Becky-
I'll bet that German Black Rye Bread mix you bought in PA is the same
one I buy from a Mennonite shop, Spring Lake (food & fabric-dangerous
combination!) in upstate NY. It is great :-) and saves a lot of
work. It is one of the few mixes we like.
When I was doing a bread machine workshop with the local Co-op Extension
last spring, the family owning the shop gave me a copy of several pages
of recipes for this and other mix combinations put out by the same
company. The mixes are distributed by a firm in Myerstown, PA 17067
called Dutch Valley Food Distributors, Inc. (717-933-4191 or
1-800-733-4191). That is the label on the approx 1 1/2 to 2 lb pkges in
the store.
It wasn't until Christine gave me the bread machine instructions (they
have by-hand taped to the shelves) that I saw the name "Dawn Bread
Machine Mixes". I gave a bag each to relatives who have ABM's for
Christmas, so was thinking about how they could obtain it on their own,
when your inquiry set me off on some Internet searches.
There wasn't much under the Dutch Valley name, but the Dawn Foods site
proved to be very interesting! They have been making mixes for the
bakery trade for quite some time, usually in 50 lb quantities!
Go to >www.dawnfoods.com/welcome.html<
There is also a list of distributors by state. Doesn't look like there
are any in VA, (Maryland?) but maybe something can be shipped to you and
you can split it with friends and freeze it. A distributor might know a
retail outlet closer to you.
This local Mennonite shop in eastern Wayne Co. is also where I buy Red
Star yeast in bulk at considerable savings, so next time you are at a
Mennonite grocery shop, ask about that. They supply to the families in
the area and their small businesses which make baked goods for local
markets. If you can find a Mennonite Church in an area, it may indicate
enough families to support their own local supply shop. (Generally good
agricultural, but relatively cheap, land - out in the boonies!)
As to recipes, try the Bread Machine Magic ABM cookbooks (by L Conway &
L Rehberg), they have several nice ones therein. Their books are very
reasonably priced and are full of well-tested recipes and information.
"Bread Machine Magic Bk of Helpful Hints" (blue cover) is now THE
reference book for not only bread machines, but flours, etc. at the
County Co-operative Extension. They also have a Web site.
Debby
CorgiSews, in upstate NY, with the snow eating corgi, Dylan, and her
cold which is keeping her from giving her wonderful, new Whirlpool stove
a workout.
*Sewing is more interesting when your corgi uses the foot pedal as a
chin rest*