Bread, the staff of life...

[HepKitty]

I make a fantastic quick bread as a late night snack sometimes. It takes only about 20 minutes to make.

To make enough for one person mix:
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon oil/shortening


Mix up the dry ingredients then add shortening and distribute it well in the mix.

Over low/medium heat, preheat a frying pan with a generous amount of oil/shortening.

Add enough cold water to the flour mix to make it into a soft paste. Do Not Knead This Dough! Flour your hands and fold the dough to even out the consistency, then form into about a five inch disk. (If you divide the dough and make four small disks you'll have some fine biscuits)

Carefully place the disk(s) of dough into the hot oil.

Let this cook for ten minutes UNCOVERED in the frying pan. After ten minutes the bottom should be nicely browned.

Turn the bread over and let it fry for 10 more minutes.

Remove from hot oil and let cool off enough so you can eat it. Don't let it cool in the oil.

Enjoy

ooh the feather Indians came to school all dressed up one day when I was a kid and made Indian fry bread and other stuff, I think the recipe was similar. I'm not much for shortening (except for soap, makes very nice soap) but what they made for us was delish! I'll try this with normal oil sometime and we'll see if it turns out close

 

[Puzzicato]

If you are feeling brave you could use lard!

 

[Atinkerer]

Hi Hepkitty,

It's funny you should mention Indians. My fried bread recipe is based on a recipe I found in a book called The Book Of Woodcraft, By Ernest Thompson Seton, copyright 1912. Seton was closely associated with many Indian tribes throughout America, and he was one of the founders of The Boy Scouts Of America as well.


Tony

 

[HepKitty]

If you are feeling brave you could use lard!

Ugh, I think I just threw up a little. My undying love for you is starting to waver lol

Hi Hepkitty,

It's funny you should mention Indians. My fried bread recipe is based on a recipe I found in a book called The Book Of Woodcraft, By Ernest Thompson Seton, copyright 1912. Seton was closely associated with many Indian tribes throughout America, and he was one of the founders of The Boy Scouts Of America as well.


Tony

I figured it would be How did you modify the recipe? Substituting veg oil for lard, perhaps? lol I've heard of people trying to pass off refrigerator biscuits as Indian fry bread and I want to slap every single one of them

 

[Puzzicato]

Ugh, I think I just threw up a little. My undying love for you is starting to waver lol

http://foodycat.blogspot.com/2010/11/white-chocolate-cheesecake-cookies.html here is something to make you feel better!

 

[Atinkerer]

Hi Hepkitty,

The Rx from The Book Of Woodcraft, p 192, for biscuits called "Sinkers" and "damper" is:

1 pint Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Half as much salt
Twice as much grease or lard
With water enought to make into a paste; say one half a pint.

When worked into a smooth dough, shape it into wafers half an inch thick, and three inches across. Set in a greased tin, which is tilted up near a steady fire. Watch and turn the tin till all are browned evenly.

There you are,
Tony

 

[Atinkerer]

My Mom's, Maria's Italian corn bread

Hi,

I've been eating this Italian corn bread type of thing ever since I was a little kid. It's very tasty, and goes well with a hearty meal.

There was never a formal recipe for this stuff, Mom just sort of put in the amounts she thought looked about right, and she always made it turn out good. However, I'm not as talented a mixer-upper as Mom, so I use this Rx to get it right every time.

1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup Flour
(The rest is like the Rx for sinkers above)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (I like around 1 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons Olive Oil (is there any other kind?)
Enough water to make a thin paste.

Preheat a 10 or 12 inch frying pan with a generous amount of Olive Oil.

Put all of the above mix into the pan and spread it out evenly to cover the entire bottom of the pan.

Cover and cook over low/medium heat for about ten minutes. When the bottom is browned, turn it into a plate. Add a bit more oil to the pan, and then return it to the frying pan to brown the other side. When the second side is browned, turn it onto a plate. Eat it hot and fresh.

Tony

 

[HepKitty]

Thanks for your mom's recipe, will have to try it

 

[HepKitty]

http://foodycat.blogspot.com/2010/11/white-chocolate-cheesecake-cookies.html here is something to make you feel better!

Nice. Ok you've redeemed yourself lol

 

[MissViolet777]

Dear Friends,
I have always provided documented, Depression-era food for the 1930s-era Skeet shoots I've run. The first time around, the sticking point was finding a documented bread. Bread recipes from earlier times are notoriously hard to document--speaking broadly, bread was either made by professional bakers (who had no reason to, and plenty of reasons NOT to, tell their trade secrets) or by women (who passed their skills to their daughters by oral tradition). But, here's a RARA AVIS: a documented, detailed recipe for a plain loaf of white bread from 1932.

The recipe was printed in a news report, now sadly gone from the Internet, published in Arkansas. It concerned Elizabeth Young, who was known in her community as "the bread baker." Her loaves disappeared from every church supper or fair she offered them at; and it said she had been baking this bread, in this way, every week since 1932. Now, at the end of her life, she revealed the recipe--and the secret, as far as she was concerned, of the loaves perfect rising.

The bread is not unusual, really (which, for those of us interested in the quotidian, is a GOOD thing): it reveals its Southern heritage in the use of drippings as the lipid of choice--folks elsewhere would use butter or margarine, I suppose. It is noticeably sweet--not cake-y sweet, but noticeably. This makes it toast very well and (I assure you): people will like it, even if they can't put their finger on "why".

The "secret" is the dorsal ridge Mrs. Young crimped in the center of her loaves. I do it, just because SHE did it. It may be nothing but folklore...or not. I can say: the loaves have always risen very well indeed, and produced beautifully rounded tops, just as she said. If there is a connection to her method (and there might well be)...I'd say the crimping channels the exhalations of the yeast to the center of the loaf, expanding it outward as well as upward. Who knows? What I can say is: these loaves are a historical, as well as a gustatory, treat. Make; eat; enjoy; and send pictures!

Elizabeth Young’s 1932 white bread

Ingredients for 2 loaves:
2 ½ Tbspn melted bacon fat or other drippings

2 ½ cups lukewarm water
1 Tbspn instant dry yeast

½ cup sugar

1 Tbspn salt

6–7 cups AP flour (as 3 and “enough”)
Butter or margarine for pans and glaze

Method:
Melt drippings and add lukewarm water.

Put sugar, salt, instant yeast, and 3 cups of flour in mixer bowl, whisk to combine, and add liquids. Gradually add flour to make a soft to medium dough, moist and tacky without being too sticky. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes).

Cover and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled (about 30-40 minutes). Preheat oven to 375°. Grease two 9 ¼ x 5 ¼ x 2 3/4 inch loaf pans.

Turn out on lightly floured work surface, halve, and shape into loaves, as follows: pat each half into a rectangle 5 inches wide and 9 inches long. Roll towards you, creasing each full roll with thumbs. Roll lightly back and forth to equalize cylinder and place in prepared pans; the dough should have lengthed to the full 9 inches and should touch ends of pan. Pinch top of loaves into lengthwise ridge. Brush with melted butter or margarine, cover, and allow to rise until doubled and/or slightly over top of pans (about 30-45 minutes).

Place loaves on middle rack in oven with space between pans and bake at 375° for 15 minutes, then lower temperature to 275° for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Brush tops with melted butter or margarine and cool uncovered on wire racks.

"Skeet"

PS: Here is Mrs. Young's obituary notice, which IS still up as of this writing; may she rest in peace!
http://www.ruebelfuneralhome.com/archivedobits/2000/Young,%20Ruth%20Elizabeth.htm

I made this bread for the first time tonight, and I must say it was fan-freaking-tastic. Thanks so much for posting this recipe.