Salt-Rising Bread

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Salt-rising bread

"Salt-rising bread is one of the oldest breads in this country. It has a delicious and unusual flavor and a very smooth texture. In fact, it is one of the most remarkable of all breads. It does present one great difficulty for the breadmaker. It is unpredictable. It is a worthy recipe,so give it a try.

To keep the starter at a steady temperature, which the recipe requires, leave it in an electric oven with the light on--this will provide just enough warmth--or in a gas oven with the pilot light on.
The foam that forms may not be one, two, or three inches in thickness, but if it FOAMS at all make the loaf and see what happens. Good luck!

For the salt-rising starter:

1 1/2 cups hot water
1 medium potato, peeled and sliced thin
2 tablespoons white or yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix the starter ingredients and pour into a 2-quart jar or a deep bowl that has been rinsed well with hot water. Cover with a lid or plate. Put the jar into a larger bowl or pan and surround with boiling water. Cover the large bowl with plastic or a towel, and cover this with three or four towels or a blanket. It should stand at a temperature of 100 degrees when the mixture is finally foaming. The electric oven turned to warm will provide the right temperature, and so will a gas range with a pilot light on. In either case, let the starter stand about 12 hours, or until the top is covered with 1/2 to 1 inch of foam. Sometimes it will take longer to foam, even 24 hours, but continue to keep it warm.

FOR THE BREAD

Liquid from starter (above)
1/2 cup warm water (100 to 115 degrees, approximately)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup undiluted evaporated milk or 1/2 cup lukewarm whole milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose or hard-wheat flour

Let the liquid from the potato starter drip through a strainer into a mixing bowl, and then pour the warm water through the potatoes, pressing out as much liquid as possible. Discard the potatoes.

Add to the drained liquid the soda, milk, melted butter, and salt, mixing well.

Stir in 2 cups of the flour and beat until very smooth. Stir in the remaining flour, a cup at a time, until a soft dough is formed, using up to 4 1/2 cups.

Put a cup of flour on the bread board and turn the dough onto it. Sprinkle a little of the flour on top of the dough and knead lightly for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the dough is smooth but still soft.

Divide the dough and shape into two loaves (this bread does not have a rising between the kneading and the shaping).

Place in well-buttered bread pans, brush the top of each loaf with melted butter, cover, and place in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in bulk. (This will take longer than regular bread--as long as 4 to 5 hours, maybe more.)

Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the loaves shrink from the sides of the pans. Remove from pans to cool."

From: www.countrylife.net/pages/recipes/1043.html

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Salt risen starter, Grandma's Stinky Bread!!!

This recipe was posted on the Q&A by Linda
Thomas on February 04, 1998. The recipe was
what her dear departed Grandma Gert used.

My dear departed Grandma Gert used 2 old
potatoes, old with large developed eyes,
not moldy. Peel and cut them up about the
same size as raw fries. Place in a crock,
cover with 2 to 3 cups boiling water, 1/4 t.
salt, 1 t. sugar, 4 T. of corn meal. Cover
and place in the oven with just the pilot
light on, in about 8 to 12 hours, hopefully
it will get bubbly and stinky.

Her recipe is: Heat 2 cups milk to warm,
put potatoe water with milk, add 1/2 pinch
salt, 1/2 t. soda and enough flour to make
a spongy dough, let rise. After rise, add
enough flour for a good workable bread dough,
shape into loafs, rise again in pan, then
bake at 350 F. for approx. 1 hour. I wrote
this down a a napkin when I was 14 during
my last visit with her before she passed.
Please let me know if you are successful.


countrylife.net/pages/recipes/937.html

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This recipe seems the simplest.

Salt Rising Bread

Ingredients

(6 servings)

3 md Sized potatoes
1 ts Sugar
4 c Boiling water
3 tb Cornmeal
1 ts Salt

Dough:
2 c Lukewarm milk
1/8 ts Baking soda
1 c Water
2 tb Melted shortening
1/8 ts Salt
Flour


Instructions

Prize winning recipe
Starter:

Pare and slice potatoes. Add cornmeal, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and boiling water. Wrap bowl in a heavy cloth. Cover and allow to stand in a warm place overnight.

In the morning remove potatoes. Add milk, water, baking soda, salt, and shortening. Add sufficient flour to make a dough just stiff enough to knead. Knead until smooth and elastic. Form into loaves. Place in well-oiled pans. Cover and let rise until double in bulk. Bake in moderate oven (400° F) about 45 minutes. 3 loaves. Lyd Smith, Los Angeles, CA.

From: recipes.chef2chef.net/recipe-archive/8/A08827.shtml

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www.dvo.com/newsletter/monthly/2006/january/door.html

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Salt Rising Bread - Makes 3 to 4 loaves

3 med white potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp cornmeal
1 tsp salt
2 cups boiling water
2 cups lukewarm milk
¼ tsp soda
Flour
4 Tbsp shortening

Place sliced potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, cornmeal and salt. Pour boiling water over mixture. Cover with a dish towel and place in a pan of hot water. Keep the water hot under the bowl by keeping the lowest heat of the stove for 24 hours. Near the end of this period, the odor of fermentation will be evident and little bubbles will form on the surface.

At the end of the 24 hours, remove the potatoes and add milk, soda and enough sifted flour to make a stiff sponge. A large amount of flour is required. Put the mixture back into the large bowl over hot water for 2 to 2-12 hours or until light.

In another bowl cut shortening into 2 cups sifted flour. Add previous mixture and sufficient additional flour to make a soft dough. Knead lightly and quickly so the dough will stay warm.

Shape into loaves and place into greased pans (four small loaf pans or three large ones). Grease loaf tops. Allow to remain in a warm place until doubled in bulk. In a preheated over, 375º, bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350º and bake until the crust is golden brown and shrinks from the sides of the pan.

From: www.mychefsfavorites.com/recipes/north-carolina/salt-rising-bread.html