812-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 24, 1999
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Betty Beber, Bidwell; and Bab Stoffel, Monongehela; examine the results of the
test firing of the beehive oven from the summer kitchen at West Overton. Photo by
David Hiebert.
Bread Recipe Rises From
Living History Re-enactment
DAVID HIEBERT
Northumberland Co.
Correspondent
WEST OVERTON (Northum
berland Co.) Living histoiy
encampments bring life to bygone
eras.
Encampments are popular at
West Overton Museum, a West
moreland County tourist attraction
and the birthplace of coal baron
Hemy Clay Frick.
People who participate in
encampments research the era they
are portraying and often take on
the identity of a deceased individu
al. The goal is to recreate an
authentic character and represent
what the person might do in all
situations, such as in clothing,
meal preparation, and informal
conversation.
Chris Sediak, Slovan, is a Civil
War living historian reenacting
with the 9th Pennsylvania
Reserves Company 1861-1865.
Sediak said that the elite company
from Pittsburgh was called into
federal service in 1881 from what
was then known as Allegheny
City.
Sediak said that encampments
are a form of education that gives
one a lot more appreciation for the
Outside the summer kitchen at West Overton, Beber, Bidwell; Barbara Bachman,
Mt. Lebanon; and Bab Stoffel, Monongehela; ponder how much food it will take to
feed the whole encampment anticipated. Photo by David Hiebert.
tunes and helps one feel as if one is
really living in the 19th century.
In addition to reenactments for
the public, historians offer living
history to school groups, especial
ly to those studying about the Civil
War.
Food is needed at the encamp
ments. Historians try to devise
authentic food typical of the Civil
War Era. At one of the encamp
ments, bread was made in the West
Overton Museum’s beehive oven.
Barbara Bachman, Mt Leba
non, said that hickory wood pro
vides a hotter fire to heat the oven.
* The bread recipe is an adapta
tion of a sourdough recipe used by
pioneer families. In the orginal
version, sourdough would have
been used instead of yeast. Pota
toes were used often because they
were a readily available starch.
Bachman said that the recipe
was handed down from her
mother-in-law May Denver
Backman.
Here is the recipe used.
Beehive Oven White Bread
2 or 3 potatoes the size of hen’s
eggs
1 cake compressed yeast (1/2 of a
large cake or 2 packages)
4 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup lukewarm
mixture
12 cups flour (more or less)
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons lard or shortening
Egg white (brush on top to
brown)
Hickory wood for fire
Cook potatoes and mash
using the water in which they
were cooked.
Reserve 1/2 cup of the water,
add 1 tablespoon sugar and the
yeast.) Strain. Heat to luke
warm. Add yeast to a little pota
to water. Mix in some flour then
add salt and melted lard. Mix in
more flour to make a dough stiff
enough to knead
Knead until smooth - 10 min
utes is about right Place in a
greased container and keep
warm Allow to double m bulk
(about 1 hour) Knead back to
original size Form loaves in
pans. Let rise until double in
size.
Start baking 350 degrees for
15 minutes. Increase to 425
degrees until golden, or use con
stant temperature of 375
degrees
* , *
liquid
r't. IVA
* / *
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