As good a test of flour as can be had at sight, is to take up a handful and squeeze it tight; if good, when the hand is unclasped, the lines on the palm of the hand will be plainly defined on the ball of flour. Throw a little lump of dried flour against a smooth surface, if it falls like powder, it is bad.

? ? ? ? ? 檢驗(yàn)面粉的最好方法是拿起一把面粉捏緊；如果是好的，當(dāng)手掌松開時(shí)，手掌上的線條會(huì)在面粉球上清晰地顯現(xiàn)出來。把一小塊干面粉扔到光滑的表面上，如果它像粉末一樣掉下來，那就是壞的。

As with most trades, baking in Colonial America was patterned after English bakeshops or bakehouses. But it was not until the emergence of cities and towns that professional bakers became firmly established in America. As towns grew in size and number and as the frontier expanded westward, commercial bakeries multiplied accordingly. Within a few decades of the founding of Jamestown, Plymouth, and New York, several commercial bakeries were started in the colonies, as early as 1640 in Plymouth and 1645 in New York. Other early settlements were supporting professional bakers by the end of the century. Growth was slow, though. For example, in 1776, New York bakeries numbered only twelve compared to seven for the year 1700.??

? ? ? ? ? 與大多數(shù)行業(yè)一樣，美國殖民地時(shí)期的烘焙業(yè)是以英國的面包店或烘烤室為模板的。但是，直到城市和城鎮(zhèn)的出現(xiàn)，專業(yè)面包師才在美國扎根。隨著城鎮(zhèn)規(guī)模和數(shù)量的增長，以及邊境向西擴(kuò)展，商業(yè)面包店也相應(yīng)增加。在詹姆斯敦、普利茅斯和紐約成立后的幾十年內(nèi)，幾個(gè)商業(yè)面包店在殖民地開始營業(yè)，早在1640年普利茅斯和1645年紐約就有了。到本世紀(jì)末，其他早期定居點(diǎn)也開始出現(xiàn)專業(yè)面包師。然而，面包店的增長是緩慢的。例如，1776年，紐約的面包店只有12家，而1700年只有7家。

Bakehouses were usually low, square buildings with windows looking straight out to a river. Bakers worked long, hard hours for comparatively small profits. Work in a country bakery usually started at 5 a.m. with the firing of the oven.

? ? ? ? ? 面包房通常是低矮的方形建筑，窗戶直視河流。面包師工作時(shí)間長，工作強(qiáng)度大，但利潤相對較小。鄉(xiāng)村面包房的工作通常在早上5點(diǎn)開始，用烤爐燒制面包。

An oven, which stood nearly opposite the entrance, had an iron door that opened to a deep and low cavern paved with flat stones. The oven was heated by burning bundles (faggots) of dried evergreen bushes (furze) or thorns and gorse. When the fuel burned itself out, the baker would rake out the embers and ashes into a trough or recess at the side of the oven (this was called douting). The oven was now ready to receive a batch of loaves

? ? ? ? ? 爐子幾乎就在入口處對面，有一扇鐵門，通向一個(gè)深而低的洞穴，里面鋪著平坦的石頭。爐子是通過燃燒一捆捆干枯的常綠灌木（furze）或荊棘和戈?duì)柶潄砑訜岬?。?dāng)燃料燃燒殆盡時(shí)，面包師會(huì)將余燼和灰燼耙到爐子邊上的一個(gè)槽或凹處（這被稱為douting）。準(zhǔn)備就緒，烤爐已經(jīng)準(zhǔn)備好接收一批面包了

After heating the oven, the next job was to make up the dough to add to the sponge, which had been left overnight to ferment. As for kneading, lumps of dough were torn off and flung upon the scales, and it was surprising how frequently an experienced man could remove exactly the amount to make a loaf.

? ? ? ? ? 在加熱烤箱后，下一項(xiàng)工作是將面團(tuán)加入其中，而海綿式的面團(tuán)已經(jīng)被放置了一晚上來發(fā)酵。至于揉面，則是把面團(tuán)撕下來扔到天平上，令人驚訝的是，一個(gè)有經(jīng)驗(yàn)的人可以經(jīng)常準(zhǔn)確地取出制作一個(gè)面包的量。

Loaves were made in two sizes, and in early times were not baked in tins. Dough rested for about 30 minutes, during which time rusk biscuits were made and there was a tea break. Using long-handled wooden spades known as peels, the loaves were put in the baking chamber to bake for one hour. After the first batch was cooked and removed, the baker would stoke up the oven again and make it ready for more bread, buns, or doughcakes.

? ? ? ? ? 面包有兩種尺寸，在早期沒有用罐子烘烤。面團(tuán)靜置約30分鐘，在這段時(shí)間里，人們制作魯斯克餅干，并有一個(gè)茶歇。面包師會(huì)使用被稱為peel的長柄木鏟，將面餅放入烘烤室烘烤一小時(shí)。第一批面包烤熟并取出后，面包師會(huì)再次點(diǎn)燃烤箱，為烘烤更多的面包、饅頭或面團(tuán)蛋糕做好準(zhǔn)備。

When the day’s baking was done, preparations were made for the evening work—gathering the flour and dissolving yeast in warm water to make the sponge.

? ? ? ? ??當(dāng)一天的烘烤工作完成后，面包師就開始為晚上的工作做準(zhǔn)備——準(zhǔn)備面粉，將酵母溶解在溫水中，制成海綿式的面團(tuán)。??

Because bakehouses were warm, in the wintertime they became places for people to gather and socialize or places for travelers to stop and get relief from inclement weather.

? ? ? ? ???由于面包房很暖和，在冬季，它們成為人們聚集與社交的地方，或者是旅行者停下來等待惡劣天氣消散的地方。

In my home state of South Carolina, rice was the colony's great staple and it was served with meats and shellfish and used to make breads, biscuits, flour, puddings, and cakes. Corn served all classes to make Johnny cakes as well as hominy. Wheat was grown by some of the Germans in the interior, but better grades were imported from Pennsylvania and New York. Lowcountry dwellers grew and enjoyed a variety of fruits: oranges, peaches, citrons, pomegranates, lemons, pears, apples, figs, melons, nectarines, and apricots, as well as an array of berries, which were baked into muffins and breads.

? ? ? ? ? ?在我的家鄉(xiāng)南卡羅來納州，大米是殖民地的主食，它與肉類和貝類一起食用，用來制作面包、餅干、面粉、布丁和蛋糕。玉米為所有階層的人享用，用于制作約翰尼蛋糕以及玉米粉。內(nèi)地的一些德國人會(huì)種植小麥，但更好的小麥?zhǔn)菑馁e夕法尼亞州和紐約州進(jìn)口的。低地居民種植并享用各種水果：橙子、桃子、柑橘、石榴、檸檬、梨、蘋果、無花果、甜瓜、油桃和杏，以及各種漿果，它們被用作烤松餅和面包的配料。

Here's a recipe for the popular Benne Seed Cookies baked in colonial times in South Carolina.

? ? ? ? ? 這里有一個(gè)在南卡羅來納州的殖民時(shí)代烤制的流行的芝麻餅干的配方。

Benne or sesame seeds were brought from Africa to our South by slaves. As they hoed the cotton, they dropped the seeds at each end of the rows, making a border of benne plants. Also, the seeds were scattered over doorsteps to bring good luck. The seeds were roasted and used extensively in desserts and candies.

? ? ? ? ? 芝麻是由奴隸從非洲帶到南方的。當(dāng)他們收割棉花時(shí)，他們將種子撒在兩端，形成一個(gè)由芝麻植物組成的邊界。此外，芝麻種子還被撒在門階上，以帶來好運(yùn)。芝麻種子可以烘烤，廣泛用于甜點(diǎn)和糖果。

Benne Seed Cookies芝麻餅干

3/4 cups butter? ?3/4杯黃油

1 1/2 cups brown sugar1? ? 1/2杯紅糖

1 egg? ?1個(gè)雞蛋

1 cup all-purpose flour? ?1杯中筋面粉

1/2 teaspoon baking powder? ?1/2茶匙泡打粉

1/4 teaspoon salt? ?1/4茶匙鹽

1 teaspoon vanilla? ?1茶匙香草

3/4 cup benne or sesame seeds, toasted? ?3/4杯烤過的芝麻

Cream butter until soft and pliable. Gradually beat in sugar until mixture is soft and fluffy. Beat in egg until mixture is smooth. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together; stir into creamed batter. Add vanilla and benne seeds; stir until well blended. Drop teaspoonfuls of batter far apart on buttered cookie sheet; bake in preheated oven at 325 degrees 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

? ? ? ? ? ?攪拌黃油至軟化和柔韌。逐漸加入糖，直到混合物變得柔軟和蓬松。打入雞蛋，直到混合物變得光滑。將面粉、泡打粉和鹽一起過篩，攪拌到奶油面糊中。加入香草和芝麻籽，攪拌至混合均勻。在涂有黃油的餅干紙上，將一茶匙的面糊丟在一起，在預(yù)熱好的烤箱中以325度烤12-15分鐘，直到餅干微微變色。這些材料約可制作4打餅干。

原文作者：Susan F. Craft

? ? ? ? ? 歷史小說作家，著有《洋甘菊》，該書獲得南方獨(dú)立書商聯(lián)盟的奧克拉獎(jiǎng)。

原文網(wǎng)址：

https://colonialquills.blogspot.com/2013/11/colonial-american-bakers.html