Good day, bread nerd.
Are you curious about how the Roman panis quadratus loaf of Pompeii was really made? Do you often find yourself wondering what flour grades were used to make bread in ancient Roman commercial bakeries? Do you want to win that bet that you made with your ancient bread-nerd buddies that cord really was tied around the perimeter of the loaves during baking? Well, I’ve got good news for you!
At long last, my research into the form, function and manufacture of the 81 panis quadratus loaves found in the oven of the Bakery of Modestus at Pompeii is available to read in hard-cover and e-book format! Published by Bloomsbury Academic, my chapter is featured in the recently released edited volume: ‘The Bloomsbury Handbook of Experimental Approaches to Roman Archaeology‘.
As a Roman archaeologist who uses experimental methodologies to understand Roman bread-making, my research involves exploring the archaeology and ancient literature related to Roman breads followed by painstaking ‘reverse engineering’ of the carbonised remains of the loaves, after analysing them in person in Naples. The results of my research and experiments with the panis quadratus loaves has provided insight related to:
- The flour grade and grain species used to make the loaves found in the Bakery of Modestus;
- The tools and manual techniques used to shape the loaves in the same bakery (hint: the manual techniques sometimes differ from one bakery to the next!);
- The detailed chaîne opératoire (that’s fancy-talk for the stages of production) for the production of the loaves from dough-mixing to the oven door.
- A mathematical formula for determining how much flour and evaporated water is represented per gram of carbonised bread matter.
- And heretofore unpublished evidence that cord was indeed used to create the signature linear groove along the perimeter of the loaf, …and it remained on the loaves in the oven. Yes, that’s right folks! The string-theory pans out and I reveal the evidence (both archaeobotanical and experimental!) that confirms this. Best duck and cover now, good readers, as these developments mean that a few curmudgeonly internet bread wankers are going to get very slappy!
But that’s not all! My chapter features previously unpublished photographs of panis quadratus loaves as well as detailed features that help us all to understand how the loaves were made and the order of steps taken to make them.
As if that wasn’t enough, the chapter is also accompanied by a dataset that outlines the weights and measures of the 81 loaves, the estimated amount of flour once used to produce each loaf, the estimated weights of each loaf in its former non-carbonised form, the estimated food value of each loaf in its former non-carbonised form, as well as each loaf’s potential street/market value. If you’re a stats-nerd like I am, you’re going to love the dataset. Bell curves and scatter plots for all my friends!
The entire package provides you, your school/faculty, your university library, your thesis, and your students with the ability to understand Roman bread-making at a whole new level: one that is detailed, rigorously researched, and fascinating as heck!
Save 10% by buying the hardcover or e-book on the Bloomsbury site! We are on our fourth print run so don’t delay! Purchasing the e-book (as a less expensive option) also means you won’t have to wait for your postie and you’ll have this beautiful and informative book in your hands (well, on your screen…) instantly.
Your pal,
Farrell Monaco
