To Make A Marled Loafe
From the treasured pages of Receipts for cookery and pastry work
Written by Mrs. Johnston
To Make A Marled Loafe
"Take a corpol of fine flour a quarter a pound of white suggar, a quarter a pound of Butter, a litle ginger, a-litle Carvey-seed, a litle nutmeg; rub the Butter with the flour & work it up with a litle barm and warm milk, then take a yospel of sculled rye & a quarter a pound of Brown suggar & 4 ounces of Butter, 2 Drops of nutmeg a Drop of Cloves a litle Carvey, mixe all together and work it up with warm water and barm Divide each of them in four parts and lay them right within the Coven, Close them up, and send them to the oven."
Note on the Original Text
Early modern recipes were written as kitchen memory aids, not step-by-step guides. Quantities are approximate, using household tools like 'corpol' (quartern) for flour, and instructions presume experience. Spelling variants abound: 'suggar' for 'sugar', 'marled' for 'marbled', 'coven' for 'oven', 'barm' was the yeasty foam from brewing. Ingredients are listed as they were at hand—if rye had to be 'sculled' (scalded) to gelatinize starch, it was noted in passing not explained. Directions rely on the cook’s practical knowledge, like when dough is 'worked up' or when a loaf is ready for the oven.
Title
Receipts for cookery and pastry work (1700)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Mrs. Johnston
Era
1700
Publisher
Unknown
Background
A delightful compilation of 18th-century recipes gathered by Mrs. Johnston herself, promising a charming journey through the flavors and culinary traditions of the early 1700s.
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This recipe for a Marled Loafe comes from a manuscript compiled by Mrs. Johnston around 1700. In the early 18th century, home baking was a blend of inherited medieval practices and new-world influences such as refined sugars. 'Marled' refers to the marbled effect achieved by combining different doughs, here using both wheat and rye—a delightful play of textures and flavors reflecting the era's fondness for spiced, sweetened breads. At this time, many households would bake in a communal or large domestic oven, and bread leavening was transitioning from sourdoughs and ale barm to early commercial yeasts. The inclusion of barm (brewer's yeast foam) and warm milk attests to these traditions.
Back in 1700, preparation would occur on a large wooden table using a wooden trencher or a broad bowl for mixing and kneading. Butter was likely softened by hand or cut into the flour with a knife. Dough was kneaded by hand, and barm (yeast from brewing) mixed in with warmed liquids. Dividing and assembling the dough required only skillful hands—a loaf tin was less common, so loaves were shaped freeform and proofed on wooden boards or cloths. Baking took place in a large masonry oven, preheated by fire and swept clean before baking.
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Servings
12
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
- 8 oz fine wheat flour
- 4 oz white sugar
- 4 oz unsalted butter
- Pinch ground ginger
- Pinch caraway seeds
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup warm milk
- 2 tsp dried yeast (as a substitute for historical 'barm')
- 4 oz rye flour (scalded with 3 tbsp boiling water and cooled)
- 4 oz brown sugar
- 2 pinches ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- Extra caraway seeds
- Additional warm water as needed
- 2 tsp dried yeast
Instructions
- To prepare a Marled Loaf in a modern kitchen, begin by blending 8 oz of fine wheat flour with 4 oz of white sugar, 4 oz of unsalted butter, a pinch each of ground ginger, caraway seeds, and nutmeg.
- Rub the butter into the flour mixture and add 2 tsp of dried yeast dissolved in about 1/2 cup warm milk.
- Mix to form a soft dough.
- For the 'marled' rye portion, combine 4 oz of rye flour (scalded with boiling water and cooled until warm), 4 oz of brown sugar, 4 oz of butter, 2 pinches ground nutmeg, 1 pinch ground cloves, a little more caraway, and enough warm water to make a pliable dough with 2 tsp dried yeast.
- Devide both doughs into four portions.
- Then, using each portion, alternate layers or sections together to create a marbled effect in a loaf tin or freeform round.
- Pinsh or press the portions together so they bake as a single loaf.
- Let the assembled loaf rise until doubled, then bake at 350°F for about 40–50 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
Estimated Calories
340 per serving
Cooking Estimates
It takes about 25 minutes to prepare both doughs, and another 45 minutes to let the loaf rise before baking. The bread bakes for about 45 minutes. Each serving has about 340 calories if you slice the loaf into 12 pieces.
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.
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