Breads

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Index (click on recipe to view):

• Giant Cinnamon Buns
• Backsliders’ Black Skillet Cornbread
• Deluxe Banana Bread
• Apostates’ Apricot Nut Bread
• Out-of-the-Closet Orange Bread
• Unbeliever’s Beer Bread
• The Rational Recycler’s Bread
• Robert Ingersoll Coffee Loaf
• Oatmeal Bread
• Whole Wheat Molasses Bread
• Common Sense Coffee Can Bread
• Nothing is Forever Bran Muffins
• Bran Muffins
• Virginia Spoon Bread
• Blasphemous Bran Waffles

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Giant Cinnamon Buns
Paul Gaylor

Dough

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 package yeast
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp salt

Filling

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 5 Tbsp melted butter

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Half and half

Mix yeast and 1 1/2 half cups of the flour in large bowl. Heat milk, 1/4 cup butter, salt, sugar until butter is almost melted. Be sure that it is warm, not hot. Hot liquid kills yeast. Beat into dry ingredients for two minutes or so. Beat in egg. Mix in the rest of the flour and knead until barely sticky. Let rise in buttered bowl until doubled in volume.

While rising, mix the 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and the tablespoon of cinnamon. Melt the 5 tablespoons butter and use part to coat a 9 X 13 glass baking dish.

After the dough has doubled, punch it down and let it rest 10 minutes. Then roll out to a 12 by 20 rectangle. Brush on melted butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon/ sugars mix. Roll up the narrow side and cut into 6-8 rolls using thread or a buttered knife. Put rolls cut-side down in buttered dish and drizzle with any remaining butter. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon/sugar mix on top. Cover with a dish towel and let rise for 20 minutes or so. Then bake on low-middle shelf in a 350° oven for 25 to 30 minutes until puffed and brown. While baking, prepare the glaze by moistening the powdered sugar with the vanilla and cream to a runny/thick consistency. When the rolls are done, remove and let cool for one minute or two, then glaze. After 10 minutes, remove from dish to wire coolers. Fight for at least one for yourself!

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Backsliders’ Black Skillet Cornbread
Pat Cleveland

• 1 1/2 cup self rising cornmeal
• 2 medium eggs, beaten
• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1 Tbsp self rising flour

Grease 12 -inch skillet with generous coating of Crisco shortening. Mix together dry ingredients, add beaten eggs, oil and milk. Use only one cup milk until batter is mixed well, slowly add other 1/4 cup milk. Bake in 450° oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot with butter/margarine if desired.

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Deluxe Banana Bread
Amy Schernecker

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups flour, sifted
• 1 tsp soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup ripe banana, mashed
• 1/2 cup chopped black walnuts

Cream shortening and sugar, add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk and banana. Stir in black walnuts. Bake in a 9 X 5 paper lined loaf pan at 350°. Takes about 65 minutes.

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Apostates’ Apricot Nut Bread
Marcia Gascho

• 1/2 cup dried apricots, diced
• 1 cup water
• 1 egg, well-beaten
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 2 cups flour, sifted
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp soda
• 3/4 cup fresh orange juice, strained
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Soak apricots in one cup of water for 30 minutes. Drain and dice. Beat egg until light, add sugar and blend well. Add melted butter. Sift flour with baking powder, soda and salt. Add alternately with orange juice and 1/4 cup water. Add nuts and drained apricots and blend well. Bake in moderate preheated oven in greased loaf pan. Check after one hour; some ovens take longer.

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Out-of-the-Closet Orange Bread
Betty Bell

• Juice from one orange
• 1 cup dates
• 2 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp soda
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2-1 cup nut meats

Put juice from orange in cup and add hot water to make one full cup of liquid. Cut up dates or, if you have a food chopper, put dates through that using coarse blade. Add diluted juice, melted butter, egg and vanilla to ground dates. Mix in dry ingredients and nuts and bake in waxed paper lined loaf pan at 350°, about an hour.

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Unbeliever’s Beer Bread
Brenda Donoho

Preparation takes five minutes; no kneading and waiting for dough to rise. Makes an old-fashioned country loaf not unlike Irish Soda Bread. Be sure to use only self-rising flour and room temperature beer.

• 3 cups self-rising flour
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 12 oz beer (room temperature)

Mix the ingredients well. Place in a well-greased bread tin. Bake in a preheated 350° oven 45 minutes or until lightly browned. Brush top with vegetable oil last 10 minutes if browner, crispier crust is desired.

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The Rational Recycler’s Bread
Brenda Donoho

• 1 cup seedless raisins
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 rounded Tbsp butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 Tbsp molasses
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (whole wheat or regular)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Remove labels from 5 or 6 cans (soup size to 14- to 16-oz vegetable size); wash, rinse, dry. Combine raisins and water. Simmer 10 minutes; set aside to cool. Cream sugar and butter/oleo. Add egg, molasses, and the cooled raisins and water. Mix. Add flour and soda (and nuts, if desired). Mix well. Fill greased tin cans 1/2 full. Bake 30-45 minutes at 350°. (Soup cans take 30-35 min.) Bread will rise to top of can. Cool on wire rack.

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Robert Ingersoll Coffee Loaf
Flo Ninelles

• Grated rind of two oranges
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup oat flour, available in health food stores or whir old-fashioned Quaker Oats briefly in blender
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp baking powder

Combine rind and orange juice in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. Add sugar and boil to a syrup that spins a thin thread when dropped from a wooden spoon. Cool. After thorough cooling, add beaten egg and milk. Mix flours, salt and baking powder, and add to syrup. Pour into an oiled baking pan and bake 50 minutes at 350°. Serve with coffee or spread with marmalade for tea.

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Oatmeal Bread
Jane Baxter

• 2 cups quick oatmeal
• 4 cups boiling water
• 2 packages dry yeast
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp molasses
• 6-7 cups flour

Put all of the ingredients, except yeast, in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Mix well and cool to lukewarm. Add yeast following instructions on packet and stir in flour, about 7 cups. Knead on floured board. Dough has a tendency to be sticky. Let rise until doubled in bulk. Shape in loaves and let rise again. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes.

Makes 4 loaves, enough for family and friends.

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Whole Wheat Molasses Bread
Terri Crowley

• 2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 3 1/2-4 cups white flour
• 2 packets or 2 Tbsp dry yeast
• 2 Tbsp caraway seeds
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1/4 cup dark molasses
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 Tbsp shortening
• 1 Tbsp salt

In large bowl, combine wheat flour, white flour, caraway seeds and salt. In saucepan, combine water, molasses, honey and sugar until melted. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Combine liquids and dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add more white flour if necessary to make a workable dough. Turn out on well floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Put into greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Turn out risen dough on floured surface. Let rest for 10 minutes. Shape into two loaves and put into greased loaf pans. Bake at 375° for 35~45 minutes. For crusty loaves, spray with cold water several times during last 15 minutes of baking. To prove yeast if of dubious age: Sprinkle dry yeast over water in small bowl. Let dissolve and add a pinch of flour and a pinch of sugar. After 5 minutes, stir and let set for a few seconds. Yeast should be bubbly and “active.” Proceed with recipe and add yeast where indicated as usual.

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Common Sense Coffee Can Bread
Marcia Gascho

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/3 cup sugar, divided
• 1 can ( 13-oz) evaporated milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large mixing bowl. Blend in nutmeg and one tablespoon sugar. Let stand in a warm place until mixture is bubbly, about 15 minutes. Stir in remaining sugar, evaporated milk, salt and oil. With mixer on low speed, beat flour in one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until dough is very heavy and stiff but too sticky to knead.

Place dough in a well-greased 2 lb coffee can. Cover with well greased plastic can lid or cloth. Let stand in a warm place until lid pops off or dough goes to top of can, about one to 1 1/2 hours. Remove lid.

Bake in a 350° oven 55 to 60 minutes. The crust will be brown; brush top lightly with butter. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes on a rack. Loosen crust around edge of can with a thin knife blade, slide bread from can, cool in an upright position.

Makes 1 large loaf.

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Nothing is Forever Bran Muffins
Terri Crowley

• 1 package (15-oz) Raisin Bran cereal
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 5 cups all purpose flour
• 5 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp salt

Mix all of the above ingredients in a large bowl. Then add:

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 beaten eggs
• 1 quart buttermilk or soured milk

Mix all thoroughly; cover and put in refrigerator for a day or two to develop flavor. Lasts up to six weeks in refrigerator. Very handy for quick muffins for breakfast, coffee time, etc. (For smaller version, see following.)

Set oven to 400° to 425°. Bake for 20 min.

To sour regular milk: Mix in 4 tablespoons white vinegar to one quart milk and let stand a few minutes to thicken. I find this a very good substitute for buttermilk which is hard to find in my area.

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Bran Muffins
Terri Crowlry

• 3 cups Bran Buds
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 quart buttermilk

Pour boiling water on bran buds and let stand. Mix remaining ingredients, adding bran mixture last. Store in covered bowl in refrigerator up to 6 weeks. Bake at 350° for 20 min.

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Virginia Spoon Bread
Sara Bryant

• 3/4 cup fine water-ground cornmeal
• 1 1/3 cups boiling water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp butter or margarine
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups milk

Heat oven to 375°F. Place corn meal in large mixing bowl; add boiling water, stirring until all meal is thoroughly scalded. Add butter, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Mix well. Add eggs and milk, mix thoroughly and blend well, using a rotary beater. Mixture will be thin. Pour into a 2-quart casserole.

Bake one hour or until firm and delicately browned. Serve at once from casserole, spooning out the servings. Top each serving with plenty of butter.

Makes 5 to 6 servings.

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Blasphemous Bran Waffles
Anonymous

• 2 2/3 cups white flour
• 1 1/2 cups All-Bran
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 eggs, separated
• 3 1/2 cups milk
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

In mixing bowl, mix flour, All-Bran, sugar, baking powder and salt; set aside. In another bowl beat together yolks, milk, and oil. Add dry ingredients to liquid ingredients. Stir until just moistened. Do not beat. Let stand 3 minutes.

In small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff; fold in. Pour one cup of the mixture on heated, greased waffle iron. Cook until steam stops rising from waffle iron (approximately 6 minutes). Uses 9 X 9 waffle iron at 1100 watts.

Yields 7 waffles.