twice_Marvel
      @Twice_Marvel 7 років тому +6

      Keith Larsen wow I saw the video in my recommended and was just gonna come type this. Nice work friend

    • @potet94
      @potet94 7 років тому

      Came to say this

    • @syafiraa.k.6403
      @syafiraa.k.6403 7 років тому

      Keith Larsen i'm about to say that

    • @keithlarsen7557
      @keithlarsen7557 7 років тому +3

      So now I have assembled the greatest team of sarcastic people on the internet...

    • @Twice_Marvel
      @Twice_Marvel 7 років тому

      Keith Larsen aha I'll get some rings ordered in various colors.

  • @vilheimtheunsinkable9646
    @vilheimtheunsinkable9646 7 років тому +7

    2,000 Year Old Bread...someone get this to Stuart Ashen in Norwich, stat.

  • @whisperingeaglelanders2339
    @whisperingeaglelanders2339 6 років тому

    It looks delicious!!

  • @shadodragonette
    @shadodragonette 6 років тому

    I don't like to bake, but this was beautiful. Thank you! Blessed Be!