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Water Bread

Erken's water bread (vannbrød, 1914) is a milk-free wheat bread made from 1.5 kg flour, 1 l water, 60 g yeast, 80 g butter, 25 g sugar and 1 tbsp salt. The dough cold-proofs overnight, is kneaded, shaped into 4 loaves and baked about 45 minutes in a hot oven.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 540 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

Water bread is a simple wheat bread without milk, baked from a cold-proofed dough. Erken lets the dough stand overnight in a tub of cold water — the method of the day for keeping the dough evenly cool and giving a long, slow rise and good flavor.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Proof the yeast

    Stir the yeast together with the sugar, add ½ dl cold water, and let stand for ½ hour.

  2. 2

    Mix the dough

    Mix the sifted flour with the salt. Rub the butter into the flour, add the water a little at a time, and finally the yeast mixture.

  3. 3

    Cold-rise

    Work the dough together well in a bowl or crock. Cover and set in a cool place (the refrigerator, or as in the original, in cold water) overnight.

  4. 4

    Knead and shape

    Knead the dough well the next day and shape into 4 loaves. Brush them with water or melted butter and place on a greased baking sheet.

  5. 5

    Bake

    Put the loaves straight into a hot oven at 230 °C (450 °F), then lower to 200 °C (400 °F) after 10 minutes. Bake about 45 minutes total, until the loaves are baked through and sound hollow when you tap the underside. Cool on a rack.

Changes from the original

Measurements converted to modern units (dl, tsp, tablespoon→tbsp). The cold-water proofing has been modernized to the refrigerator. Oven temperature is specified (230 °C (445 °F) falling to 200 °C (390 °F)), since the original only says "hot oven."

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Time machine – what changed?

Pick two editions and see what Henriette Schønberg Erken added, removed or changed between them.

From19141949Modernised
To19141949Modernised
Modernised → 1949 (proofread, p. 624)~87% of the text changedremovedadded
1 l l. vann (kaldt). 1 500 g 1½ kg. hvetemel (siktet). 1 ss salt. 25 g sukker. spiseskje salt 1 spiseskje sukker 80 g gr. smør (kaldt). 60 g fersk gjær (eller 2½ ts tørrgjær). Rør gjæren ut med sukkeret, tilsett ½ dl kaldt vann og la stå ½ time.. Bland siktet mel med saltet. Smuldre gr. gjær. Det siktede hvetemel irøres saltet, smøret inn i melet, tilsett smuldres inn, vannet litt om med gjæren has i litt og til sist gjærblandingen.. Arbeid deigen efter litt. Arbeides godt sammen i en bolle krukke eller krukke. Dekk til fat, og sett kjølig (kjøleskap, eller som i originalen i kaldt vann) dette settes natten over.. Elt over i en balje med koldt vann; deigen godt neste dag og form eltes godt. Herav arbeides 4 brød. Pensle dem med vann eller smeltet smør brød som smøres over og legg dem settes på smurt stekeplate.. Sett brødene plate; settes straks i varm ovn, 230 °C, ovn og senk til 200 °C etter 10 minutter. Stek i alt stekes ca. 45 minutter til brødene er gjennombakte og høres hule ut når du banker på undersiden. Avkjøl på rist. ¾ time.

Note on Modernised

Mål omregnet til moderne enheter (dl, ts, spiseskje→ss). Kaldhevingen i vannbalje er modernisert til kjøleskap. Ovnstemperatur er angitt (230 °C fallende til 200 °C), siden originalen bare sier «varm ovn».

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Frequently asked questions

Why does the dough sit in cold water overnight?
The recipe uses a slow, cold rise: the crock or dish of dough is set overnight in a tub of cold water. This keeps the dough cool so it rises slowly and develops better flavor. Allow around 13 hours for the whole process.
How long and how should the loaves be baked?
The dough is divided into 4 loaves that are brushed and placed on a greased sheet. They go straight into a hot oven and bake about ¾ hour — roughly 45 minutes.
What is in vannbrød — and why is it called that?
It is made with 1 liter water, 1½ kg wheat flour, 1 tablespoon salt, 25 g sugar, 80 g butter, and 60 g yeast. The name comes from the liquid being water, not milk. The yeast is stirred with the sugar and half a deciliter of cold water and left ½ hour before being mixed into the flour, into which the salt is stirred and the butter rubbed.
Where is the recipe from?
From Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914), page 540.

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