I was told I could share this story on the list:
My Grandma Smith was a young bride at age 17, in late November 1904. They
lived on our farm near Whitewater, Kansas, with Grandpa's old Quaker
father. Ellen Pearl had never been taught much about cooking, as her mother
had been too busy making a living for herself and family after being
widowed and then abandoned by her second husband.
The day came for baking bread and Ellen Pearl got a starter from her sister
who lived a few miles from her. She mixed up the bread and thought "this is
easy enough" and went on about her work as the bread was set to raise.
After an hour she checked on it and it was as flat as it was when she sat
it to raise. She waited another hour and still nothing!! She was so upset
and didn't want anyone to see this failure. She got rid of the bread and
thought she could make biscuits instead.
The men came in for lunch and went back to work in the fields clearing
brush. In the late afternoon the sunshine came through the clouds and the
winters day brightened. She heard her young husband at the door. "KIDDO,
come with me. I want to show you the BIGGEST toadstool I have EVER seen in
My Lifetime!" She had been found out. He led her to the north woods. There
in all its glory was the bread dough pushing its way up through the ground
where she had buried it earlier in the day. That hot afternoon sun had
warmed the dough and she learned an important lesson about baking bread!
One must have a warm place for the bread to raise. Her father in law taught
her to cook, and she became a very good cook and bread maker. I don't think
Grandma ever used a starter much after the yeast cakes were sold in the
local stores, she liked the ease of using them. She was my baking teacher.
Here is the Sourdough Recipe from
Betty Crocker 4 in 1 Cookbook Collection
Betty Crocker's Cooking American Style
Chapter Baking Day page 16-17
Copyright 1975
Sourdough Starter
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 F)
1/4 cup milk
1 cup all purpose flour
Dissolve yeast in warm water in 3 quart GLASS bowl. Stir in milk. Stir in
flour gradually, beat until smooth. Cover with towel or cheese cloth let
stand in warm draft free place (80 to 85 degree) until starter begins to
ferment, about 24 hours. (bubbles will appear on surface of starter. If no
bubbles discard and begin again) Stir well, cover tightly with plastic wrap
and return to warm place. Let stand until foamy, 2 to 3 days.
When foamy, stir well, pour into a 1 quart mason jar with tight fitting
lid. Store in refrigerator. It is ready to use when a clear liquid has
risen to the top. Stir before using. Use one cup of the starter in this
recipe, reserve remaining starter. {this is where I throw it out} If
keeping the starter add 3/4 cup milk and 3/4 cup flour. Store covered at
room temp until bubbles appear, about 12 hours, then store in refrigerator
tightly covered. Use about once a week. If the volume of the bread you bake
decreases dissolve 1 teaspoon active yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Stir in
1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup flour and the remaining starter after removing one
cup for baking day.
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Sourdough Bread
1 cup Sourdough starter
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups warm water
3 3/4 to 4 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 Tablespoon Vegetable oil
Cold Water
Method: Mix Sourdough starter, 2 1/2 cups flour and 2 cups warm water in a
3 quart
GLASS bowl, with a wooden spoon, beat by hand until smooth. Cover and let
rise in a warm draft free area for 8 hours.
For a softer dough add 1 pkg yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water at this
point. Add 3 3/4 cups flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and oil to mixture
in the bowl. Stir with the wooden spoon until dough is smooth and flour is
completely absorbed. It should be firm enough to form a ball. If not add
just enough flour until it will form the ball.
Turn out onto heavily floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic
about 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl, be sure greased on top. Cover, let
rise in warm place until dough is double in size, about 1 1/2 hours Dough
should be ready when an indentation remains when touched lightly.
Punch down, divide in half. Shape each half into a round or shape loaf as
desired. Do not tear dough. Place loaves on greased baking sheets. make
three 1/4 inch slashes in each loaf. let rise until double in size about 45
minutes. {now I like to let rise first then slash with a very sharp knife.
You should experiment on that issue}
Heat oven to 375 F. Brush loaves with cold water. Place in middle of oven.
Bake until a hollow sound is heard when tapped, about 50 minutes. brushing
occasionally with the water. Remove from baking sheets and cool on wire
racks. Makes 2 loaves.
DO NOT USE self rising flours.
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I hope you will like this bread. As I stated before I am not fond of a sour
taste so I really liked this bread.
As I typed this up it sounds like a lot of work, but really isn't that
much; just need to follow through on all the directions. I have kept the
starter if I am baking several times in a month. My husband will not eat
homemade bread, so unless I have someone to help eat it I don't make it as
often as I would like.
Sue Ellen Ash