The wheat that Egyptian grew in such quantity was made into about 40 different sorts of bread, pastry, cakes and biscuits, but grinding the grain was very hard work. It was usually done by woman using two stones, and as it was done in the open air, grit and other foreign bodies found their way into the flour. These impurities caused extensive wear on the teeth, and Egyptians often suffered from both tooth infections and abscesses.The Egyptians’ bread dough was made from flour and water – but without yeasts, so the bread did not rise. It was cooked as flat loaves or in moulds and different flavorings could be added, such as honey, milk, eggs, fruit, butter and herbs.
Barley was the other major grain crop, and the Ancient Egyptians used it to make the beer that every one drank everyday - even the gods. The brew had an alcohol content of about 8 per percent. To make it, the Egyptians first moistened barley with water, and left it to stand. Then they mixed the moist grains with lightly baked barley loaves in a large jar, poured on more water and let the mixture ferment. When the beer was ready it was very thick and had to be strained before drinking.
Grain in Ancient Egypt 1300 BC
