MOTHER BARLOW’S SALT RISING BREAD

MOTHER BARLOW’S  SALT RISING BREAD

This antique recipe and article I am about to share with you  was taken from a West Virginia Magazine “The Golden Seal”

Mary Margaret Barlow, our author’s mother, was using electric appliances and pam cooking spray by the time she got around to writing down her instructions on making this antique passed down salt rising bread, but the spirit and tasty product remained the same. Mrs. Barlow, who died in 1991, wrote the following at her daughter’s request.

Mothers’ Recipe

I set my “rising” about 6:00 or 7:00 pm the night before I want to bake bread.

I slice 2 medium sized potatoes in  a stainless steel bowl, add 2 tbsp sugar and pour in about 3 cups of boiling water, add  1/2 tsp soda and 1 tsp baking powder. Then add a heaping tablespoon of flour, cover and keep in a warm place.

The next morning, the mixture will have a deep white foam and an odor.

(I keep my mixture warm by sitting it in water in an electric skillet now days. Let the  water get warm enough that you can put your fingers in it. Do not turn the skillet too hot.)

Pour this liquid in a large bowl and beat in enough flour to make a stiff batter. I turn my oven just till it clicks, set in the bowl, cover and let rise until double in bulk- very light and bubbly.

I pour warm water over the remaining potato mixture, about 2 cups. Set it aside in a warm place, and this will get foamy again while the batter rises in the bowl.

1 sift about 7 pounds of flour in a dishpan.

Make a large hole in the center. add 2 tablespoons salt, 4 tablespoons sugar, 3 tablespoons Crisco. Mix well- add some of the foamy water and 2 0r 3 cups hot water and the batter.

Knead all of this into a stiff dough that can be handled easily- smooth and elastic; knead at least 10 minutes.

Form into loaves. I knead each loaf several minutes using cooking oil to keep from sticking.

Put in well greased pans. I know use “Pam cooking spray” in the past I used lard or Crisco.

I put these loves in my barely warm oven to rise until doubled in bulk. Then I turn the oven to 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

I rotate loaves in the oven after about 20 minutes.

Turn off oven and leave a while longer, maybe 10 minutes after timer  has gone off.

Turn loaves onto a cloth or a rack. Grease with margarine and cover with waxed paper for a while

I have picked up a few ides from people and other recipes over the years. Gray Hiner told me over the phone how to use the electric skillet. I also saw her using cooking oil to make up loaves.

Your grandmother however always used butter.