Salt-Rising Bread

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Title: SALT RISING BREAD
Categories: Breads
Yield: 1 loaf

1 c Milk; scalded and cooled
1 ts Salt
1 T Sugar
2 T Cornmeal; white preferred
1 T Butter
3 c Flour

Add the salt, sugar, corn meal, and butter to the milk. Place this in
a glass fruit jar or a heavy crockery pitcher and surround it with
water at about 120 F. Allow it to stand 6 to 7 hours or until it
starts to ferment. If it has "worked" enough, the gas can be heard as
it escapes. This leaven contains enough liquid for 1 loaf. If more
loaves are wanted, add 1 cup water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 Tablespoon
sugar, and 1 Tablespoon butter for each additional loaf. Make a soft
sponge by adding 1 cup flour to each loaf to be made. Beat well. Put
the sponge to rise again at 120 F. When it is very light, add more
flour (2 cups flour for each loaf) gradually so that the dough can be
kneaded and not stick to hands. Knead 10 to 15 minutes. Put in a
greased pan. Let rise until 2-1/2 times its original size. Bake in
hot oven 15 minutes and then a moderate one for 45 more.

Notice that there is no yeast in this bread except the wild yeast that
comes from the air. While it is baking there is a disagreeable odour
that disappears when the bread is baked. It always has a peculiar
flavour, disliked by some and prized by others.

It is never so light as bread made with yeast. A loaf made with 1 cup
liquid will not rise to the top of a standard-sized bread pan. Do not
try to keep this fine-grained white bread for long as it dries out.

From: "Breads and More Breads"
Lois Lintner Sumption & Marguerite Lintner Ashbrook
The Manual Arts Press, Peoria, Illinois, 1941

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