| Hi,
I have an old cookbook called "Favorite Breads from Rose Lane
Farm" by Ada Lou Roberts, I have been using it for excess of 25
years now, and have made this bread many times, it is always a favorite
of my family and of those whom we share.
Dutch White Bread (with old-fashioned bread starter) It is the
starter that gives you the dense texture.
Bread Starter
4 medium potatoes 3 Tablespoons sugar
1 quart water 1 package "DRY" yeast
2 teaspoons salt 1/4 cup warm water
Peel potatoes and cook until tender in 1 quart water. Put potatoes
through a food mill or sieve (I just mash them real well) and add
to the water in which they were cooked. Add 2 teaspoons salt and
3 Tablespoons sugar. Cool until just warm. Dissolve 1 package
dry yeast in 1/4 cup wrm water and add to the potato mixture. Pour
into a 2 quart jar, cover loosely, and let stand at room temperature
to rise. Each time the mixture reaches the top of the jar, stir
it down. Do this until it stops working. Put lik on jar but do
not screw down and store in refrigerator. Use 1/2 cup of this
starter in place of 1 package yeast and 1/2 cup water in which the
dry yeast would have been dissolved. Be sure to stir starter
thoroughly in the jar each time before pouring out a portion to
use. When the starter has been used down to 1/2 cup, use this
amount in place of the 1 package of dry yeast and 1/4 cup water
to start a new mix. (In colonial days neighbors often shared the
contents of the starter jar in order to use it regurlary to keep
it active and renew it often). This should be used within 2 to
3 weeks.
Dutch White Bread
2 cups warm water 2 teaspoons warm water
1 cup Starter 2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour 4 Tablespoons soft butter
1/2 teaspoon ginger 4 cups flour
Combine the first 4 ingredients, beat thoroughly, and let stand
in a comfortably warm place, tightly covered, overnight or for several
hours until very spongy and light. (I set the covered bowl on a
cutting board on top of my radiator). When the sponge is ready,
add 1/2 teaspoon ginger dissolved in 2 teaspoons warm water, 2
Tablespoons sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 4 tablespoons soft butter
and 3 cups flour. Stir until the dough clears the bowl. Spread
the remaining 1 cup flour on pastry board, turn out the dough and
knead for several minutes (at least 5) using more flour if necessary
to make a smoot elastic dough. (Since the yeast has had 2 rising
periods, once as a starter and once as a sponge, it can now be shaped
and placed in t he pans, or it can be given an additional rising
period before shaping. I prefer the latter method which gives a
more even texture). Divide into portions, shape as desired, place
in greased pans, brush tops of loaves or rolls with a little butter
or if you prefer the crackled crust with top milk (light cream),
and allow to stand in a warm place until double in bulk. BAke in
oven preheated to 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.
This recipe will make 3 medium loaves. About 10 minutes before
the end of the baking period again brush tops of loaves with butter
or light cream. (Now you have a loaf of real show bread if you
have been patient in allowing sufficient time for the rising periods,
and have kept the dough warm. This bread made with starter and
water has a velvety soft crumb that a loaf of milk bread never attains,
the crust is dilicately crisp but does not crumble in slicing, and
it has an allover even bisque shade, with no brown spots or toughness.
it keeps fresh much longer and toasts beautifully.
From this recipe I like to make 1 loaf, 8 sandwich buns, and
24 Dutch Sticky buns (These will melt in your mouth).
Using a portion of the Starter dough, make 24 small round buns about
the size of LARGE English walnuts. place 12 of these in each of
2 well-greased 8 inch round pans. This allows them to easily double
in bulk and still have a little space between them. Brush tops
of buns with just a little melted butter. When they are almost
double in bulk (about 35 minutes) trickle the syrup over the buns,
dividing it evenly between the 2 pans. Let rise a little longer
until very light (about another 20 - 25 minutes). Place on lower
rack in preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Increase heat
to 375 degrees and transfer pans to top rack of oven for last 15
minutes of baking. The syrup will melt from top of rolls, leaving
them nicely glazed and they become only faintly brown. The boiling
syrup will coat the bottoms of the rolls andty should not brown
at all. Have big plates lightly buttered. Turn rolls upside down
on plates quickly as soon as taken from the oven. Some of the syrup
will cling to the pans. Scrape it out quickly onto the rolls.
IF it hardens too fast, hold pan over burner for just a second and
it can be easily removed.
Syrup
1 1/2 cups brown sugar 4 Tablspoons boiling water
4 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespons flour 1/4 teaspoon maple flavoring
Blend together well and pour over rolls while syrup is still slightly
warm. 9These taffy-coated buns are popular with yourn and old alike,
as simply melt away. The syrup cooks to a smooth, non-sticky, but
not brittle consistency. It seals the buns in so that they stay
as soft as a fresh marshmallow even when cold. They are wonderful
to serve as soon as cool enough to handle. They are great for
breakfast, if they last that long.)
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| A starter was a potato based yeast mixture, which was used in colonial
times when yeast was scarce item, by keeping the "Starter" going,
a small amount of yeast went a long way.
I gives the bread products a might lighter taste, you know how
sometimes you can get a "yeastie" taste to bread, this wont have
that.
I know it sounds like a lot of work, but believe me its well worth
the effort.
I usually make a batch when I have baking to do for a bake sale
and use it all at once, making about 20 loaves of bread in all.
bon
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