Recipe "Salt Raised Bread"

Falcon15 · Nov 9, 2011

I read a blog that goes over 1800's-1900's recipes, and came across this method for making salt raised bread. No yeast or commercial chemicals are involved. Seems to be a variation on sourdough, but takes far less time than a good starter. May come in handy post SHTF:

I was intrigued by a reference to ‘salt-rising bread’ in The Manual of Home-making, (1919) by a trio of American experts, Martha van Rensselear, Flora Rose, and Helen Canon. This is what they have to say on the topic.

SALT-RISING BREAD.
An old fashioned bread, the making of which is almost a lost art today, is called salt-rising bread. No yeast is used. Gas from a certain type of bacteria found in cornmeal is the leavening agent. Dough made from freshly ground cornmeal rises much more rapidly than that from old cornmeal; in fact, failure generally results unless fresh cornmeal is used.
The bread is handled in the same way as yeast-raised bread, except that the entire process can be carried on at a somewhat higher temperature than is possible with yeast bread.
The odor of salt-rising bread during fermentation and proofing is characteristic. No other dough is like it.
Salt-rising bread is finer in texture than yeast bread, and some persons believe it is more easily digested.
Recipe for salt-rising bread (3 loaves)
(1) In the evening make a mush of 2 tablespoons of cornmeal and about ½ cup of scalded milk. Keep it in a warm place overnight.

(2) In the morning mix together 1 cup lukewarm water, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon soda, 1 ½ cups flour, cornmeal mush.

(3) Cover the mixture, and place the dish in warm water until the mixture is light.

(4) To 2 cups lukewarmwater add 2 teaspoons of salt and 3 cups of flour. Add to this the cornmeal leavening mixture. Allow the mixture to rise until it is light. Then add sufficient flour to make a dough. Knead it until it is smooth, make it into loaves, place in tins, and allow it to rise until it is double in bulk. Bake it according to the general directions.

There are variations on this theme in other books; some use all wheat flour, some use boiling water, some have other minor variations, but they all include the first step of making a batter or wet dough and leaving it to its own devices overnight. No baker’s yeast is added to the dough, that is true enough, but the bread is not yeastless, it is leavened by the action of natural yeasts and bacteria which have been happily cultivated in the warmth of the kitchen.

[FONT=&quot]I have two questions of you. Is the making of this bread really a lost art? And why is it called salt-raised?[/FONT]
Click to expand...

Kaitlin Morningstar · Apr 21, 2012

Thank you for this. I have never tried raising bread this way so I will be sure to try it out and see how it goes.

jasonl6 · Apr 23, 2012

This is pretty common where i live though we have never made it ourselves. Around here it sells for around 2.50-3.00 a loaf. This is my favorite bread for breakfast toast or for cream tuna on toast.

Jason

ditch witch · May 29, 2012

Salt raised bread is awesome! It is also something I have failed at more than once, no doubt due to my lack of patience with the steps.

sniper69 · May 30, 2012

King Arthur used to sell a salt rising bread "yeast", but I didn't see it available last I checked Salt-Rising Bread Yeast - 16 oz.
Another place that has a salt rising starter is Rising Creek Bakery, Mt. Morris, PA - I haven't ordered from them yet, but plan to buy some of the starter.

On the topic of bread - another one that I enjoy and haven't found since moving is butter brioche. It is one tasty bread.

Thaddius Bickerton · May 30, 2012

When young, salt rising bread was the favorite of the many I had a chance to sample.

I could never get as much as i wanted because everyone wanted it and it was slower to make than regular yeast breads.

I have not tried to make it myself, but seeing this I may give it a try, if I manage it then it will be time for happy celebration at the homestead.

I just love this kind of bread.

sniper69 · Jun 3, 2012

Here is another place to get salt rising bread starter:
Salt Rising Bread Starter

Also for anyone wondering what brioche bread is here is a link to a recipe: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/22245/100-butter-brioche-richer-bill-gates

Ganado · Dec 29, 2018

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/classic-american-salt-rising-bread-recipe

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Recipe "Salt Raised Bread"

Falcon15 Falco Peregrinus

Kaitlin Morningstar Monkey

jasonl6 Monkey+++

ditch witch I do stupid crap, so you don't have to

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sniper69 Monkey+

Ganado Monkey+++

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Recipe "Salt Raised Bread"

Falcon15 Falco Peregrinus

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sniper69 Monkey+

Thaddius Bickerton Monkey+

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