Potato Yeast Starter Breads From The American Womans Cookbk
Submitted by prissymissy on March 04, 2006 at 2:40 am

DESCRIPTION
Potato Yeast (starter) breads from The American Woman's Cookbk

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under sourdough

INSTRUCTIONS
All of these breads come from The American Woman's Cook Book, published 1938, edited by Ruth Berolzheimer, Director, Culinary Arts Institute. From The Delineator Cook Book, edited by The Delineator Institute, Martha Van Rensselaer and Flora Rose, Directors, College of Home Economics, Cornell University.

Liquid Starter or Potato Yeast

3 medium potatoes
4 cups boiling water
1 cake yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
1 cup sifted flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons salt

Pare and dice potatoes and cook in boiling water until very tender. Drain, saving liquid. Mash potatoes thoroughly and return to liquid. Mash potatoes thoroughly and return to liquid. Cool to lukewarm. Soften yeast in lukewarm water and add to potatoes with remaining ingredients. Beat well. Cover and let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Pour into sterilized jar, cover and store in cool, dark place. Use 1 cup of the mixture to replace 1 yeast cake in recipes. Fresh starter should be prepared at least every 2 weeks, using 1 cup of the old or a fresh cake of yeast.

Whole-Wheat or Graham Bread

1 cake yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons shortening
2 cups milk, scalded
3 cups whole-wheat or graham flour
3 cups sifted white flour

Mix and bake as for standard white bread. (here are those instructions).... Add yeast to lukewarm water and 1 tsp. sugar. Let stand 5 minutes. Add salt, shortening and remaining sugar to milk and cool to lukewarm. Add softened yeast and 3 cups flour. Beat well. Add enough more flour to make a soft dough. Place remaining flour on board, turn out dough on floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, turn over, so that greased side is on top, cover with cloth and let rise until doubled in bulk. Punch down and let rise a second time if desired. Cut dough into halves, round into balls, cover and let stand 10 minutes. Shape into loaves and place in greased bread pans. Grease tops, cover with a cloth and let rise until doubled in bulk. Bake in hot oven (400 degrees) 10 minutes, reduce temperature to 375 degrees and bake 35 to 40 minutes longer. Makes 2 loaves.

Rye Bread

6 T. corn meal
1/2 cup cold water
1 cup boiling water
2 tsp. salt
1 T. shortening
1 cake yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 cup mashed potatoes
2 1/2 cups rye flour
1 1/2 cups sifted white flour
1/2 T. caraway seeds

Mix corn meal with cold water, add boiling water and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add salt and shortening and cool to lukewarm. Soften yeast in lukewarm water. Add with remaining ingredients. to corn mixture. Knead to a stiff dough. Dough will be sticky. Handle rapidly or too much flour is absorbed. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. Shape into 2 loaves, cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. Bake in 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.

*For Cocktail Rye: Shape into long loaves like French bread. Sprinkle with salt and seeds; let rise and bake as above.

Corn Bread

1/2 cake yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1/2 cup corn meal
1 3/4 cups boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 T sugar
1 T shortening
2 3/4 to 3 cups sifted flour

Soften yeast in lukewarm water. Cook corn meal in water 10 minutes; add salt, sugar and shortening. Cool until lukewarm, stirring occasionally to prevent a film. When cool add softened yeast and beat well. Add flour and mix well. Knead, using as little flour on board as possible. Put into a greased bowl and let rise until almost doubled in bulk. Knead down and let rise again. Shape into loaves, place in pan and let rise until it has almost doubled in bulk. Bake as for standard white bread. Makes 2 loaves.

Raisin Bread

1/2 to 1 cake yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
2 cups scalded milk
2 T. shortening
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup raising, chopped
6 cups sifted white flour, about

Soften yeast in water. Follow general directions for making bread, either sponge method or straight dough method. Those directions are just below. Then add raising with the flour. Makes 2 loaves.

(Sponge method - Add sugar and softened yeast to lukewarm liquid, then stir in half the flour and beat well. Cover and set in a warm place (not warmer than a warm room) until batter is bubbly and light. Add salt, melted shortening and enough more flour to make a dough of the desired stiffness. Turn onto a floured board and knead thoroughly until smooth and satiny.)
(Straight dough - If scalded milk is used, add sugar, salt and shortening and cool to lukewarm, than add softened yeast. Otherwise, melt shortening and add to lukewarm liquid, then add sugar, salt and softened yeast. Add half the flour and beat well. Add enough more flour to make a dough of the desired stiffness, turn out onto a floured board and knead well until smooth and satiny. This method may be used with compressed or granular yeast.)

Monte Carlo Bread

2 cakes yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 cups milk, scalded
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
9 cups sifted flour, about
6 eggs, slightly beated
1 1/2 cups currants

Soften yeast in lukewarm water. Add milk to salt, sugar and shortening. When lukewarm add yeast. Add half the flour and beat well. Let rise until very light. Add eggs, currants and remaining flour. Knead lightly, let rise and when light place in greased bread pans. Let rise and when light bake as for white bread. When bread is 2 days old, cut into thick slices and toast. Makes 3 loaves.

Gluten Bread

1 cake yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 cups scalded milk
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 cups gluten flour
2 egg whites

Soften yeast in water. When milk is cool, add softened yeast, salt, gluten flour, a little at a time, and finally slightly beaten egg whites. The mixture should be of a consistency to drip from a spoon rather than to pour and should be baked in greased pans filled about half full. Follow general directions for rising (put dough in oiled bowl and turn, then let double, then punch down, shape and let rise again.) When light, bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour. If a less moise bread is desired, add enough white flour to make a dough, after beating in the gluten flour, and follow directions for straight dough method (see above) Makes 2 loaves.

Potato Bread

1 cake yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 T sugar
1 T. shortening
2 cups mashed potatoes
4 cups sifted flour (enough to make a medium dough)

Combine in order given, following general directions for straight dough method. Makes 2 loaves.

Rolled Oat Bread

1 cup rolled oats
2 cups boiling water
1/2 to 1 cake yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1/2 cup molasses
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 T shortening, melted
4 1/2 cups sifted flour

Combine rolled oats and boiling water, cover and let stand 1 hour. Soften yeast in lukewarm water. Add to cooled oats with molasses, salt and melted shortening. Add flour and let rise. When light beat thoroughly, place in greased bread pans, let rise again and bake as for white bread. For a less moist bread, add enough flour to make a medium dough and follow directions for straight dough method. Makes 2 loaves.