Crackling Bread (without Wheat)
From Uncle Sam's advice to housewives (1917).
A historical recipe
Uncle Sam's advice to housewives, by Vera Leona Connolly and United States. Department of Agriculture (1917).
United States
Known as an American recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.
From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards.
Ingredients 3 ingredients
- 1 quart corn meal
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 1 pint cracklings
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.
- Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.
Method
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- 1 quart corn meal.
- 3 teaspoons salt.
- 1 pint cracklings.
- Boiling water.
- Mix the corn meal and salt;
- pour over this mixture enough boiling water to moisten but not enough to make a mush.
- When the meal has cooled, work the cracklings into it with the fingers.
- Form the dough into cakes about 4 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 1 inch thick;
- bake for 30 minutes.
- This bread, because of its large percentage of fat, is eaten without butter, and should be served very hot.
- “ Cracklings,” like “ scraps,” is a name given to the crisp, brown meat tissue left after lard is “ tried out.” They consist of connective tissue with a large amount of fat adhering to it.
- Much of the fat can be removed by pressure.
- This is best done by squeezing them in a thin cloth while they are still warm or after they have been reheated.
- Because of the large amount of fat in this bread, it is better food for persons who are working hard out of doors than for those of sedentary occupations.
- It makes 12 cakes.
Plating
Cookware for this recipe
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Saucepan