Easy Vintage Bread With Variations

Emily, the Mid-Century Modern Mommy

Make bread every day and save on groceries with this easy vintage bread recipe and over 15 variations.

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 40

Additional Time 1

Total Time 2 10

Course 1950s Housewife Life

Cuisine Vintage American

Calories 139 kcal

Ingredients

2 teaspoons yeast
2 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon sugar divided
2 cups milk scalded, or 1 cup milk + 1 cup boiling water
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
6 cups sifted flour about

Instructions

Add yeast to lukewarm water and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Add salt, shortening, and remaining sugar to hot scalded milk and cool to lukewarm.
Add softened yeast and 3 cups of flour. Beat well.
Add enough flour to make a soft dough.
Place the remaining flour on the board, turn out dough on floured board and knead until smooth and elastic.
Place in a greased bowl, turn over, so that greased side is on top, cover with a 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 for 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 a hot oven (400°F.) for 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 350 °F. and bake 30 to 35 minutes longer.

Notes

You can mix 1-1/4 cup whole milk with 1-1/4 cup boiling water and omit the scalding of the milk.

Make the dough just after dinner, allow it to rise until bedtime, shape, and proof overnight in the panes, and bake in the morning if you are at work during the day.

WHITE BREAD VARIATIONS

Egg Braid.

In Step 1, break 2 eggs into a 2-cup measure; beat in milk to make 2 cups, and use this mixture in place of all milk. In Step 8, divide the dough for each loaf into 3 parts, roll each into a strand. Braid each trio of strands together. pinching ends to seal. In Step 9, let rise on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with slightly beaten egg before baking. Bake at 375 for 30 to 35 minutes or until nicely browned..

Tomato Caraway Snack Loaf.

In Step 1. use 2 cups of warm tomato juice in place of milk; add 1 tablespoon caraway seed. In Steps 7 through 9, divide dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each into a long, thin loaf, about 14 inches long; let rise on lightly greased baking sheets. Brush with slightly beaten egg, and sprinkle each loaf with about 1 teaspoon caraway seed before baking. Bake at 375 for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Onion Bread.

In Step 1, use 1 can (10-1/2 oz.) onion soup and enough warm water to make 2 cups liquid in place of all milk; omit sugar, use only 1 teaspoon salt, and add 1 tablespoon instant minced onion. In Steps 8 and 9, shape each loaf into a ball and place in a greased 1-quart round casserole: bake same as basic loaves.

French Bread.

In Step 1. use water in place of milk; omit shortening. In Steps through 10, shape into two oblong leaves; let rise on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with water and make diagonal slashes on top with a sharp knife before baking. Place in a 400 oven with a shallow pan of hot water in the oven bottom-until crusty and brown, about 45 minutes.

Diet Bread.

In Step 1, use all water, or ½ cup powdered skim milk stirred into 1-7/8 cups (2 tablespoons less than 2 cups) water, in place of milk. Omit the shortening, salt, and sugar.

Poppy Seed Bubble Loaf.

In Steps 7 through 10, pinch off pieces of dough (after it's punched down) to make tiny balls about 1 inch in diameter. Melt 4 tablespoons butter, Measure 1/4 cup poppy seed. Dip top of each ball first into butter, then into poppy seed, and pile all the balls in one lightly greased (10 inch) tube pan, seed side up; let rise. Bake at 375 for about 55 minutes.

Cinnamon Swirl Loaf.

In Steps 8 and 9 roll out dough for each loaf into a rectangle about 6 by 16 inches. Mix 4 tablespoons sugar with 4 tablespoons cinnamon; sprinkle half evenly over top of each rectangle. Beginning with a narrow side, roll each tightly into a loaf, seal ends and bottom by pinching together to make seam. Let rise in 2 baking pans (5-1/4 by 9-1/4 inch size).

Orange-Raisin-Nut Bread.

In Step 1, use 2 cups of warm orange juice instead of milk; add 1 tablespoon grated orange peel, 1 cup seedless raisins, and ½ cup chopped walnuts.

Herb Breads.

If you want to make two kinds, in Step 4 divide dough into two parts, knead each part separately, kneading a different herb into each. Select from these herbs, using the following amounts for each half of the dough: 1 tablespoon dill weed; I tablespoon savory; 1½ teaspoons basil: 1½ teaspoons oregano, 1½ teaspoons thyme; or 24 teaspoons marjoram.

Dark Bread Variations

When you substitute other flours, follow this order for mixing with the liquid ingredients: The first, second, and sixth for the last) cups of flour should be all-purpose white or whole wheat. The other flours can be the third, fourth, and fifth cups you add.

Because the finished loaves of bread are smaller and more compact than white bread, you'll have more attractively shaped loaves if you use medium-sized bread pans (4½ by 8½ inches or 3-3/4 by 7-1/2 inches) instead of the standard 5-1/4 by 9-1/4-inch pans.

Medium Rye.

Use 2 cups rye flour and 4 cups all-purpose.

Swedish Orange Rye.

Use 2 cups rye flour and 4 cups all-purpose In Step 1.) add 2 tablespoons grated orange peel and I tablespoon caraway, anise, or fennel seed.

Dark Rye.

Use 3 cups rye and 3 cups all-purpose flour. In Step 1, omit sugar;" instead of all milk, use ½ cup light or dark molasses with 1½ cups milk.

Light Rye.

Use 1 cup rye flour and 5 cups all-purpose. This has greater volume than the darker breads, and is best baked in the standard 5-1/4 by 9-inch bread pans.

100% Whole Wheat.

Use all whole wheat flour. In Step 1, omit sugar; use ½ cup honey, molasses, or maple syrup with 1½ cups milk instead of all milk

50% Whole Wheat, Graham, or Cracked Wheat.

Use 3 cups of any of these flours, with 3 cups all-purpose. Use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar, if you prefer.

Fruit-Nut Graham.

Make 50% Graham Bread. In Step 7, knead in 1 cup chopped mixed glacéed fruit or chopped pitted dates and 1 cup chopped nuts. After loaves are baked, glaze while still warm with 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Dark Mixed Grain.

For flour use ½ cup wheat germ, 1½ cup buckwheat flour, I cup rye, and 4 cups whole wheat Omit sugar; use ½ cup dark molasses with 1 cup milk instead of all milk.

Pumpernickel.

For flour use 1 cup whole bran cereal, 2 cups rye flour, and 3 cups. whole wheat. In Step 1, add 1 tablespoon caraway seed.

Oatmeal.

Use 4 cups of all-purpose flour and 2 cups of oat flour (found in health food stores, or make it by whirling rolled oats in an electric blender until fine).

Soy-Graham.

Use 1 cup soy flour, 2 cups graham, and 3 cups all-purpose.

Keyword baking, bread, daily bread