Recipe Manuscript

To Make Paste For A Venison Pasty

Name: To Make Paste For A Venison Pasty
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT0M
Yield: 12
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 450 grams plain flour; 675 grams unsalted butter; 675 ml barm (historically; substitute: 675 ml mixture of warm water and 40 grams fresh yeast, or use a pre-ferment poolish for similar flavor); Water as needed (enough to make a moderately stiff dough)

1720

From the treasured pages of Cookbook of 1720 approximately

Unknown Author

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Intermediate Dinner Lunch Other

Original Recipe • 1720

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

To Make Paste For A Venison Pasty

"To a pound of Flower, take a pound & half of Butter, take a pound & half of barm, & water to make it a moderate stiff paste, rowl it out three or four times; this will be a verry good sort of paste for any kind of meat pies, or for a Pidgion Pie."

Note on the Original Text

Early 18th-century recipes like this were written as brief, direct instructions for those already familiar with basic kitchen techniques. Quantities are given by weight—pounds of flour, butter, and barm—but without specifying exact amounts of water, since this would vary with flour quality and the skill of the cook. Note the use of 'barm,' which today has been replaced by commercial yeasts or pre-ferments. Spelling of 'Flower' for 'flour' reflects the period and is a charming window into historical language changes.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookbook of 1720 approximately - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookbook of 1720 approximately (1720)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Unknown

Era

1720

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful window into early 18th-century kitchens, this historical culinary tome brims with recipes, culinary wisdom, and the flavors of a bygone era—offering food enthusiasts a taste of both tradition and intrigue.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from the early 18th century, around 1720, when pasties and robust meat pies were at the heart of English country kitchens. Venison was a prized meat, often preserved and encrusted in sturdy pastry for grand feasts. The use of barm—brewer’s yeast—reflects both the omnipresence of home brewing in the period and the close relationship between baking and beer making. Such a pastry would have been both flavorful and substantial, helping to keep decadent meat fillings moist over long baking times.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

The original kitchen would have seen coarse wooden bowls for mixing, a sturdy rolling pin for the repeated turns, and large earthenware, pewter, or tin pie moulds to shape the pasty. The dough would be mixed by hand, likely on a scrubbed wooden table, and baked in a wood- or coal-fired oven, capable of holding the low, steady heat required for baking thick pies.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

1 pound (16 ounces) plain flour
1 1/2 pounds (24 ounces) unsalted butter
1 1/2 pints (3 cups) barm (historically; substitute: 3 cups mixture of warm water and 1 1/2 ounces fresh yeast, or use a pre-ferment poolish for similar flavor)
Water as needed (enough to make a moderately stiff dough)

Instructions

To prepare this early 18th-century pastry dough with modern ingredients and measurements, begin by weighing out 1 pound (16 ounces) of plain flour.
To this, add 1 1/2 pounds (24 ounces) of unsalted butter, cut into cubes.
The recipe calls for 1 1/2 pints (3 cups) of 'barm'—the yeasty foam that rises from fermenting beer—but as that is now uncommon, substitute with 3 cups fresh baker's yeast pre-ferment, or a mix of 3 cups warm water with about 1 1/2 ounces fresh yeast and a teaspoon of sugar to simulate the fermentation, allowing it to froth.
Combine your flour and cubed butter, rubbing gently until you have a breadcrumb texture.
Add the yeast mixture or substitute and just enough water to bring everything together into a moderately stiff dough.
Knead lightly, roll out the dough, then fold and repeat this three or four times to build flaky layers.
Use immediately to line and cover your venison or other meat pie.

Estimated Calories

530 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You will need about 30 minutes to prepare the dough, including weighing, mixing, and folding. There is no baking or final cooking time included here, as these steps depend on your use (such as filling and baking a pie). Each serving, assuming the dough is divided into 12 for a large pie, will have about 530 calories.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.