Potato Salt Rising Bread and also Cornmeal Bread

Miss Faye,
I found the recipe for salt-rising bread in my very old “Joy of
Cooking”.
The instructions start out with “do not attempt this bread in damp,
cold
weather unless the house is heated….”. There are two versions, with
the potato recipe being a little less stinky.
Have all ingredients at about 75 degrees.
CORN MEAL SALT-RISING BREAD
Measure ½ cup coarse WATER-GROUND cornmeal. Scald 1 cup
milk and pour over cornmeal. Let sit in a warm place until it ferments
– about 24 hours. By then, it should be light and have a number of
small cracks over the surface. If it isn’t light in texture, it is
useless to
proceed, as the bread will not rise properly.

Scald 3 cups milk. Pour it over
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
5 tablespoons lard
Stir in
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

Stir in the corn mixture. Place the bowl containing these ingredients
in a pan of lukewarm water for about 2 hours, until bubbles work up
from the bottom. Keep the water warm during this time.

Stir in
5 cups sifted all-purpose flour

Knead in until smooth, but not stiff
2-1/2 cups more flour.

Place dough in 3 - 5x9 inch loaf pans, cover and let rise until it has
doubled in bulk. **Watch it, for if it gets too high, it may sour.**

Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Reduce the
heat to 350 degrees and continue to bake another 25 to 30 minutes
more until done.
---
POTATO SALT RISING BREAD
**to lessen the fantastic odors of salt-rising, use non-mealy, 2-1/2”
diameter new red-skinned potatoes**

Place into stainless steel bowl
2-1/c cups thinly sliced potatoes
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons WATER-GROUND corn meal.

Add and stir until salt is dissolved
4 cups boiling water
Keep at 115 to 120 degrees for about 15 hours. (Place bowl in
electric dutch oven or a yogurt maker. If not available, use the
water-bath method mentioned above.)

Squeeze out the potatoes and discard. Drain the liquid into a
bowl, and add, stirring until very well blended
1 teaspoon soda
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
5 cups sifted all-purpose flour

Beat and beat “until the arm rebels”. Set the sponge in a warm
place to rise until light. Bubbles should come to the surface and
the sponge should increase its volume by about 1/3.
(about 1-1/2 hours)

Scald
1 cup milk with 1 teaspoon sugar

When lukewarm, add 1-1/2 tablespoons butter
Add this to the potato sponge with 6 cups all purpose flour.
Knead dough for about 10 minutes, shape into 3 – 5x9 loaves.
Place into greased pans and permit to rise, covered, until light
and not quite double in bulk.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about an hour.
Happy stinky baking! Jill M.