The Great Wheat Shortage of 1797 - Bread for the Commoners

A Treatise on the Art of Bread-Making ➧ www.townsends.... ➧➧
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[@townsends]

We kept this loaf in the oven for 25 minutes.

[@commissar1448]

Make a video about burlap please!

[@thewhitelotus7667]

It looks great. Does it taste better than regular bread made in the same way?

[@tammyd4391]

Di you have an actual store to visit?

[@drfenderfunk]

Recommended temperature for those who are not fortunate enough to have earthen ovens?

[@RaechelleJ]

Thanks for The video

[@mariajukejax9649]

"Bread for the commoners" nowadays you would find it in the "Artisan Bread" section. And it's double the price. Funny how attitudes change.

[@Flipindabird23]

Same with lobster lol I wish I could take a date on a trip through time😩

[@sarahnunez318]

yes

[@alexandertheresurrection2810]

A bag of flour and some yeast is pretty cheap at the store. Trust me, home made bread is SO much better. 🥖 🍺

[@igotthepower2056]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember hearing somewhere that lobster used to be served as prison food as well, but now its one of the most expensive foods

[@FinehomesofNewHampshire]

Wait 3 months....

[@Abluemoon9112]

Funny how time have change. White bread is now the cheap "poor people" bread.

[@TheLastPhoen1x]

Depend on country, here rye bread is rather prevalent.

[@MegaRazorback]

Same thing with salmon but the other way round, back then it was super abundant and cost next to nothing but now it's a full 180, super expensive and harder to get.

[@twixxbar07]

Lobster and crab too. Surest sign you were a poor fisherman was having lobster rolls. Now it's a delicacy.

[@jeffersonderrickson5371]

Tis the story of food history. Making good food out of necessity becomes a commodity when hard times arent hard anymore. From ribs and other things listed in this thread. Craving the taste of the past can be, nostalgic.

[@NoobNoobNews]

The nature of poverty and the wealth. Sushi was a food of poverty.

[@geraldinemcguire1698]

You were supposed to mash the potatoes with the water they were boiled in.. hence mashed to oulp. Potato water has elements that help dough to rise beautifully. After potato mashed in the water, you add the flour and salt and yeast and let it rise

[@alexh2790]

Underrated comment. I've seen other recipes do so as well, saves time and less things to clean. 👍

[@christinaoliveryoung6019]

I looked it up but couldn't figure out what " hence made to oulp" means?

[@aylen7062]

@@christinaoliveryoung6019 I think oulp is a mispelling of pulp.

[@kinbolluck476]

Why hence tho

[@kinbolluck476]

Oooh thats why

[@SammytheStampede]

“For an empty stomach there is no hard bread.” Old Spanish proverb.

[@andeekaydot]

"Old bread ain't hard. No bread - that's hard." Proverb of a historically very poor area in my country of birth.

[@o.sunsfamily]

If you got a toaster and hard bread, there is an easy way to rehydrate it: - wet the bread slice - if it is too wet, squeeze out excess moisture - toast it until it is reasonably dry I recommend not making the slice too thick.

[@cartercollier990]

"to soft the bread use the blood of the infidels" -Valaquian Proverb

[@hornon]

A buen hambre, no hay pan duro.

[@likeasparrowinthewildernes8333]

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,''''''''''''''''''''''' 2 Esdras 2: 31 -100 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[@cowyemrsox]

It's nothing compared to the Great Toilet Paper shortage of 2020...

[@robertcole9391]

Ha ha ha ha! That was funny!

[@its_just_seb]

maybe potatoes would've been the answer for that too

[@SarahM-lw2gd]

@@rambofan334 People in America have been storing a ton of toilet paper for some reason, because of the Coronavirus. Doesn't make much sense to me😂

[@robertcole9391]

@@its_just_seb Talk to Southerners, they love potato bread. And at 4.00 bucks a loaf in the local grocery store. Who can argue?

[@lechatbotte.]

Lol can’t use nutmeg for that either lol

[@baronvandragon2427]

I made some potato bread once. The first loaf out of the oven never even made it to the counter. It had been heisted by my wife and never seen again. Such a good and simple recipe.

[@SirUncleDolan]

Lmao that's cute

[@snoopdoggthecertifiedg6777]

Sounds like your wife is good at sharing

[@papayer]

I hate it when I make 18th century potato bread and my wife randomly spawns in, puts it in her inventory and leaves the server, only for me time her nomming on it just around the corner

[@grisheexi7219]

Lol haha

[@terry902]

The leftover potato water can be made into a yeast starter, too. Allow it to cool and for every two cups of water add one cup of flour and one Tablespoon of sugar. Keep it in a warm and draft/dust free area for 24 hours. It should be frothy and yeasty. Then use a couple of Tablespoons as the barm in the video. The rise time may take longer. This can be kept and fed as sourdough starter, but it won’t be sour…

[@valley_robot]

Good info , thanks

[@starlight4649]

Could you do it with potato starch instead of flour?

[@sirsanti8408]

Well the first rise may not be so good, you really wanna wait about a week or so before you use a starter

[@justicedemocrat9357]

I think it's easier to just buy some super yeast.

[@jolenemiller4958]

If you leave it out for 12+ hours, it gets more sour.

[@fightingman7425]

I love how passionate this guy is about this stuff. He manages to grab the attention of both the historian and the cook within me.

[@HABLA_GUIRRRI]

oh so ur schizophrenic now

[@gtw4546]

I'm neither a historian nor a cook and he grabs my attention, too!

[@eddieb1995]

I'm a gamer but his font style on the thumbnail made me click. The same font style throughout kept me watching it lol

[@mspaint93]

There's something so charming, endearing and fascinating with someone who loves and knows what they're talking about! It could be any topic on earth and if they're passionate it about, wo will you be

[@prokesuk]

On this weeks program, John teaches us how to counterfeit bread.

[@commentsectionman6231]

@@mike62mcmanus Federal Bread Investigation

[@halalnoob5766]

@@commentsectionman6231 You guys are really crusty y'know that?

[@commentsectionman6231]

@@halalnoob5766 You trying to get a rise out of me? Don't make this situation sour.

[@schechter01]

*FDA, open up*

[@FIXTREME]

Flour & Dough Anonymous

[@misteropinion]

A new oven! The first oven is how I found Townsend's in the first place! Yay!

[@townsends]

We start making it this week!

[@nancypine9952]

That oven showed up on my feed, and that's how I found them, too. Amazing that it's been eight years.

[@TXGRunner]

Townsends really looking forward to this upcoming video. Your original earthen oven videos inspired me to build a “Pompeii” style wood-fired brick oven using the Fornobravo.com plans and forum. Wood fired bread, pizza, and many other dishes is very unique and far better than modern ovens. We spent nearly 9 months on it, but made our first pizzas last week kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpK2eIOEpNCjqZY

[@charlesrockafellor4200]

That first oven is an entry that I'm very proud to have in my basic survival playlist (and has been so for some time now)! ❤️ kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2HJoHughbuVhpY

[@katieandkevinsears7724]

I found Townsends when he was talking about not being political. Love the channel.

[@Kareszkoma]

In my country, Hungary, when potato first arrived, the king tried to popularize it. Many places resisted, but when people tasted it, they fallen in love with it. In the Alföld region, the Székely baked it into the bread, and are baking it into it ever since. Nowadays, it's a Hungarian tradition to bake food things into the bread, that you like. Sausages, ham, fruits, veggies, or the pot handle if forgotten.

[@bruderschweigen6889]

Idk why I find "when potato first arrived" so funny

[@Kareszkoma]

@@bruderschweigen6889 Donno either, but I'm happy you had a laugh about it.

[@phero9]

I’m a Székely, and I can tell you, potato bread is the most popular bread in Székelyland up until today. (And the tastiest too.)

[@Kareszkoma]

@@phero9 Absolutely! Based on a recipe I made a 30% potato bread and Whoa. WHOA. It was amazing! Thank youU!

[@barrymantelli8011]

😂🎉the pot handle

[@quittenfee42]

This might come in handy for the wheat shortage now.

[@HiVizCamo]

Conspicuously at the top of the feed, just a coinkydink I'm sure.

[@VeganPrepper]

Yep, that's why I'm re-watching this video. Crazy times. That book will probably come in handy, too.

[@robertlavigne6560]

This podcast is very relevant today. I'm really happy I came across this today.

[@AmbuBadger]

@@VeganPrepper Here for the same reason brother.

[@charlenelynch6505]

@@AmbuBadger I'm here too for that. growing potatoes this year in our garden.

[@JohnCraig007]

Here's my Granny's recipe for Ulster potato bread. Called fadges in Derry. Take whatever leftover mashed potato you have from last night. Add enough flour to make it like a dry dough. Season it, but only if you didn't season last night's mash. Roll it out about a half inch thick. Use a cup to cut it into round pieces. Fry in oil or butter until golden brown both sides. Add more butter. When you think you added too much butter, add a bit more butter. Serve with bacon, eggs and Irish sausage. 😀

[@jbw7705]

I love Granny’s use if butter 🧈 🤩

[@bunnyslippers191]

That's about the way I cook, tbh. It drives my sister nuts when I cook something for her and she wants the recipe. I've gotten so that if she's visiting and I'm going to cook something she really likes I just have her watch me. I tend not to follow recipes as well. I might follow the recipe exactly the first time, but after that it's just a guide and I put in more "this" than the recipe calls for and less of "that." I'll put in extra things that aren't in the original as well. Makes sis crazy, but she certainly seems to eat rather a lot of what I cook. Seconds at least and often thirds.

[@standarddeviation7963]

Can I add potato starch?

[@zafrel]

Sounds delicious

[@JohnCraig007]

@@standarddeviation7963 I wouldn't, but give it a try if like!

[@d_daniel6263]

I'm so glad you cover the daily life of the common people. So much more interesting than kings and queens.

[@corporalvideo26]

It's true that some of the kings were queens but you may have wanted to use 'and'.

[@luanllluan]

So true!

[@obscuriouspolitics7047]

Flourish the pinky.

[@jakekaywell5972]

I believe learning about all social strata is equally interesting. Whether rich or poor, I'm eager to learn more.

[@MaxRager80]

@@corporalvideo26 What are you saying?

[@FBPrepping]

Down here in South America (where wheat is not a native crop at least in my country, Venezuela) I could find bread "stretched out" with cornmeal. It´s DELICIOUS as I suppose this bread is. I´m going to give it a try! The music and general atmosphere of this video is excellent. Quite relaxing and entertaining. Thanks buddy!

[@judya.shroads8245]

My Mom made potato bread every week. The buns were done as I got off the school bus. I ran home to have the hot buns, soup beans and fried potatoes. I love it. Thank you

[@Graphictruth]

"We never knew we were poor." Well, I did. Mom didn't bake and avoided salt, fat and spices. The Rodale cult got to her...

[@emdash2997]

That sounds marvellous 😊

[@Tokmurok]

Mmmmmmmmm... That's not me that's my microwave cooking my co

[@farmerboy916]

Sounds like the sort of thing that you wouldn't mind having all the time. Mmm.

[@anderander5662]

Always calming and interesting...... I was raised on cornbread..... In the South not everyone had wheat and wheat bread was called "light" bread. Usually just eaten on Sundays or on a sandwich. An exception to this was of course baking powder biscuits.

[@emoAnarchist]

when you were walking to the oven with that loaf, the look on your face was that of a man doing what he loves in a place he belongs. just pure contentment.

[@j.hooten3761]

To me it was a look over to someone who just said "Don't drop it like you did in the last take". Hopefully the first guy is right.

[@kruggsmash]

Ooooooh. This looks friggin' great!

[@mestredasdesilusoes7639]

Krugg!

[@ryan_4027]

Krugg!!

[@MorriganQueen451]

hello Krugg

[@Searrows]

Now that's a beard I'm pleasantly surprised to see in this comment section.

[@thomasrogers5514]

Krugg!

[@littlefarmer1303]

As a child my favourite bread was potato bread from the local baker. I grew up in Hungary, Europe and it was still possible to buy potato bread pretty much everywhere. Potato scones (like cheese scones) were also available. Eventually they all disappeared, as the supermarkets appeared with their cheap, soft, bad quality bread... I'm glad your video popped up, I'll give a try making sourdough bread with potato (as wheat is an issue otherwise for our stomach). Thanks for this video, really enjoyed it. Greetings from Scotland.

[@rae1957tn]

I’m 70 and when I was a child my mom would go to a bakery that made potato donuts they were delicious. She had to drive about 20 miles but worth it.

[@Zach-h2l]

whoa that sounds intriguing. I want to try potato donuts now. thanks for sharing

[@leechowning2712]

We actually made those to sell when I was younger. They were a lot of work, since the potatoes had to be cooked the day before, but worth it.

[@amywright2243]

That sounds like a recipe that immigrated to the US. I wonder what food way it comes from? Yum!

[@jjudy5869]

Day-light donuts - You will never want to eat those flavorless krispy kream's again.

[@Lukiblablabla]

From time to time I do some donuts of butternut squash.

[@Flogorase]

My Grandma used to make a Potato Bread on every family gathering She used both boiled and raw potatoes

[@ServantOfBoron]

Same goes for me. It really kept us going during the civil war in former Yugoslavia. She always cut them into small, pocket sized, mini loafs. Still make them to this day as they are very tasty. Whenever we have leftover mashed potatoes from Sunday lunch :)

[@TobiasHJohansen]

@@SimonWoodburyForget Organic wheat is still more expensive than organic potatoes in most places I believe.

[@majesticseeotter_45]

ServantOfBoron I don’t now why but your comment brightened my day, that’s so wholesome

[@noriginal2546]

I like tacos. We all have something interesting to share about ourselves.

[@simonesmit6708]

Any chance you could share the recipe?

[@cosmicpolitan]

If you could just send that loaf through the screen, that would be great thanks

[@j_bailey11]

Laaazy

[@bunnyslippers191]

And send that butter through, too, thankyouverymuch.

[@ludwigvanbeethoven5176]

Maybe a bottle of fine wine too tysm!

[@Alwis-Haph-Rytte]

Or at least a sniff button.

[@aroseboregman6341]

@@Alwis-Haph-Rytte when I was a child we had scratch and sniff stickers....Scratch and Sniff videos....🤔 Please pass the Butter!

[@InTheWind_]

Hello from our farm in Scotland! We are learning to bake bread by hand and scouring KZbin for videos full of the basics. So glad we found your channel! This is such a fun video. I just LOVE the whole "camera in the oven" and you come back and it's baked. That was a fun special effect. 😊

[@yoholmes273]

Hello from 🇺🇸. It has been many years since my last travels to Scotland. I cannot say enough good things about the beauty of your country & its people. I have often said, I would love to retire there. I myself am in the urban jungle of America right outside NYC. I have just started making potato bread. It took a few times to get everything correct. However , it is well worth the effort. I now make a small batch every week. Due to the shelf life, I can get away with baking once per week. Out of one batch of dough, I make dinner rolls, sandwich rolls, and traditional slicing bread. I can't tell you enough how rewarding this endeavor is. Cheers to you and your family. I hope your breadmaking experience has been as satisfying as mine. 👍 🍻

[@northernembersoutdoors1045]

Fantastic, dinner has just arrived at the table and then the video became available, someone's looking down on me tonight, Townends, you are the best, thanks for the enthusasim and brilliant videos, cheers.

[@townsends]

Our pleasure!

[@HenriqueAleixoo]

Just found out about ur channel ! Great content

[@northernembersoutdoors1045]

@@HenriqueAleixoo thank you for saying that.

[@guscanterbury9225]

@@townsends what would you say your favorite recipe you have done so far is?

[@ironbomb6753]

@Mr. Faith funny cause its TRUE! 🤣🤣👍♥️

[@NanoGamingGamer]

This is one of the best videos you've made ever. I love the historical context you provide. Please do more like that! I'm a long time fan.

[@townsends]

Thanks for the feedback and the encouragement.

[@cabbage0dusk]

Potato bread is still a part of an "Ulster Fry" breakfast here in Northern Ireland!

[@jamesaddison665]

If there is a better breakfast anywhere than an Ulster fry, I've yet to try it.

[@kanethompson708]

Sounds good

[@trublgrl]

It's amazing that Potato Bread is so old of a concept. I remember when I was little, Martin's Potato Bread was a small, almost specialty item, available in only select stores. Now, not only is that brand ubiquitous, but most national brands are making potato bread as well. How it is that lovely foods like this go in and out of favor over time is fascinating, and shows that in our industrialized age, small groups of people have had enormous say in our national food culture. Studying the past with Townsends and similar groups, can lead us to a less centralized, more local and natural food culture.

[@millions2nette]

Ubiquitous? I like that word!

[@kerryaggen6346]

I remember my parents would buy salt rising bread - my Dad especially liked it - and, I liked because it was a little saltier than "regular" bread, and I'm kind of a salt-aholic, lol! But, I haven't seen it in years. Perhaps another substitute-ingredients recipe for us to find and glom onto...???

[@trublgrl]

@@kerryaggen6346 Someone out there has that recipe! Maybe it will become a trend again!

[@jasminflower3814]

@@kerryaggen6346 I love salt :)

[@sweeeetteeeeth]

great comment

[@robotontheinternet0122]

He’d make the Worlds best History Teacher

[@cjjenson8212]

Aaaaaand, that's why we all watch😊

[@DagyrOfficial]

He already is. I've gotten more education in my 30 years of being alive through youtube than I ever got from public education

[@CosyMatt]

He IS the worlds best history teacher! Right next to Armchair Historian ;)

[@ritacampbell3979]

Townsend's amazing... I share his videos with my family.

[@gl4989]

No. There are a lot of history teachers you don't know about

[@JimNH777]

Irishman reading that book 40 years later: "you got to be kidding me"

[@Marc83Aus]

At that point you might as well just be living on peas pudding.

[@Nobert594]

*happy irish noises*

[@divinechaos1364]

LMAO! Laughed so hard, about woke up the husband!

[@divinechaos1364]

This is a comment that I keep coming back to for a much needed laugh, on a weekly basis! Thank you for this~ "You got to be kidding me"

[@mohammadabushanab8703]

Oh because of potato

[@AbbreviatedReviews]

11:00 Had to cook a whole camera to get that shot, but it was worth it.

[@windowsmizu416]

Yum

[@windowsmizu416]

@CR when you introduce a camera to high heat, it will release spores into the wild which will grow baby cameras.

[@iankrom510]

@@windowsmizu416 baby cameras would be adorable, wit there wittle itty-bitty shutters!

[@kretieg2943]

@@iankrom510 You could tell if they quality baby cameras cuz their little bottoms would be RAW.

[@RedRice94]

I think he called it "bread"

[@jb6712]

I only just today discovered your channel, and I have to say, your narrative is wonderful. You don't put fluff and nonsense in it, you give information in a manner that is easy and enjoyable to listen to (I'm a huge aficionado of food history), and you make the food into a simple art, a delicious-to-eat form of art. I learned to cook and bake at the age of 8 years old, when my parents taught me (Dad had a life-sucking job that required him to work horrible hours, terrible stretches of time, and Mom just hated cooking, so they both loved that their oldest child wanted very much to learn to cook---I pretty much took over the kitchen entirely by the time I was 10 👩‍🍳). Now, at almost 70 years old, I still very much enjoy learning new things, especially how to make more of the rustic and/or "artisan" baked goods. I live in an apartment, no outdoor stove in sight, nor could I use one with my physical limitations, but I'm sure my excellent indoor stove and oven will do the job perfectly well. Consider me subscribed.

[@j.k.786]

you could buy a pizza stone, its like a pizza pan but made of stone about 1/4th to 1/2 inch thick. you put it in your oven to heat it up before you cook, then when your dough is ready to cook, you plop it on there and its as close to cooking in an outdoor stone oven, without having one. be careful you don't burn yourself and have a good grip on it when taking it out of the oven, also becareful where you set it down, if you don't have a heat tolerable counter top!

[@trijezdci4588]

Potato bread ("Kartoffelbrot") is a commonly sold specialty bread in German speaking countries. The name is protected by law in that a bread must contain at least 10% potatoes in baker's percentage (relative to the total weight of flour used) in order to be sold as such. The flour used is either wheat or a mixture of wheat and rye. In some regions it is common to add roast onions. Note: It is very important to use starchy potatoes, NOT waxy potatoes. Waxy potatoes make the bread crumb smear.

[@ActionCow69]

It's a common enough item in western Pennsylvania, USA, as well- an area that just so happens to have had a lot of immigrants from Germany in the past.

[@lausdeandl]

In Bavaria we call beer „liquid bread“ for lent; same ingredients.

[@jakeblanton6853]

You put hops in your bread?

[@LachskoenigIV]

@@jakeblanton6853 Well, yes. We put everything in our bread.

[@Burning_Dwarf]

@@jakeblanton6853 Germany has so many kinds of bread, you can find everything your heart desires added to your loaf Also Hop-bread is found in my home of the Netherlands too

[@charleydraper8656]

Sounds delicious.

[@rymaracabre2479]

I made something similar except I used sweet potatoes. One of the best breads I have tried in my life. Slightly sweet because of the sweet potatoes but quite savory. Incredibly soft and fragrant too. Goes very well with butter and jam, or you can eat as is.

[@ainokea4u]

I did the same...used sweet potato but cut off small portions of the dough and rolled it out and fried them briefly in coconut oil to make sweet potato flatbread...excellent

[@AwaitingTheBlessedHope]

Share your recipe please!

[@beckystone7994]

Would you share your recipe please ! I’m new to making bread and could use a good bread recipe that someone actually made snd told about ! Thsnk you and God bless 🙏✝️🙋🏻

[@joan-mariacbrooks]

Oh, you really would be a lifesaver if you shared that recipe!

[@lisajean228]

And healthy, too!

[@ThePinkBinks]

Welp! The bakery in my country just went out of business because of the wheat shortage so thanks for this!

[@TheInsomniaddict]

Legit? Can I ask which country?

[@npc1374]

what country? I gotta know

[@rosemcguinn5301]

So-o-o many reasons to love this channel. The list is too long for just one comment. New ones are added every time I turn around.

[@cindyglass5827]

Rose McGuinn .... Totally agree 100 % w/ your comment !! : )

[@rosemcguinn5301]

@@cindyglass5827 IKR? I call it my go-to Happy Place online.

[@caydespliff181]

Wow, what an experience. I’m a baker and this spoke to me on an almost spiritual level. I love this channel.

[@thefoolsjourney6885]

@@Bisshead maybe because it’s a video regarding baking. An action/career with history that someone could connect to? It’s almost like learning about how our ancestors did things can make us feel closer to them or something.

[@mr.s6661]

@@thefoolsjourney6885 Well put

[@Bisshead]

@@thefoolsjourney6885 sounds spiritual bro

[@Ekdrink]

Other bakers what is spiritual about this

[@juliewatson2281]

@@Ekdrink Mother Nature destroys one source of flour for food and substitutes another. There is something almost hypnotic kneading bread, some meditate while doing it.

[@mads855]

There's nothing like fresh baked bread. Fills the belly, warms the home, puts a smile on your face, and smells delicious! I love bread baking!

[@dalemcilwain]

There's a supermarket very close to my home. I would just get up to go to It's bakery section. The smell of the bread baking would wake me up. It would be great if I lived above a bakery. Just waking up to the smell of baked bread.

[@jessicali8594]

Commercial bread is garbage made too fast. Real bread is made from only two ingredients and yeast is not one of them. Yeast is an effect of the fermentation, not an ingredient per se.

[@mads855]

@@jessicali8594 flour, salt, water, yeast. All those ingredients can be used a dozen different ways to give you different kinds of bread. Although I love sourdough most

[@jessicali8594]

@@mads855 : Salt is an acceptable ingredient, though unnecessary as an ingredient as it's easily added (to baked bread) as a condiment.

[@mads855]

@@jessicali8594 I like a little salt with my salt

[@ConLustig]

This channel is just so lovely. Wonderful, engaging, very educational, beautifully shot, and hosted with so much joy and heart. How Discovery, Wondery, or even the History channel are not beating down the cabin door for a series is beyond me (though I am sure once bigger companies get involved it's much harder to create with the authenticity and attention to historic detail that's built a youtube channel I respect so highly) Thank you so much for all you do!

[@NCaste45]

Not gonna lie, your videos help get through tough times. With videos about tough times.

[@Wyte-noyz]

Been watching since I was 18. I'm 21 now. History has always been one of my favorite subjects and seeing you do things the way our ancestors would have is always fun to watch.

[@mtlicq]

Hey, if you're interested in history, do yourself a favour and get the book "Hidden History" by Gerry Docherty and Jim MacGregor. What you learn in that extremely researched and documented book actually parallels what is going on now in 2020 / 2021. It is worth every penny.

[@janonthemtn]

I had an Auntie fresh from Europe, making small loaves in my grandmother’s kitchen. I arrived (8 yrs old) she pulled them out of the oven, split them open, while steaming, drizzled extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper on it,, and OMG, I can still remember so delicious. We had butter but she preferred it that way.

[@janonthemtn]

@@cannotfigureoutaname Yes, from Sicily! When I was there 55 yrs ago butter was in small 3oz packages.

[@janonthemtn]

@@cannotfigureoutaname Interesting, thank you!

[@ardenpeters4386]

i continue to learn and enjoy your videos. i just forwarded potato and rice breads to a friend who is teaching preparedness classes at church. we need the old information today more than ever! thanks?

[@fallenangelwi25]

I absolutely love the history lesson with the recipe!!!! My children are homeschooled and they watch you with me ❤️🙏❤️

[@townsends]

Thank you!

[@fallenangelwi25]

@@townsends yes Sir, thank you!!!!

[@PRDreams]

Same here. The kids learn so much thru him. Living history is amazing.

[@fallenangelwi25]

@@PRDreams very much so!!!

[@frankyu553]

@@townsends 5th Grade Elementary teacher here and I'm planning to use your videos in my lessons! Thank you for your work!

[@windelingswindle6452]

This is by far the one of most entertaining and wholesome channels I’ve seen this year I love it!!!!

[@angolin9352]

Try Tasting History. It's the same concept, except it has more focus on the food and spends less time on the history (though there's still plenty of history).

[@ragnkja]

Freshly baked bread, baked in a wood fired oven, with a good layer of butter: amazing!

[@gonzolonzo1383]

I sometimes just watch to add to the viewer count. You're just so wholesome that I will watch a video about bread that I'm allergic to just to support the channel. Love your life and energy.

[@Pork-and-Beans]

Fantastic and timely - currently unable to get yeast anywhere in my region so I made a sourdough starter! Comforting to know that folks in the past had to deal with similar struggles and found creative solutions.

[@TomJones-uf5sl]

Your history combined with recipes is awesome! Thank you!

[@townsends]

Thanks so much! We had a lot of fun with this one.

[@BigBoy-bx1dw]

Your videos are literally therapeutic. Whenever im stressed I put one on to put me at ease.

[@mariaannunziata5075]

I bought a couple of years ago a 100 year old butter churn. Dazey churn. Got organic milk full cream and with a organic cheese cloth made some amazing butter. Took me 53 mins to make that butter by hand. It was heavenly. Imagine this bread paired with it. I made bread last week but if I had a bar b q I would try it in it. Made pizza once in a charcoal bar b q. Turned out phenomenal. Think NO ELECTRICITY. And get your juices flowing. Thank you for the potato idea.

[@juliewatson2281]

Can make it in a jar by putting full cream in a jar, like a mayonnaise size jar, make sure lid on tight and start shaking the jar. After 10-15 minutes fat butter globules should be forming, that gather into a ball. Keep shaking and in half hour you should have enough for daily use or baking. For barter or to sell to a neighbor.

[@ladysaranoir]

In Denmark we'll also occasionally add potato or carrots to our rye-bread (along with grains and seeds if available)

[@kanethompson708]

Sounds good..

[@m.h.6470]

Potato bread is still quite common in Germany... which is no wonder, given our very diversified bread culture :)

[@JustinJurazick]

And Pennsylvannia probably has to do with all the German immigrants

[@Tokmurok]

Isn't patriotism illegal in Germany?

[@m.h.6470]

@@TokmurokNo it isn't, but anyway, being proud of our heritage isn't patriotism. "German" bread culture started LONG before there was a unified German state.

[@jakeblanton6853]

I seem to remember that potato flour is used for some donuts and hamburger buns here in the US.

[@stevevardy825]

Patriotism isn't illegal in Germany, invading Poland is thankfully

[@stargirl7646]

Right now all I have is a tiny glorified toaster oven, but I’m making the most of it! I recently bought a handmade ceramic bread pot that gives you a nice crusty loaf, even in my tiny oven! It’s been revolutionary! I’ve baked myself a loaf every week for the past month and it lasts perfectly and smells and tastes SO GOOD. It makes me feel like a homesteader haha - well I guess it’s a start! 😄

[@robinlillian9471]

You can bake small flat breads in your toaster oven without buying new pots & pans. Just put some aluminum paper down & spread a little fat over it (to prevent sticking) on the tray you use to make toast. Pita works well.

[@stargirl7646]

Robin Lillian I should try that too! But not quite the style of sandwich bread I’m used to :)

[@leechowning2712]

Make round loafs. The toaster works well for me, but bread pans are just too tall for my little one.

[@nixiadel]

What size is it. All I have is a toaster oven as well.

[@susanmiller7472]

MY CAST IRON FRYING PAN FITS IN MY TOASTER OVER. IT MAKES EXCELLENT DEEP DISH SOURDOUGH PIZZA, AND CHIABOTTAS.

[@alanedwards8834]

The quality and content of this channel is simply fantastic! Thank you

[@kungfuchimp5788]

Stumbled across this channel about a year and a half ago. Quickly became one of my favorite channels. Love it.

[@jack1701e]

You talking about that oven made me realize that you've been doing this for nearly a decade now! The build video for it, the friend chicken and the start of the cooking series is from 2012/13! Surprises me because your videos are pretty timeless!

[@WeerdMunkee]

Been watching (subscribed) for over a year, never commented before. Thought I would this time cause this is the first time I’ve caught a video so early! Lol...only three minutes old! 😊 Keep up the great work!

[@campsiteministries]

Please continue to release/re-release videos like this. The information in them is so valuable, and could be so helpful if folks pay attention to it, considering the times we seem to be heading into. Thank you for all that you do. Your dad would be really proud of you, and all of the folks who assist you.

[@mikebryant4596]

Love the ways you cook, imagining the hardest of times and making due with what the people of the times had. You are cheerful, entertaining and very nice and welcoming. We need more people like you in the public eye. Thank you

[@MrTallbarret]

I live in the north of Sweden and every winter around christmas time we bake potato bread.

[@rodneysmart9774]

Made me think of Korv. I'll make some tomorrow. My swedish wife is gonna be stoked.

[@loriloristuff]

I grew up in a Scandinavian neighborhood in Chicago. Swedes can bake!!!! 1💞

[@briangolas2884]

I've got to tell you, I love these videos. I started watching them when COVID hit. Worried about shortages. I was interested in living simply without relying on a huge cultural infrastructure. Anyway, I'm into this now. No regrets.

[@GigaBoost]

"cultural infrastructure" bruh

[@cbass2755]

Me too! Never went on utube until Covid…I sure didn’t know what I was missing before…

[@babalu-oc6iu]

Baking is quite a guy thing. Most famous bakers are male.

[@montanadad2223]

I love your videos and the tie they all have to history. What a gift! Good information for those of us planning/prepping for the coming hard times too!

[@ingridmatthews6627]

^walks through woods with fresh bread^ Bears: "Hey handsome, where ya going so fast with that?! HEY!"

[@matasa7463]

If bears knew what kind of food our pets eat sometimes, they'd domesticate themselves.

[@davidtresch6867]

@@matasa7463 If we had chosen bears over wolves people would be be pushing bug-eyed Pug type bears around in strollers. Teddy bears would be terrifying!

[@doriangray7129]

1. Its a wolf. 2. He is furry. 3. he is horny.

[@timduncan9903]

I call that feeling of the fist bite a ' bread hug' lol so good every time!! Great video

[@willman2k8]

I tried this and it came out incredibly soft and fluffy, great video!

[@wesariihinen9502]

Finland has a tradition of making an unleavened flatbread using 50/50 potatoes/flour called perunarieska (potato rieska). Absolutely delicious. I have very fond memories of my grandmom making it. Warm from the oven with lots of butter. Total bliss.

[@jokemon9547]

In Finland, we had this thing called "pettuleipä" or just "pettu" (referred to as "bark bread" in English), which was a bread substitute during famines, which were used notably during the Great Years of Death in the 1690s, the Great Hunger Years of the 1860s and last time during the 1918 civil war. It was made using flour made from pine phloem, which would be the substitute for rye or wheat flour. Sometimes it was made completely from the phloem flour, sometimes used alongside the regular flours if there was enough to still use some of it.

[@gus473]

👍🏼 Kiitos! Sisu! 😎✌🏼

[@kerryaggen6346]

Wow! How did folks get the phloem from the pine trees (or pine nuts?), and what did the "bread" taste like?

[@j.k.786]

yes what is recipe and how to make the phloem- something you grind up finely?

[@johndillinger1918]

Barkbread 😂

[@bottomfragger1516]

@@kerryaggen6346 I would also like to add that I have not tasted this kind of bread myself, but my grandmother has. She told me that the bread was quite tough to eat and would sometimes lead to light constipation afterwards. (Probably due to high fiber content)

[@IceLynne]

As a baker, I'm always excited when you make bread :-)

[@townsends]

Thanks for watching!

[@bugoutbubba3912]

Great to know, being that I grew (quite unintentionally) nearly eight-hundred pound of potatoes this year. We had an amazing harvest this year in southeastern Ohio and we had no idea what to do with it all. Thank for another option.

[@bugoutbubba3912]

Existential Navigator, ain't it crazy? I set out to raise just enough potatoes to supplement our readiness in the event that chaos ensues after the elections. Wow, were we ever blessed? And surprised. We wont be canning them all. We have a cellar to keep them in and eat potatoes quite often. We started digging our sweet potatoes yesterday. From a 40 foot row, we filled four large burlap bags. We haven't weighed them yet but I'm guessing about 150 lb. We have five more rows to go. We'll certainly have spare for growing next years garden. We also cut off and froze 59 quarts of sweet corn and canned 84 jars of green beans. I've lost track of our canned tomato count.

[@jerrilee2]

gnocci.... gnocci

[@lorddarksausedarksause4498]

Dude you're amazing, any chance you make videos on that sorta thing? I've always, wanted to be a prepper and due to money being tight I wanna learn how to grow that sorta stuff just in the off-chance we'd have to completely sustain ourselves. I live, with my grandparents who raised me and currently my grandpa can't even walk (He's getting rehab and has a bright future of walking though.) So it'd just, ease my mind for sure! Much love, and prayers for you and your family!

[@bugoutbubba3912]

LordDarkSause Darksause, its all about soil. Slightly sandy, loamy soil with a lot of organic material is best for potatoes. Once planted keep your plants hilled and weeded. I hilled mine three times this season. Each time I side dressed them with triple 12 fertilizer. Managing insects is important too. I have a special recipe for that. I'll probably do a video next spring but I certainly wont be planting so much as I did this year. Lol. Unless it hits the fan over this crazy election.

[@lorddarksausedarksause4498]

@@bugoutbubba3912 Thanks man, you're amazing and if it hits the fan over election I'm gonna lose my mind lmao. I plan, to turn our garage into a makeshift gardening area. That'd let me, grow stuff 24/7 hopefully.

[@hoodiedee4828]

thank you for your time, it was great. Keep growing and baking. Have a bless day 😊

[@MovingOndaisy]

We make a wonderful potato bread with a very old recipe, used in the family for many years. Originally from 17century Germany. It's delicious.

[@hautoa1513]

Not gonna share it?

[@Goldenhawk583]

Please share?

[@m.h.6470]

@@Goldenhawk583 Potato bread is still quite common in Germany...

[@Goldenhawk583]

@@m.h.6470 Great...but knowing that still does not help me know what the recipe is that OP mentions? :) And going to germany for potatobread is not really on my to-do list, lol

[@m.h.6470]

@@Goldenhawk583 well... given that they are still common, recipes for potato bread are also very common. You can just google Kartoffelbrot (German name) and use google translate... there are hundreds if not thousands of different recipes out there.

[@brennanperry8001]

This channel is amazing, and it's hard to put into words. The host just has this warm personality and he does everything with a smile and the enthusiasm only someone who loves what they're doing can bring. On top of that, it's about food. Food is what brings everyone together, we all need to eat and just being around the stuff or seeing it being made is very comforting. And the nutmeg on top is that each video teaches something, which is always great. Just puts a smile on my face when I see one of his videos in my recommendeds.

[@coultonelliott4312]

I have a good amount of subscriptions but you’re channel is the only one I can say I have watched every single episode at least once an many up to 4 or 5 times keep them coming.

[@mickeybear2972]

Oh my word. Just realized I’m not subscribed. I watched your series on making a cabin. You had me sold. Thank you for this content.

[@snick3896]

My great grandma always made homemade bread for thanksgiving. She passed it down to my grandma who passed it down to my mom who passed it down to me! Such simple recipes from so long ago and they taste amazing!

[@mattcarlucci]

I absolutely adore your videos. They really helped me through the last couple years, and I just wanted to thank you for that.

[@gdelan1]

There's nothing like bread you bake yourself hot out of the oven with butter on it

[@jamesmaysflyingwashingmach7459]

Exactly, I never knew how nourishing and hearty bread can be until I baked for myself. I can easily see how a person could survive on it if they had to.

[@adenarrington7607]

@Eidelmania keep trying... food usually doesn’t come out perfect the first time

[@it.snowig]

idk man cheetos are pretty good

[@troykleeman4258]

@@adenarrington7607 That is Eidelmania's mindset; coming out the second time is what makes it a brick. XD

[@bethg.5611]

@Eidelmania A simple Irish soda bread is easy.

[@ddruxman3579]

You have given me a whole new, and probably historically insightful, understanding of the Southern classic, corn bread. Makes so much sense! And in the same way that the cornbread "make do" recipe concept has become a beloved mainstream staple in thousands (millions?) of kitchens, potato bread is also craved and loved in a particularly sentimental way by Eastern Europeans and those of Eastern European extraction with long memories. I grew up in a Brooklyn neighborhood where the bakeries carried potato bread, and my neighbor's eyes lit up at its mention.

[@sorchaOtwo]

Did you know that you can use cattail pollen to make bread? It's usually used to add to the flour, or stretch it in times of scarcity. It's nutritious and high in protein. It's collected by tying a sack around the the cattail "ears" in the spring and collected after other cattails have stopped dispersing pollen.

[@beccagee5905]

The roots can be used for food too.

[@sorchaOtwo]

@@beccagee5905 And the stems can be peeled and eaten. "Russian asparagus"

[@KFrost-fx7dt]

If you have a homestead you've just got to have a reservoir with cattails around it. Not only do they purify water and provide wildlife habitat, but you can use the whole plant. Almost all parts are edible and those that aren't (the tough mature leaves) can be used to make cordage and baskets.

[@shannonlove4328]

The period from the ~1790-1820 was the Dalton minimum, a sustained drop in sun shot activity that correlates with unusually cold weather which caused crop failures all across the Northern temperate zones.

[@gslam8571]

Im assuming there was never a nutmeg shortage otherwise society would have collasped already .

[@robinlillian9471]

Spices like nutmeg were in demand, but rare & expensive in the 18th century. Townsends must really like nutmeg, but I doubt common people could afford all that much of it. As he mentioned, most cookbooks were for rich people & their cooks, so they included lots of expensive spices to show off your wealth to guests. www.mentalfloss.com/article/94734/why-early-america-was-obsessed-wooden-nutmegs thespiceacademy.com/nutmeg-a-very-brief-history/

[@yahwehsonren]

@@robinlillian9471 hmm nutmeg is rare and expensive,nutmeg in Indonesia abundant here

[@nicksalvatore5717]

yahwehsonren These are mostly colonial and English cookbooks, at the time any products from Indonesia would be very expensive. But most of the people reading these cookbooks were rich anyway.

[@angrytheclown801]

Spice cabinets are really why I want to kidnap kings and noblemen through time. To bring them to the average cook's kitchen and open their spice cabinets to put the nobles into apoplectic fits.

[@imtiredtiredtired]

@@angrytheclown801 Your spice cabinet might worth more than some nobleman's wealth haha.

[@mintybee5003]

New subscriber here. Hi. This came into my feed just at the right time with this wheat shortage coming up with all the problems Europe is experiencing right now. Thanks for this video

[@hazeluzzell]

Brings back history lessons in U.K in the ‘60’s...The dreaded ‘Corn Laws’! I have a friend who uses a portion of acorn flour in her loaves.

[@sissybrooks8588]

Corn laws?

[@hazeluzzell]

@@sissybrooks8588 After Britain’s war with Napoleon (1815) up until 1846, the government passed a series of laws keeping the price of corn high. As always with politicians, this somehow benefitted the rich. As a result, poor people were starving to death. We had to learn all the ins and outs of it. You can imagine how interesting that was to a 13 year old.

[@delloda]

So you are saying there were corn laws in the UK in the 1960s which forced your friend to replace cornflour with of portion of acorn flour to bake her bread!?! Sounds like horseshit to me. I can't find any evidence of corn laws in 1960's UK.

[@sissybrooks8588]

@@delloda I think they meant 1860s, you just wanted an excuse to say s***. You are pitiful.

[@delloda]

@@sissybrooks8588 There were no UK corn laws in the 1860s either so your ignorance is pitiful.

[@Pandorash8]

What a fabulous video. Thank you. I’ve just discovered your channel and I love it so much. Absolute History’s channel has a great series on baking (in Britain) too. Really eye-opening. The conditions were awful. And I can’t believe how so many people survived on bread alone, as you say. But then it had far more nutritional value in it than today’s white loaf. Even white bread then wasn’t as refined as today’s. That helped me understand better. And actually makes me want to move to whole-wheat or mixed grain bread permanently.

[@bethroesch2156]

I love the inclusion of the weather in the recipe. I always thought it was an old wives tale until I made fudge on a wet, humid day and my aunt told me it wouldn't set correctly. She was right lol

[@jefrossman1877]

Hello Beth, how are you doing my friend?

[@Pluto-og5nh]

@@jefrossman1877 this isn’t Facebook harass people somewhere else.

[@eyitsaperson]

@@Pluto-og5nh what

[@carolbrock5798]

Totally enjoyed your presentation. Especially at a time such as this...

[@HopeAngel777]

I've made some of the dishes for my husband that you have covered. He's loved each of them. I can't wait to give this one a go!

[@Myrtle2911]

Adding this recipe to my list of things to try. I've got potatoes, and I already bake my own bread. Seems simple enough. Thanks!

[@thesinofpride9433]

In Norway, we (or our ancestors, rather) would substitute bark for wheat in times of famine. Bark- bread. Yikes...

[@Tank-eh3fw]

bark bread, rotten shark and lingonberry now if that don't make you wanna go ravage the rest of Europe I don't know what will lol..

[@corbetcrey]

In Poland our ancesotors used acorns

[@amogernebula3983]

@@Tank-eh3fw i'm pretty sure rotten shark is from Iceland not Norway

[@TheLapisFreak]

@@amogernebula3983 Not rotten shark, actually I think it's fermented shark if I recall correctly. I think the story was is that the shark is poisonous to eat fresh so they devised a method to ferment it and make it safe to eat.

[@amogernebula3983]

@@TheLapisFreakyou're right

[@joebutler9850]

I just found this channel, and just wanted to say I really like it! It's interesting to learn about how regular people lived in their daily lives, and this guy really goes all in to try to express what it was like 👍

[@mli3083]

10:56 awesome shot. You guys have really been stepping up your cinematography

[@sillybeeful]

I just love these films, well made, extensively researched and beautifully presented.... well done Townsends 🤩💐🥃

[@rosesez3428]

And you can use a potato to create yeast at home, not from a package, too. I think it’s 1.5 cups water and a peeled, chopped potato, boil then mash potato in the water and add a spoonful of sugar, all goes into a mason jar, close lid tightly and shake, let sit for 12 hours then expose to fresh air for 10 minutes, return to indoors with loose lid, repeat several times until the yeast develops from air. Something like that. Then you can use this yeast and the water that is left in the jar (separates out) to bake the bread by adding flour - doesn’t have to be wheat but the gluten in wheat helps - and a few spoonfuls of sugar, some salt, whatever else you want to add in there… and of course, more mashed potatoes! I’m growing potatoes all over my backyard just in case.

[@sirsanti8408]

You can do the same with regular flour, it’s what you do to make a sourdough starter

[@malapoyo]

OMG! THANKS ROSE! 😃 THAT was priceless info. 👍 Saved it.

[@lazylonewolf]

Sourdough is a thing though like the other guy said. Tasty stuff when I was baking them.

[@AnniesHere-rn5bc]

Fantastic!! Potaoes everywhere here also - We are even digging up the front yard & prepping for good soil 4 next season & lots of compost going on at this homestead !! Keep planting &rotate those plants every year never the same place 👍🇺🇸 watch 👀Pinball prepared ness also he adds some great insights 🌱

[@rosesez3428]

@@AnniesHere-rn5bc thanks I will do that! 🥔

[@coreysayre1376]

The older I get the more appreciation I have gained for history and for channels like this. A big thanks to John and crew for all the work you do to preserve and share this knowledge with the world!

[@TexasWench]

This channel is so wonderful and amazing. In these trying times, we have you and the crew giving us fascinating, wholesome content where we don't have to worry about pandemics or politics. God bless you guys, for real.

[@Alphae21]

what trying times?

[@petitpanierdosier]

Was about to ask the same lmao

[@penniecormier8770]

I love this! Good luck on the new oven. I hope it’s big enough for you to make flammkuchen . German pizza, with onion, bacon and non stretchy cheese, but no tomatoes. It’s really good! It’s everywhere in the fall fests. I read it was a normal part of baking day in the local community outdoor ovens. A welcome snack for the women baking bread weekly for their families.

[@hermitoldguy6312]

Why no tomatoes?

[@C4H10N4O2]

It comes from Alsace, in the north-east of France.

[@MagicPlants]

I love how passionate you are about this time period. It's so important to our lineage and most people don't even think about it at al. We are truly lucky to have you, John. Thanks to the whole crew as well!

[@billsedutto8824]

“Imagine wheat was impossible to get.” In a few months you won’t need to.

[@teresaoftheandes6279]

Wheat here in the US is low protein & turns to sugar immediately. We don't eat it. That's why we have a diabetes epidemic that no one talks about.

[@angelbear_og]

You say it like it's a bad thing.

[@angelbear_og]

@@teresaoftheandes6279 Yep, and there's a reason the FDA made it the base of the so-called food "pyramid".

[@webuyhouse8917]

I live in America you will be fine

[@jb6712]

I already make flourless bread---that is, without wheat, or any other grain---because my body can't properly process the grains. Might not be the kind of breads most people think of, but they work well for me.