Copyright - May not be
reproduced without permission from: Victoria
Rumble
Salt-Rising Bread
June 13, 1863 Lucy Rebecca Buck of
Virginia recorded the following passage in her diary:
"Finished ironing, got dinner, and did some cleaning up. In the afternoon
there were pies to make for tomorrow, salt rising to bake, and supper to
get besides milking and washing the children. Oh such a weary time as we
had of it--the children were sleepy and fretful, the stove wouldn't get
hot, the bread would not bake and the cows would run...Just as supper was
put on the table Father came in bringing with him two letters from Alvin
and Irvie. Bless their hearts. How affectionately and cheerfully they do
write--tis as cordial to our drooping spirits to have such pleasant
tidings from afar."
This salt-rising bread receipt
came from an old Southern cookbook in my collection.
4 c. milk l Tbsp. sugar l/2 c. white cornmeal
5 Tbsp. lard or shortening 1 Tbsp. salt 11 c.
flour, sifted
Scald 1 cup milk, pour over meal. Keep in a warm place and allow to stand
24 hours - it should be maintained in a warm environment for the whole of
the 24 hours. Heat 3 c. milk to lukewarm temp., stir in salt, sugar, and
lard or shortening. Stir in 3 1/2 c. flour. Then stir in the corn-meal
mixture. Place the bowl containing the flour/milk/meal mixture in a pan
of lukewarm water for about 2 hours or till bubbles come up from the
bottom. Stir in 5 c. flour. Put into the pans you are going to bake it
in and allow to set until doubled in bulk. - usually 3 to 4 hours. Bake
at 350 degrees for about l5 min. then increase the heat to 425 deg. and
bake about 45 min. more.
It seems as though in this recipe that the salt rising is just a quick
form of sourdough starter.
Should you like to serve the
bread toasted Miss Leslie's Directions for Cookery written in 1851
give the following directions for preparing toast:
"Cut the bread in even slices, and moderately thick. When cut too thin,
toast is hard and tasteless. It is much nicer when the crust is pared off
before toasting. A long-handled toasting-fork (to be obtained at the
hardware or tin stores) is far better than the usual toasting apparatus,
made to stand before the fire and the slices of bread slipped in between,
and therefore liable to be browned in stripes, dark and light alternately;
unless the bread, while toasting, is carefully slipped along, so that the
whole may receive equal benefit from the fire. With a fork, whose handle
is near a yard in length, the cook can sit at a comfortable distance from
the fire, and the bread will be equally browned all over; when one side is
done, taking it off the fork, and turning the other. Send it to table
hot, in a heated plate, or in a toast-rack; and butter it to your taste.
Toast should neither be burnt nor blackened in any way. You may lay it
in even piles, and butter it before it goes to table; cutting each slice
in half."