This 2000-year-old loaf of bread, now on display at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, was found in the House with Deer in the ancient city of Herculaneum.

This loaf of bread, which was made in 79 AD in the midst of ordinary daily bread-making, was found about 2000 years later, charred in a kiln during excavations at the archaeological site in 1930. It was inscribed "Q. The property of Celer, slave of Granius Verus".

This bread is the official proof of how the city was suddenly and completely charred by the eruption of Vesuvius.

As part of the British Museum Pompeii and Herculaneum exhibition, the British Museum asked chef Giorgio Locatelli to recreate this loaf of bread and he did. Let's make this 2000 year old loaf of bread together today.

INGREDIENTS

500 grams wholemeal flour or flour without additives

500 grams of spelt or buckwheat flour

4 teaspoons salt

4 teaspoons sugar

Approx. 500 ml of water

600 grams sourdough

BUILDING

Mix the flours together. Pour the mixture onto the worktop and make a large well in the centre of the flour.

Dissolve the sugar and salt in the water.

Mix the sourdough with the flour a little at a time and pour it into the well.

After mixing the sourdough roughly, start pouring this water into the well slowly, stirring gently with your hands. Keep stirring until all the water is used up and add the remaining flour to the dough.

Gently knead the hard dough ball you have obtained. Fold the dough over itself to allow a little air to escape. Knead the dough for a few minutes until it forms a smooth ball.

Flatten the dough ball slightly and transfer it to the greased baking tray. Cover and leave to proof at room temperature for 1.5-2 hours.

The rest of the steps are not compulsory, but if you want a 2000-year-old recipe, go ahead;

Cut a piece of string long enough to go around your rising dough and tie a knot. Wrap the string around the edges of the dough, pull it tightly to form a lip around the edge and tie a knot to secure it. Then make cuts with a knife to divide the top into eight equal parts.

Real loaves from Roman times were often stamped. Now is the time to stamp your own if you wish. It can be your initials or anything else you like, but remember that your stamp must be ovenproof and will need to be pressed down with something heavy (such as beans wrapped in foil) during baking.

Bake at 200 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

Don't let it char, check it every now and then!