Salt Rising Bread

Salt Rising Bread

 Sister Abigail’s from The Shaker Cook Book by Caroline B. Piercy.
This bread makes, Hands Down, the best toast!
Ingredients:
1 c scalded milk
½ c coarse cornmeal
3 c milk
¾ t salt
1 T sugar
5 T lard or butter
3 c sifted bread flour
2 ½ c sifted all-purpose flour

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Directions:

Scald milk; pour over cornmeal. Let stand in a warm place until bubbles rise to the surface (about 2 ½ hours).

Then heat milk just lukewarm and add to it salt, sugar, shortening and dissolve thoroughly. Now add the cornmeal mixture and set bowl in a dish of lukewarm water until bubbles rise throughout mixture.  

Work in sifted bread flour. When well blended, work in sifted all-purpose flour and knead until sponge is very elastic. Divide into 3 parts and work into loaves. Place in pans and let rise to double the bulk. 

Place loaves in a moderate (350°) oven for 15 minutes and then increase heat to 425°. Loaves should bake 1 hour total. Note that bread flour must be used in the above recipe. Since this is a painstaking recipe, it is best not to reduce the rule to a single loaf. 

Moreover, the bread gives off such a tempting aroma when baking that one will regret, at this stage, of not doubling the recipe.   This recipe doesn’t call for buttering the sponge, bowl, loaves or bread pans, but all of the other Shaker recipes do call for buttering each. In general directions it says NEVER to eat hot bread from oven as it will continue to emit gasses until it is cool.