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Buttermilk Bread

A historical recipe from Mrs. Wilson's Cook Book Numerous New Recipes Based on Present Economic Conditions, by Mary A. Wilson (1920).

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A historical recipe

Mrs. Wilson's Cook Book Numerous New Recipes Based on Present Economic Conditions, by Mary A. Wilson (1920). Project Gutenberg eBook #17438.

From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards.

Ingredients 7 ingredients

  1. two cups of buttermilk
  2. Four tablespoons of sugar
  3. One tablespoon of salt
  4. Four tablespoons of shortening
  5. one-half cup of water
  6. eight cups of flour
  7. One yeast

Possible health benefits

General information, not medical advice.

  1. Flour Source of phosphorus · Source of copper · Source of manganese · +1

    Source of phosphorus · 106 mg per 100 g, 15% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Phosphorus contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Phosphorus contributes to normal function of cell membranes.
    • Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
    1 more authorised claims
    • Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal teeth.

    Phosphorus is a mineral contained in each cell in our body. Most phosphorus is in the bones and teeth, and some is in your genes. NIH fact sheet

    Source of copper · 0.2 mg per 100 g, 17% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Copper contributes to maintenance of normal connective tissues.
    • Copper contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Copper contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
    5 more authorised claims
    • Copper contributes to normal hair pigmentation.
    • Copper contributes to normal iron transport in the body.
    • Copper contributes to normal skin pigmentation.
    • Copper contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
    • Copper contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

    Copper is a mineral that you need to stay healthy. Your body uses copper to carry out many important functions, including making energy, connective tissues, and blood vessels. NIH fact sheet

    Source of manganese · 0.6 mg per 100 g, 28% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Manganese contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Manganese contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
    • Manganese contributes to the normal formation of connective tissue.
    1 more authorised claims
    • Manganese contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

    Manganese is a mineral that your body needs to stay healthy. Your body uses manganese to make energy and protect your cells from damage. NIH fact sheet

    Source of selenium · 10 µg per 100 g, 19% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Selenium contributes to normal spermatogenesis.
    • Selenium contributes to the maintenance of normal hair.
    • Selenium contributes to the maintenance of normal nails.
    3 more authorised claims
    • Selenium contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
    • Selenium contributes to the normal thyroid function.
    • Selenium contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

    Selenium is a nutrient that the body needs to stay healthy. Your thyroid gland needs selenium to produce hormones and function properly. NIH fact sheet

    Nutrients per 100 g of “Flour, 00”, USDA FoodData Central.

Claims: EU Register of health claims (Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, © European Union, CC BY 4.0), shown only where the ingredient meets the claim's conditions (Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006). Nutrients: USDA FoodData Central (CC0). Facts: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (public domain).

Cook safely

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

  • Oven and hot trays. Use dry oven gloves for trays and dishes: a hot tray looks just like a cold one. Open the oven door away from your face and let the first rush of heat out.

Method

  1. Scald two cups of buttermilk and then let cool.
  2. Put through a sieve to break up the large curds and then turn into a mixing bowl and add Four tablespoons of sugar, One tablespoon of salt, Four tablespoons of shortening, One yeast cake dissolved in one-half cup of water.
  3. Beat hard to mix and then add eight cups of flour, and work to a smooth dough;
  4. grease the bowl and place the dough in it.
  5. Turn the dough over to thoroughly coat with the shortening.
  6. Cover and let rise overnight and then early in the morning punch down well and turn over for one hour.
  7. Place on a moulding board and divide into loaves.
  8. Form into the loaf and then place in well-greased pans and let rise for one hour.
  9. Bake in a moderate oven for forty minutes.
  10. It is important that the temperature of the scalded and cooled buttermilk should be about 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
  11. When setting the bread overnight, be sure that it is in a place where the average temperature will be 65 degrees Fahrenheit in summer and 70 degrees Fahrenheit in winter, and which is free from drafts.

Plating

Cookware for this recipe

  • Mixing bowl
  • Spatula
  • Sieve
Source Public domain in the USA
Credit

From Mrs. Wilson's Cook Book Numerous New Recipes Based on Present Economic Conditions, by Mary A. Wilson (1920). Digitised by Project Gutenberg, eBook #17438 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17438). Public domain in the USA; its status may differ elsewhere.

What was changed: As printed, from the book's text; Project Gutenberg's header and licence removed. Ingredient lines were read out of the text by a program. A historical recipe, not current advice.