Georgia’s Kitchen: Bread

Georgia Diehm

Keota, Iowa – For those who love the taste of home-made bread,and who doesn’t, I have some interesting recipes from Georgia’s (Mom’s) files.

Imagine baking your bread on an old wood cook-stove as many of the pioneer house wives did. I have heard that food that is cooked that way has a taste that can’t be beat. I have had the opportunity to eat a piece of Apple Pie baked in a wood-stove oven. Though I thought the pie was really good, I didn’t notice that distinctive flavor that others have talked about. But then, it may have just been me. Anyway, no matter how you bake these breads, I’m sure they will be a delight to your taste buds. Enjoy!

Grandma’s Kaffee Klatsch

4 cups white (unbleached) flour
2 cups wheat bran
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 egg (slightly beaten)
2 1/2 cups buttermilk (or sour milk)*
2 tsp baking soda (dissolved in the milk)
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 cup sorghum molasses*

Mix dry ingredients. Add sour milk and then other ingredients. Pour into 2 greased bread pans and bake in a slow oven 1 hour and 20 minutes at (250).
*Note: Sour milk may be substituted by adding 1 1/3 T. vinegar or lemon juice plus milk to make 1 cup
*Note: Sorghum molasses- Though it is not as well known or used widely today, it is still available at some stores. I get mine at S.T. in Kalona. It is lighter than the dark molasses and sometimes substituted for honey. It is made from the sorghum plant and is a nutritional sweetener.

Squirrel’s Tails(1896)

quart of flour
salt
butter, size of egg
1/2 cake of yeast
lukewarm water
warm milk
2 egg whites- beaten to a froth
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
chopped nuts

To a quart of flour that has been sifted twice add a little salt, a piece of butter size of an egg. Then rub them well into flour. Dissolve 1/2 cake of yeast in a little lukewarm water. Add to this warm milk to make a soft batter. Do not spare the kneading. Set to rise covered in a warm place. When light add the whites of 2 eggs beaten to a froth. Let rise again. Make sauce of 1 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 cup butter. Beat until light and creamy. Roll dough thin. Cut in strips 1 in & 1/2 wide & 6 in long. Spread sauce on each strip and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Roll each strip up carefully. Place in buttered pan. Let rise again. Bake in hot oven 12-15 min. until golden brown.

Casserole Raisin Bread

3 Tbs butter
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 pkg dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 eggs (beaten)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup raisins

Measure butter, salt & sugar into big mixing bowl. Add boiling water & stir until butter is melted. Now stir in evaporated milk. Dissolve yeast in warm water & add to first mixture. Stir in beaten eggs. Add cinnamon to flour & add to the egg mixture. Beat to blend well. Add raisins. Beat until smooth. Let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 1 hour. Beat dough for about 2 minutes & turn into a greased 1 1/2 qt. casserole & let rise until nearly double.
Bake at (375) about 35 min. After the first 20 min. cover the top with foil to prevent top from getting too brown.
When done take out & turn right-side up. Drizzle top with powdered sugar icing

Molasses Corn Bread(1882)

1 heaping cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp soda
2 to 3 heaping Tbsp molasses
1 cup cornmeal
2 eggs-well beaten
1 1/2 cups sour milk
butter

Sift dry ingredients. Add cornmeal & mix well. Combine eggs, molasses, sour milk & butter. Add to dry ingredients, mixing well. Bake in a buttered pan in hot oven for 35 to 40 min or until golden brown. Cut into squares when cool.