Very Fine White Loaves

The following recipe comes from the unpublished eighteenth-century Reading manuscript.

‘Beat 2 eggs with a little salt lay to them half a pint of ale barme or more then put to it three pounds of fine flower and pit it in as much bloodwarm milke as will make it soft and light then make it into loaves or Rowles. When they be baked and cold rasp or grate all the outside.’

Translated, it works out as follows and makes perfect loaves and rolls. I do not know why the outside of th