I was channeling the women of my family on Tuesday, making a bread recipe of my maternal grandmother Bammie, who died of Lou Gehrig's disease when I was only four. The recipe had been used by her throughout my mom's childhood and was remembered as being a fantastic bread with a crunchy crust and also incredible for toast. I had never had the bread but remember Gommie talking about it, how they would put pepper on it fresh out of the oven. And so, I got a copy of the recipe from my Aunt T, who apparently still makes it from time to time.
The recipe, below, was contained in a typewritten letter to Aunt T, as apparently Bammie always typed things. I'm guessing it was sent to Aunt T as a young bride and housekeeper, because the last line mentions that Bammie could come up and make some for them on Saturday. More than that, I don't know yet.
Seeing the reference to the mixmaster, I decided to make the dough in my Kitchen Aid with my dough hook, a first time for me. Besides, my sense of Bammie is that she was a no-nonsense, not sentimental or nostalgic, practical woman (but apparently a great crafter and cook and sportswoman who loved to have fun) and she would probably have taken advantage of a machine to make bread if she could have.
I was surprised that the recipe called for 4 cups of water, realizing that was a lot. And half of a 5 lb bag? That's more than 10 cups!!!! I thought it would be okay (alright, honestly, I hadn't calculated until I started, my faux pas, and would have known that was too much) until the dough climbed over the dough hook and into the spring/motor of the mixer, getting grease everywhere before I could stop it. Was Bammie trying to tell me something? Something like "get yourself to a store to buy bread, girl!" Let's not romanticize the past too much--I think most of our foremothers would embrace many of our modern-day conveniences. Even if they don't taste nearly as good. But, I was determined not to be beaten by this family heirloom recipe.
I had to throw all that dough away, clean up and revive my poor mixer, and start afresh. With half a recipe. From there, everything went swimmingly. Love using the dough hook--mix all the ingredients right in it, stop when the dough isn't sticky and pulls away from the bowl, let it rest in the bowl covered with a damp towel (as per instructions, I oiled the top lightly. I also put a warm damp towel around the bowl as it's too cold in my kitchen for bread to rise quickly these days, 64F instead of 75-85F!), then "punched down" an hour or so later in the bowl on low for just a few seconds (when dough bounced back at a poke), rested it a bit, then "kneaded" for less than a minute, removed the dough, shaped it, and put it in my bread tin to rise (waiting for it to not spring back at a poke). It was big in my tin and I knew it would make a huge loaf but I resisted separating it into two, since half the recipe should've only made one. I did, however, slash the top and give it a water wash before baking at 350 for about an hour.
Except this all took so long that I had to be at an appointment before it was done so I briefed Babysitter who confidently took charge, having only ever baked a box mix cake once in her life! I was a little sorry not to be there for the "birth" of the loaf, for the first warm slice, but realized I will be making it again. And again. The loaf was there and partially devoured when I got home: a huge loaf which slices are too big for my toaster with this amazing hard crust and nice, dense crumb. I called Gommie to tell her how good it was, not only feeling proud that I'd managed both the dough hook and another bread recipe but also feeling excited that a new generation, or two, has the family bread recipe.
Gommie, and Aunt T, and Bammie--we'll save a piece with pepper on it for you!
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Bammie's Bread Recipe, a la Aunt T
"About the bread.........I use one dry yeast package, 4 cups water, 1 Tbs. sugar, 2 Tbs. salt and 2 Tbs. oil. Add enough flour so that it will sorta stay in a mold, or slowly go back down after you beat it.......seems like it's a little over half a 5 pound package. Spread oil over the top so that it won't get crusty and let rise. I use the mixmaster bowl and it always rises up higher than the bowl, sometimes even runs over. Knead on floured paper, working in more flour and then put in the pans and let rise.....now this will depend on the size of your pans. If they are not as large as mine, well, just don't add as much water to begin with, but use the same amount of yeast. I bake it a 350 for almost an hour. Oil the top of the loaves when you put them in the pan. I can't understand why you can't do this. If you don't get to it, I'll make you some the Saturday that I'm there."
The above is exactly what she sent me. Makes 2 loaves. I beat the flour in by hand. The pans I use are regular bread pan size. Also, when I divide the dough into half to put in the pans for the second rise, I sort of form it, pour a little oil in the pans, and them put the dough in the pan top side down and roll it so there is oil both around it in the pan and on top. The loaf seems to come out better even using non-stick pans. The bread will be heavy and very crusty. When you turn it out after baking, wrap each loaf in a dish towel to cool. I then slice it and store it in a zip lock bag and after one or two days put it in the fridge so it won't mold.
Makes wonderful toast.
Aunt T
