The Homestyle Amish Kitchen Cookbook (11 page)

Brush loaf with some of the beaten egg white. Bake for 10 minutes. Brush top of loaf again with the egg white and continue baking for about 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer to wire rack, and cool some before slicing.

Sourdough Starter

2 cups warm water

4½ tsp. (2 packages) active dry yeast

2 cups flour

Do not use a metal bowl
.

Dissolve yeast in water and let set until bubbly, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour. Let set at room temperature, covered, at least 2 days before using. Stir occasionally. To store, stir it down and put into a jar. Cover and keep in the refrigerator. In order to keep starter a long time, it’s necessary to replace some of the starter with fresh. You can do this by taking out 1 cup starter and replenishing with 1 cup flour and 1 cup water; mix and let stand until bubbly, cover, and store in refrigerator.

The longer you keep feeding and using your Sourdough Starter, the more “sour” the taste will become
.

Sourdough English Muffins
 

2¼ tsp. (1 package) active dry yeast

½ cup warm water

3 cups flour, approximately

1 cup Sourdough Starter, room temperature

2 T. oil

1 T. sugar

1 tsp. salt

cornmeal

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until bubbly, about 10 minutes. Add 2 cups flour, Sourdough Starter, oil, sugar, and salt. By hand, stir until smooth. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a firm dough.

Turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease all surfaces. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough; let rest about 5 minutes. On a surface that has been sprinkled with cornmeal, roll out dough to ¼-inch thickness. With a round biscuit cutter, cut into circles and turn to coat top side with cornmeal.

Place on a greased cookie sheet, cover, and let rise until double, about 30 minutes.

With your hands, carefully lift the English muffins from the cookie sheet and place in a lightly greased griddle or frying pan. Cook for 10 minutes on each side or until deep golden brown.

For Sourdough Starter, see recipe in Sourdough Bread
.

Sourdough Pancakes

½ cup Sourdough Starter, room temperature

1¼ cups flour

1 cup milk

1 T. sugar

1 T. oil

1 tsp. soda

½ tsp. salt

1 egg

In a large mixing bowl, combine the starter, flour, and milk. Let stand for 30 minutes.

By hand, stir in remaining ingredients; the batter will be slightly lumpy.

Pour a small amount of batter onto a lightly greased griddle or frying pan. Cook until golden, turning to cook the other side when the surface is bubbly and edges look slightly dry.

For Sourdough Starter, see recipe in Sourdough Bread
.

Sourdough Rye Bread
 

1 cup Sourdough Starter, room temperature

1 cup warm water

2 cups rye flour

1 T. active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1 T. salt

1 T. caraway seeds

1½ tsp. poppy seeds

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups white flour

cornmeal

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. water

Mix the Sourdough Starter, 1 cup warm water, and rye flour together and let stand overnight.

The next day, mix the yeast and 1 cup warm water and let stand until bubbly, about 10 minutes. Stir the yeast mixture into the starter mixture and add the salt, caraway and poppy seeds, and both remaining flours. Add more white flour if needed to make a workable dough. Knead for about 10 minutes. Let rise until doubled.

Punch down the dough and knead about 10 times. Form the dough into 2 long loaves. Put them on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Let rise until double. Brush loaves with beaten egg mixed with 1 tsp. water.

Preheat oven to 450°. Turn down oven to 350° and immediately put in the loaves. Bake for 45 minutes. Turn loaves over and continue to bake another 10 minutes to brown the bottom slightly.

For Sourdough Starter, see recipe in Sourdough Bread
.

Sticky Buns

⅓ cup milk

¼ cup sugar

½ tsp. salt

¼ cup butter

2¼ tsp. (1 package) active dry yeast

¼ cup warm water

1 egg

2½ cups flour

Filling

½ cup butter, softened and divided

1 cup light brown sugar, divided

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup chopped raisins

½ tsp. cinnamon

In a small saucepan, heat milk just until bubbles form around edge of pan. Remove from heat and add sugar, salt, and ¼ cup butter. Stir to melt the butter. Cool to lukewarm.

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large mixing bowl and stir
to dissolve. Stir in lukewarm milk mixture. Add the egg and 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add the remaining ½ cup flour and hand mix until dough is smooth and leaves the sides of the bowl.

Turn out dough onto a floured surface and continue to knead the dough until it is smooth and blisters appear, about 7 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, turning the ball of dough over so oiled side of dough is now up. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled—about 1-1½ hours.

Meanwhile, make the filling. In a small bowl, cream together ¼ cup butter with ½ cup brown sugar. Spread this mixture on the bottom and sides of a 9 × 9 × 2-inch square baking pan. Sprinkle with walnuts.

Roll dough into a 16 × 12-inch rectangle and spread with remaining butter. Sprinkle with remaining brown sugar, the raisins, and cinnamon. Roll up from long side jelly roll fashion and pinch long edge to seal. Cut cross-wise into 12 pieces and place, cut sides down, in prepared pan. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven, invert on a cookie sheet or other larger pan for 1 minute, and then remove baking pan.

Sweet Cream Buns

1½ cups milk

¼ cup sugar

2¼ tsp. salt

¾ cup shortening

¾ cup lukewarm water

1 T. sugar

6¾ tsp. (3 packages) active dry yeast

3 eggs, beaten

7 cups flour

Cream Filling

¼ cup shortening

½ cup milk

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Scald the milk and then add sugar, salt, and ¾ cup shortening. Stir to dissolve; cool to lukewarm.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together lukewarm water and 1 T. sugar to dissolve the sugar. Sprinkle in yeast and let stand for 10 minutes. Beat with fork. Stir yeast mixture into the milk mixture. Add the beaten eggs. Stir in 4 cups flour and beat until smooth and elastic. Work in 3 cups flour; turn out onto a floured surface and knead lightly until smooth, about 5 minutes, adding small amounts of flour as needed. Place dough in a buttered bowl and turn so all sides are greased. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about 1½ hours. Shape dough into approximately 48 balls and place in large, buttered baking pans. Let rise till double and then bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until done. Immediately after removing the buns from the oven, brush the tops with melted butter.

Just before serving, make the cream filling. Beat the shortening, milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Slit the buns and fill with the sweet cream filling. Replace tops and serve.

Sweet Johnny Cake

1 egg, beaten

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

½ cup flour

¾ tsp. salt

1 cup sugar

1½ cups cornmeal

Stir together the egg and sour cream. Mix in the dry ingredients and pour into a loaf pan or small square baking dish. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve with maple syrup and warm milk.

Walnut Bread with Streusel Filling

3 cups flour, sifted

1 cup sugar

4 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. salt

1 egg, slightly beaten

¼ cup shortening, melted

1½ cups milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1½ cups chopped walnuts

Streusel Filling (recipe follows)

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add egg, shortening, milk, and vanilla and stir just until all the flour is moistened. Stir in walnuts.

Pour half of batter into a greased 9 × 5 × 3-inch loaf pan. Sprinkle with Streusel Filling; top with remaining batter and bake at 350° for about 1 hour and 20 minutes or until done.

Streusel Filling

⅓ cup brown sugar, packed

1½ T. flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 T. butter

Mix all ingredients together, breaking up butter until mixture resembles coarse peas.

Wheat Bread

2¼ tsp. (1 package) active dry yeast

2 cups lukewarm water

2 T. sugar

2 tsp. salt

3 cups white flour

½ cup hot water

⅓ cup brown sugar

2 T. shortening

1 T. oil

3 cups whole wheat flour

In a large mixing bowl (do not use metal) mix yeast and lukewarm water and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Add sugar, salt, and white flour. Beat with a wooden spoon or mixer until smooth. Set in warm place until light and bubbly.

Meanwhile, combine hot water with brown sugar, shortening, and oil; cool to lukewarm. Add to sponge and mix well with wooden spoon. Add whole wheat flour and mix. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead, adding enough flour so it doesn’t stick, for about 5-7 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise until doubled (about 1 hour). Divide into 2 greased loaf pans and let rise until dough reaches the top of the pan (don’t let it rise too high or it will fall during baking).