“I would say to housewives, be not daunted by one failure, nor by twenty. Resolve that you will have good bread, and never cease striving after this result till you have effected it. If persons without brains can accomplish this, why cannot you?”
’Housekeeping In Old Virginia’ Marion Cabell Tyree ed. (1878)
I’ve been experimenting with bread baking since I was a young teenager at home. I remember begging my mom to buy me some rye flour. She did and the resulting venture was delicious rye breadsticks for the family!
Over the years I’ve tried to ‘capture’ wild yeast, make my own sourdough starter, tried all types of flours and ingredients and I always go back to my stand by recipe for Country White Bread.
Other than the top of my son’s head and my husband’s neck, there is no other earthly scent I love more than fresh baked bread! So each week as I make our bread, I may grumble when I inevitably get flour all over the floor and counter, I still enjoy making bread. Wearing my favorite soft cotton apron, I add the flour and breathe in the yeasty aroma… then wait for it to rise…punch down.. and rise again. Only time and patience will yield nice loaves and rolls.
"For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.’ Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, ‘I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” John 6:33-35
Here are some of my favorite ideas and recipes:
*If you cook potatoes for supper, keep your boiling water and store in refrigerator. Use this water when making bread, it will help your yeast rise and give an added flavor to the bread.
*Homemade potato yeast: 4 potatoes, 2/3 c granulated sugar, 1/3 c salt, 1 1/2 c yeast Boil and mash the potatoes, saving water. Pour the potato water into a large saucepan and add more water to make 1 quart. Add sugar and salt. Boil. Turn off heat. Add yeast. Cover w/ with dishcloth and keep in a warm location while it rises. To use – ration of 2/3 c of yeast to 1 quart of flour.
* Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns (easily doubled for 12 buns)
2 cups whole wheat flour, divided, plus more for kneading
1 cup water, warm (110F)
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
1/4 cup wheat bran
2 tbsp brown sugar
scant 1 1/2 tsp salt
Combine 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup water and the yeast in a large bowl and stir well. Let it stand, covered, for 1-3 hours (time is flexible here), until nice and bubbly. Stir the remaining flour, wheat bran, brown sugar and salt into the sponge. Add extra flour a tablespoon at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding extra flour as necessary to prevent sticking, for 6-8 minutes or until elastic. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, 1 1/2-2 hours.
Turn risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 equal portions. Shape into rounds and flatten (approx. 3/4" thick) onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover rolls with a clean dishtowel and let rise for 45-50 minutes. Preheat oven to 375. Bake rolls for 19-20 minutes, until browned. They will sound hollow when the bottom is tapped. Let cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Makes 6 burger-sized buns.
Sourdough Starter and Sponge
Sourdough starter: Mix 1 cup flour, 1 cup water, 1/2 to 1 package (or cake) of yeast in a pint jar. Let stand in a warm place overnight. =20
Sponge: Empty starter into a bowl. Fill the pint jar with war water (2 cups), empty it into the bowl, add 2 cups flour and eat to a smooth batter. let bowl stand in a warm place overnight. Batter should be thin enough to pour,. If too thick add a little warm water. In the morning, take out 1/4 to 1/2 sup of the sponge, put in clean pint jar, and place in refrigerator or cool place for the next sponge.
A sourdough starter will be good for many years if kept in a cool place and used every week. never add anything to the starter except flour and water.
To carry the starter, or keep it longer than a week, thicken it with flour to form a ball and keep it in the flour or in a covered container. To activate it, thin it out with water.
*Sourdough Brown Bread
1 cup sourdough sponge
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons fat
2 cups coarse graham flour
To the sourdough sponge add the salt, molasses and fat. Mix well. Add the 2 cups graham flour, or enough to make a stiff dough. Knead lightly. Place in warm greased loaf tin, let stand 1/2 hour, then bake at 375 degrees F. until lightly browned, about 40 minutes. This is a coarse, heavy bread with a good flavor.
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MRS MILLER