Batter Bread – A 1940s Recipe

One of my Christmas gifts this year was a small 4-½ x 6 inch leather bound book engraved “Cooking Recipes”, purchased at an antique mall in Sugar Creek, Ohio.  The pages are edged in gold and there are 10 index tabs for food categories.  

The real gold in this book, though, is the collection of handwritten recipes.  There aren’t a lot of recipes – just 25, 22 of which are desserts.  The book itself could have been from the 1930s, but I believe the recipes are from the 1945-1950 era.  This is based on a lot of recipes calling for shortening, for using the word “oleo” rather than margarine in most recipes and the attention given to oven temperatures.  I believe it’s post-World War II because of all of the sugar-laden desserts.  

The handwriting is clear and ingredients are listed correctly, although most of the recipes give no idea of how the item is to be prepared, what kind of pan to use or how long to bake.  That’s why I’ve decided to make each of the recipes, using the products specified, and adding my own instructions.  I like to think that the woman from the 1940s kitchen (who would have been about my mother’s age) would enjoy having someone fuss around with these recipes again and turn out some delicious food for the family.

This is the only recipe in the book that uses yeast.  I substituted oil for shortening and I know the 1940s housewives were using cake yeast which is hard to find now.  I use fast-acting yeast (Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise yeast  – Quick-Rise in Canada) and a quick mix method for all of my bread-making.  That makes this batter bread even simpler and quicker to make.

Your choice of spices, herbs, cheese, etc., could be added.  For this test, I made it plain and it was delicious.  The bread is soft with a nice crunchy crust.

BATTER BREAD  (No Kneading)

• 1-¼ cup water, 130 degrees F
• 1 Tblsp. fast-acting yeast (Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise yeast – Quick-Rise in Canada)
• 2 Tblsp. oil (canola)
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tblsp. granulated sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Grease a 1-½ quart casserole dish

In the large bowl of a mixer, place 1 cup of flour, salt, sugar and yeast.  Mix for 20 seconds to blend.

Add water and oil, beat on medium speed with paddle beater for 3 minutes.  Remove beater and insert dough hook.  Add remaining 2 cups of flour gradually while beating at medium speed for 6-½ minutes.   Dough will be like a stiff batter.

Cover and let rise in the mixing bowl in a warm place for 15 minutes.

Punch down dough with a spoon and place in a greased 1-½ quart casserole dish.

Cover and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.

Bake in preheated 375 degree F oven for approximately 45 minutes until golden brown.

Place casserole dish on wire rack.  With a knife, loosen around the sides of the bread and leave in the dish for another 10 minutes.

Then, remove the bread to a rack to continue cooling.

While still warm, cut into wedges.  Servings:  6 to 10, depending on size of slices.

Good Soft Wrap Bread

One summer day a couple of years ago, I went with my youngest daughter and her children to a little hole-in-the-wall Greek Restaurant in the Sharonville suburb of Cincinnati.  It was a small room with formica-topped tables. paper plates and napkins, one waitress and one cook/owner who made gyros for a crowd of hungry people.  They were the best gyros I’ve ever eaten and I was particularly impressed with the soft bread wraps.   I’ve been looking for a good recipe ever since.  I finally found it on the King Arthur Flour blog.  I adapted the recipe somewhat and this bread is so good.  It’s well worth the extra time and trouble.

GOOD SOFT WRAP BREAD

3 to 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup potato buds or flakes
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise yeast (Quick-Rise in Canada)

In a medium bowl, place 1-3/4 cups of flour.  Pour the boiling water over the flour, and stir until a soft, craggy dough is formed.

Lightly cover the bowl and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the potato flakes or buds and 1 cup of the remaining flour along with the salt, oil and yeast. By hand, add this to the slightly cooled flour/water mixture, stir, then knead for several minutes to form a soft dough.  Keep hands and work surface lightly oiled while kneading.

Place dough in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1-2 hours (I let mine rise for 2 hours).  I like to let my bread rise in a bowl on top of  the microwave which sets under a cabinet.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll each piece into a ball about the size of a tennis ball.  Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

Roll each ball into a thin 7- to 8-inch circle.

Fry them without oil on a pre-heated  griddle or frying pan over medium heat for about 1-½  minutes per side until they’re puffed and flecked with brown spots. Adjust the heat if they seem to be cooking either too quickly, or too slowly.   Cooking too quickly will cause them to be undercooked in the center; cooking too slowly will dry them out.

Transfer the cooked breads to a wire rack, stacking them to keep them soft. Serve immediately, or cool before storing in a plastic bag.

The bad news about making this bread is that although hands-on time is short (20 minutes or so), you have to allow about 3 hours (rising and resting time) when you can come back in the kitchen for a few minutes at a time.

The good news is that the bread can be refrigerated and then removed to a countertop about 2 hours before frying.  The dough can also be frozen after it is formed into balls.  Place in a covered container to freeze, remove from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before serving.  The next day, remove from the refrigerator and let set for about 2 hours to bring to room temperature.

Then roll and fry as instructed above.

And further good news is that this is the best soft wrap bread I’ve ever made – almost as good as the ones in the hole-in-the-wall restaurant.

A Pictorial Lesson for My Easy Italian Bread

A reader of my post for Easy Italian Bread asked for a series of pictures showing the work in progress.  I made a fresh batch this morning and have posted pictures that I hope will be of some help in making this very easy bread.  It’s essential that you use a fast-rising yeast (Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise in the U.S., Quick Rise in Canada).  Click on a picture to enlarge it.

Dry ingredients in the large bowl of an electric mixer:

After adding 130 degree F water and oil, insert dough hook and beat at medium speed for 3 minutes.

Add remainder of flour gradually until dough is elastic and not sticky.  You may need a bit more flour.

With floured hands, place dough on a floured board.  Add enough flour to shape into a mound and cover with a towel to rest on the board for 10 minutes.

Divide dough in half and roll each into a long, narrow loaf.

Place loaves on greased baking sheet, allowing room on all sides of each loaf.

Cover and let rise in a warm place that is free of drafts.  I set mine on my microwave which is under a cabinet overhang.

After 30 minutes rising time, the bread should have doubled in height. 

Brush with water, cut diagonal slashes with a serrated knife and bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes. 

Cover with a towel and allow to cool on a wire rack.

This makes two very good, fast and easy rustic loaves of bread.

Applesauce Yeast Bread

I first made this bread in 1985.  The recipe was adapted from a recipe in a cookbook called Elsah Landing Heartland Cooking (Illinois), a gift from my youngest son and his wife.  I rated it excellent then and have made it many times through the years.

APPLE YEAST BREAD

• One package fast-acting dry yeast
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup water, heated to 130 degrees F
• 1/4 cup undiluted evaporated milk, heated to 130 degrees F
• 2 Tblsp. butter, melted
• 1 cup applesauce, room temperature
• Approx. 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

In an electric mixer bowl place yeast, sugar, salt and one cup of flour.  Add heated water/milk, melted butter and applesauce.  Beat with paddle beater at medium speed for 3 minutes.  Remove paddle and insert dough hook.

Beat with dough hook for 6-1/2 minutes, adding flour gradually, 1/4 cup at a time.  Dough will feel a little sticky.  Place dough in an oiled bowl, turn once, then cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Punch down dough and form into loaves or rolls.  I chose to make a 7-1/2 inch loaf and 6 large rolls.

Place in greased pan/sheet, cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake rolls for 12-15 minutes, small loaves for about 25 minutes and 9×5 inch loaves for 30-35 minutes until crust is brown and top sounds hollow when tapped.

Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack.

Cover with a towel while cooling for a softer crust.

This bread is soft with a slight hint of the applesauce and is great for toasting, as a base for dishes like Chicken a la King,  or for French toast.  My daughter and I enjoyed rolls fresh from the oven with some of our favorite Shannon’s Curry Chicken Salad.

Anadama Bread and Rolls

I first made this bread in December of 1982 and included mini-loaves in my food gift baskets that year.  This is very good bread and you can definitely taste the hearty texture of the corn meal.   I adapted my recipe from one in a 1976 edition of Redbook Cookbook.

ANADAMA BREAD AND ROLLS

• 6-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, approx.
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 cup yellow corn meal
• 2 pkgs instant dry yeast
• 1 cup water, heated to 130 degrees F
• 1 cup milk, heated to 130 degrees F
• 1/2 cup light molasses*
• 3 Tblsp. butter, melted

*I used some molasses I had bought in Amish country and it has a slight sorghum flavor.  Any good light molasses would work well.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, place 1 cup of flour, the corn meal, yeast, water, milk, molasses and melted butter.  With a paddle beater, beat at medium speed for 3 minutes.

Remove paddle beater and insert dough hook.  Add one cup of flour to the mixture and beat at medium speed, gradually adding 1/2 cup of flour at a time as the dough is being kneaded for 6-1/2 minutes.  Dough should be elastic and smooth, but will be a little sticky to the touch because of the molasses.

Place dough in a greased bowl ….

…cover and let rise in warm place for 30 minutes.

Punch down dough and make into bread and/or rolls.  This amount of dough will make two 9×5 inch loaves or a variety of other combinations.  I chose to make a 7-3/4 inch loaf and 10 large rolls.  Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake the rolls for approximately 12-15 minutes, depending on size.  Bake a 7-3/4 inch loaf of bread for approximately 30 minutes, and a 9×5 inch loaf for 45-55 minutes.

Remove from pans immediately to a wire rack and let cool.

I like to cover the bread with a tea towel while cooling to keep the crust soft.

The bread came out of the oven at noon, just in time for my daughter and me to enjoy it for lunch with a bowl of soup – fantastic!

Incidentally, for busy days, it’s nice to have a box of Campbell’s V-8 soup in the pantry.  Today, we had Southwestern Corn Chowder – really good.

Note:  I always underbake the rolls because I’m going to be browning them in the oven just before serving – usually just two or three at a time.

Really Good Buttermilk Bread/Rolls

The Sunday dinner I made for my two daughters and two grandchildren seemed like a Thanksgiving preview – in miniature.  We had a small roasted chicken, a small amount of stuffing that would fit in its cavity, mashed potatoes, corn and something that was full sized and then some – buttermilk rolls.  This recipe made a medium loaf and 15 large soft, delicious rolls.

REALLY GOOD BUTTERMILK BREAD/ROLLS

• 2 Tblsp. dry fast-acting yeast
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 7-8 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 cups buttermilk, heated to 130 degrees F
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 egg, room temperature

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, place the yeast, salt, soda, sugar and 2 cups of flour.  Add the heated buttermilk and melted butter.  Beat with the paddle beater at medium speed for 3 minutes.  Add the egg and beat for another 30 seconds.

Remove paddle beater and insert bread hook.  Add 2 cups of flour and beat at medium speed for another 6:30 minutes, gradually adding more flour until the dough is smooth and elastic.  You may need a little more or a little less flour.

Place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Oil bread pans or baking sheets.  Punch down dough and form into loaves and/or rolls.   This time I chose to use 1/3 of the dough to make a loaf to fit a 7-1/2″x3-1/2″ pan (inside measurement) and pinched off dough about 2″ diameter to make 15 rolls.

Cover the bread and let rise in a warm place for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

When bread has risen, place in oven on middle rack and bake approximately 12 minutes for rolls and 25-45 minutes for loaves, depending on size.

I have a note in my recipe binder:  “Excellent – first made in March, 1988.   From a library book, Miss Mary’s.”

I like to keep at least 3 thick slices of homemade bread in my freezer for the times when my oldest son stops by for breakfast.  He loves toasted homemade bread with his bacon and eggs.

For dessert we had an old favorite which I posted in October of 2007, Old Fashioned Plum Streusel Pie.  It was delicious – the purple plums seemed especially flavorful.

Best Light Bread

Many of my childhood Thanksgivings were spent in my Grandma’s kitchen where she cooked a big family dinner on a woodburning stove.  I cook for my grandchildren now, gratefully using all the latest conveniences.  My favorite yeast rolls for Thanksgiving are made from a recipe adapted from one that appeared in Better Homes & Gardens Country Cooking magazine (1982-83).  The original recipe called for the more conventional method of proofing, mixing, and rising, but I converted it to a quicker way with fast acting yeast.

I won blue ribbons at the Hamilton County Fair (Cincinnati) and the Ohio State Fair using this recipe in the 1980s.

BEST LIGHT BREAD

• 6 to 7 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 pkgs. fast-acting dry yeast
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 cup hot milk (130 degrees F)
• 1 cup hot water (130 degrees F)
• 1/2 cup margarine, melted
• 2 beaten eggs, room temperature

Place 2 cups of flour, yeast, sugar and salt in the large bowl of an electric mixer.  Add the hot milk, hot water and melted shortening and beat for 3 minutes at medium speed, using the paddle beater.  Mix in the eggs.  Insert dough hook and continue to knead dough for another 6-1/2 minutes, adding flour as needed.

Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.  Punch down and form into rolls.  Place on greased baking sheets, cover and let rise for 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake rolls for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.  Let cool on wire racks.

For Thanksgiving, I like to make the rolls large – the better for making turkey sandwiches.

In Praise of Buttermilk

Growing up in the years of the Great Depression, we didn’t have milk except from a can.  My mother loved buttermilk but there wasn’t any available in those hungry years.  When my mother was 73, she made an audio tape of family stories and her personal memories.  She said, “It was depression time and we all lived together – one big happy family!  And when you went to the table to eat you had better fill your plate up because it was never going to be passed around again – that was the only chance you were going to get.  But John (her step-father) would not take any kind of welfare or anything, he insisted on working.  And then we moved to Cincinnati where he got a job shoeing mules and the house went with us and the two boys, Frank and my husband, drove John around with blacksmith tools in the back of the car and he would go around and tell the farmers that their horses needed shoeing whether they did or not – even just a re-setting, that was $1.00 a shoe – and he would always come home with some groceries.”

The “house” consisted of the grandparents, my parents and their two children, two teenage boys, two teenage girls and an infant, all living together and trying to survive on the meager earnings of the traveling blacksmith and his two young sons.

In 1935, my father was able to get on the WPA as a laborer and he moved his little family to a one-room flat in downtown Cincinnati.  My mother always said the happiest day of her life was the day she moved into that little room and was finally able to have a place of her own.

My little sister and I continued to have our evaporated milk diluted with water and heavily sugared.  When I went to the first grade at old Raschig School on Central Parkway, imagine my delight at seeing a table wheeled into the room with apple butter sandwiches and huge metal pitchers of honest-to-goodness milk.  My father, remembering the farm-fresh milk of his childhood, straight from the cow, said this was just surplus skim milk provided by the government.  No matter, nothing ever tasted so good to me.

I always loved milk and as I grew older, I learned to appreciate my mother’s favorite, buttermilk.  Whenever we went to a county fair, Mother and I had the treat of a fish sandwich and ice cold buttermilk.  My father was sure we were going to get violently ill from such a combination but we never did.  We both loved that little half-pint carton of milk with big flakes of butter floating around in it.

When I have a cup of buttermilk left over, I like to make these yeast rolls – very simple – very quick – and very good.

EASY BUTTERMILK YEAST ROLLS

• 5 to 5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 3 Tblsp. granulated sugar
• 2-1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 package fast rising yeast
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil

In a large mixer bowl place 2 cups of flour, sugar, salt, soda, and yeast.

Heat the buttermilk and water to 130 degrees F.  Add to the flour mixture.  Add the oil.  Beat with mixer paddle at medium speed for 3 minutes.  Insert dough hook and beat for 6:30 minutes longer, adding flour as needed until dough is elastic and no longer sticky.

Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Punch down dough, form into rolls and place on greased cookie sheets.  Cover and let rise in a warm place for another 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake rolls in a preheated oven for approximately 12 minutes until golden brown.  Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Makes approximately 18 rolls, depending on size.

Easy Italian Bread

This is an easy Italian bread that I’ve been making for over 20 years.  With fast-rising yeast, a mixer with a dough hook, and directions for quick-mixing, in no time you’ll have two big loaves of hearty bread.

EASY ITALIAN BREAD

• 2 packages fast-rising dry yeast
• 2 Tblsp. granulated sugar
• 2-1/2 tsp. salt
• 4-1/4 to 4-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1-3/4 cup water heated to 130 degrees F
• 2 Tblsp. vegetable oil

In the large bowl of mixer, place yeast, sugar, salt and two cups of flour.  Mix to blend and add the 130 degree F water and oil.  Mix on medium speed with regular beater for 3 minutes.  Insert dough hook and beat for another 6:30 minutes, adding flour as needed to keep dough from being sticky.

Place dough on a floured board, cover with a cloth, and let rest for 10 minutes.  Punch down dough and form into two long narrow loaves.  Place loaves on a greased pan, cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Before placing loaves in oven, moisten your fingers and gently spread water over the top of the loaves.  Cut three slashes in the top with a serrated knife.  Place loaves in oven and bake for approximately 25 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack to cool.  These loaves measure approximately 15 inches long by 6 inches wide.

This is my favorite bread to use as garlic bread, bruschetta, French Toast, stuffing, bread pudding or in any recipe that calls for a sturdy old-fashioned bread.

 

Honey Whole Wheat Bread and Rolls

Every Wednesday, granddaughter Dolphin comes to my house and most of the time we make bread.  This week we made an old favorite going back over more than 20 years – Honey Whole Wheat Bread.

HONEY WHOLE WHEAT BREAD & ROLLS

• 2 packages fast rising dry yeast
• 2 cups of whole wheat flour (Gold Medal)
• 1/2 cup instant potato flakes
• 1/2 cup non-fat dry milk
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups of water heated to 130 degrees F
• 3 Tblsp. oil
• 3 Tblsp. honey
• 3-4 cups all-purpose flour (Gold Medal)

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, place yeast, whole wheat flour, instant potato flakes, dry milk and salt.  Stir to blend.  Add heated water, oil and honey.  With paddle beater, beat at medium speed for 3 minutes.  Insert dough hook and continue beating for another 6:30 minutes, adding all-purpose flour as required to make dough springy and not sticky. 

Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.  Punch down, form into loaves and/or rolls, place formed dough on oiled pans, cover and let rise for 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake loaves, according to size, for 25 to 45 minutes until golden brown on top and loaves sound hollow when tapped.  Bake rolls for 12-15 minutes, according to size.  I like to bake one loaf of bread in a medium size 7-1/2″ pan for 25 minutes and form 12 rolls from the remaining dough to bake on a large cookie sheet for 12 minutes.

Dolphin and I enjoy a roll fresh from the oven with butter and a drizzle of honey.

Back when I first started making Honey Whole Wheat Bread, my aunt and then later my mother were fighting cancer and nothing tasted good to them but this bread.  I made each one a loaf every week until even this fresh bread didn’t taste good to them any more.   My aunt passed away in 1989 and my mother in 1991.  I know they would be happy to think that Dolphin is enjoying the bread now.