Recipe Manuscript

To Make Pist Bread

Name: To Make Pist Bread
Prep time: PTPT45M
Cook time: PTPT1H
Yield: 12
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 500 g granulated sugar; 375 g plain (all-purpose) flour; 7 large eggs; 15 ml orange-flower water (or substitute with orange extract or orange zest if unavailable); 30 ml water; 28 g caraway seeds (optional)

1738

From the treasured pages of Cookbook 1700 - 1775

Unknown Author

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Beginner Intermediate Dessert Snack Breakfast

Original Recipe • 1738

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

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

To Make Pist Bread

"beat & dry a püt of Sugar, take 3 qrs of a püt of Flower dried, 7 Eggs yolks & whites, whish yr Eggs wth a spoonfull of orange-flower water, & 2 of fair water half an hour, then shake in yr Sugar & beat it a qr of an hour longer, flower the pan you bake it in, & let it bake an hour, dont put in ye pan till ye are ready to set it in ye Oven you may add an ounce of Carraway seeds if you like them."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe employs conversational, imperative instructions, assuming an experienced home cook. Quantities are given in 'püt' (pound) and 'qr' (quarter-pound), with 'whish' standing for 'whisk,' and 'flower' as an archaic spelling for 'flour.' Spelling is phonetic and variable, and punctuation is limited. The method's logic is sequential, relying on visual and tactile cues rather than precise timings or temperatures—a hallmark of recipe writing before standardized measurement.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookbook 1700 - 1775 - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookbook 1700 - 1775 (1738)

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

Writer

Unknown

Era

1738

Publisher

Unknown

Background

Step back into the savory world of the early 18th century with this enchanting culinary manuscript, brimming with recipes, household hints, and the elegant flavors that defined an era of rich dining and refined taste.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe for Pist Bread comes from an English manuscript dated circa 1700-1775, a time when home baking was both a genteel and practical art. Such sweet, egg-rich breads were popular at the tables of the upper-middle class, often flavored with delicate aromatics like orange-flower water and spiced with caraway seeds—a fashionable touch in Georgian England. The recipe reflects the transition from medieval bready cakes to what we now recognize as sponge cakes, before the widespread use of chemical leaveners. The rigorous whisking of eggs was the primary means of achieving an airy, light texture, anticipating later sponge cakes such as the Genoese.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In its original era, this recipe would have been made with a deep wooden or earthenware bowl, a sturdy whisk or bundle of twigs for whipping the eggs, a large wooden spoon, and a well-floured baking tin—possibly made of copper or iron. The bread would have been baked in a wood-fired or coal oven, monitored closely for temperature by hand and experience. Modern cooks may use electric mixers, non-stick cake tins, and accurate ovens, but these tools echo the care and effort that went into early baking.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

45 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Servings

Ingredients

1 lb 2 oz (18 oz) granulated sugar
13 oz plain (all-purpose) flour
7 large eggs
1 tbsp (0.5 fl oz) orange-flower water (or substitute with orange extract or orange zest if unavailable)
2 tbsp (1 fl oz) water
1 oz caraway seeds (optional)

Instructions

To make Pist Bread, begin by weighing out 1 lb 2 oz (18 oz) of granulated sugar.
Beat this sugar until fine and set aside to dry, if you like.
Take 13 oz (roughly three-quarters of a pound) of plain flour and dry it by sifting or gently warming in the oven.
In a mixing bowl, combine 7 large eggs.
Whisk the eggs with a tablespoon (about 0.5 fl oz) of orange-flower water and two tablespoons (about 1 fl oz) of fresh water for a full 30 minutes to incorporate plenty of air—use an electric mixer for ease.
Gradually whisk in your sugar, then beat the mixture for an additional 15 minutes.
Gently fold in your pre-sifted flour.
Prepare your baking tin by dusting it with flour.
When your oven is ready (350°F is suitable), pour the batter into the pan and set straight into the oven.
Bake for about 1 hour, until risen and golden.
For a traditional touch, fold in about 1 oz of caraway seeds if desired.

Estimated Calories

250 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing Pist Bread takes about 45 minutes, which includes beating the eggs and mixing the batter. Baking in the oven takes about 1 hour. This recipe yields 12 slices, each with about 250 calories.