Updated on November 12, 2023
Baking bread has been quite a popular hobby in the past few months, but this one man is on a different level. In fact, he baked a loaf from 4,500-year-old yeast.
The scientist used yeast from ancient Egypt for the most extreme baking experience ever. Far from getting stale, the freshly baked loaf seems delicious!
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
Yeast Samples From Egyptian Pottery
Seamus Blackley, also known for inventing the Xbox, is a self-proclaimed bread nerd. With two other scientists, he picked some yeast from ancient Egyptian pottery to use for baking.
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
The 4,500-year-old sample was from containers stored in kitchens. Ancient Egyptians likely used them for bread-making and beer-brewing.
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
To 'awaken' the yeast, Blackley mixed it with milled barley and Einkorn flour. He and his colleagues waited for a week and then got baking.
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
Dr. Serena Love, a researcher in Archaeology at the University of Queensland, collaborated with Blakley for this project. She said:
"Seamus wanted ancient yeast to bake bread with and I want to brew beer with it. I got us access to museum collections and Seamus collected some samples in late July. We've been working on this since May."
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
Following An Egyptian Recipe
The Xbox creator also cared about historical accuracy. He only used ingredients that were available for Ancient Egyptians.
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
The smell of the bread he got from the 4,500-year-old recipe was very peculiar. He explained:
"The crumb is light and airy, especially for a 100% ancient grain loaf. The aroma and flavor are incredible. I'm emotional. It's really different, and you can easily tell even if you're not a bread nerd. This is incredibly exciting, and I'm so amazed that it worked."
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
Other Experimented
Blackley's accomplishment is impressive, but he was not the first to try something similar. Other scientists before tried preparing food from past civilizations.
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
In May 2019, for example, some scientists in Israel used yeast from 5,000 years ago to brew beer. The sample came from pottery shards from ancient beer jugs.
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
Ancient Egyptians Loved Bread
As a bread nerd, it is understandable how Blackley decided to use Ancient Egyptian yeast. For their civilization, bread was essential.
As the staple of their cuisine, everyone consumed it daily. No matter your class, you could not do without bread, even for one meal.
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
For sure, Blackley rejoiced at his success. Internet users, on the other hand, contributed with the best Ancient Egyptian jokes.
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
scientist bakes bread from 4,500-year-old yeast, says the flavor is unbelievable
As a true geek and a dreamer, Blackley has all of our admiration. If he had some yeast to spare, we would not mind giving this loaf a try!
