St. Bede the Venerable - May 25

Doctor of the Church

b 672 or 3 – d 735

Born at Weadmouth-Jarrow, England (in the modern county of Northumbria), Bede was dedicated to the monastery of St. Peter and St. Paul at the age of 3, and spent most of his life there as a scholar.  He was referred to as ‘the venerable’ as a nod to his wisdom and learning.  This title was actually formalized at the Council of Aachen in 853.  He read widely, compared sources before drawing his conclusions, and referenced his sources – an unknown practice at the time.  His best-known work is ‘Historia Ecclesiastica,’ a history of the English Church and people, which he completed in 731, four years before his death. It is an account of Christianity in England up to 729 and is a primary source of early English history. 

So… I couldn’t find any 8^th- century British cookbooks out there (go figure!).  The best I could determine about cuisine in Northumberland during Bede’s time is that oatmeal would have figured largely in his diet.  Also, sheep entrails.  But let’s not go there.  How about a nice rustic oatmeal bread recipe?  Play some Gregorian chant while making it, and say thank you to the Venerable Bede for helping to keep the light of Christ shining in the Dark Ages. 

FYI – Gregorian chant is based on the traditional songs sung in synagogues all over the East from before Jesus’ birth.  Many of the melodies we still hear today would have been sung by Jesus while He was on Earth.  Chant was adopted by the Christian church in the 6^th century, and named after Pope Gregory, who unified the chants into one collection.    
Listen to some Gregorian chant here

Venerable Bread

Ingredients

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, plus extra for sprinkling
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 tablespoons honey
2-2.5 cups unbleached bread flour (or a mix of bread flour and oat flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1 envelope (2.5 teaspoons) quick-rise yeast
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon water

Directions

Place the oats in a stand mixer fitted with dough hook.  In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the milk, 3/4 cup water, and the butter and bring to a boil.  Pour over the oats and let stand about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lukewarm.  Using dough hook, stir in the honey, 1 ½ cups of the flour, salt, and the yeast.  Gradually stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough that holds its shape.

Knead by hook, adding flour as needed, until the dough is no longer sticky and pulls away cleanly from the bowl sides, 6-7 minutes.

Form the dough into a ball and place in a clean, greased bowl, turning to coat on all sides. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 45-60 minutes.

Dust a baking sheet with flour. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and press flat. Cut in half, knead briefly, and form each half into a ball, stretching the sides down and under to form an oval. Place loaves well apart on the prepared baking sheet and flatten slightly. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until doubled, 20-30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425F.

Uncover the loaves, brush with the egg-yolk mixture and sprinkle with oats. Bake until golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottoms, 25-30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.