Antique cookbooks are a great resource for finding economical recipes. The yellowed and stained pages are often written in the cook's own hand, with helpful notes and variations recorded in the margins, as well as the names of friends and family who originally shared their treasured recipes.
Bread Recipes From an Old Cookbook
Following are several unique bread recipes that were found in a handwritten cookbook from the early to mid 20th century. The author, Ferne Halliday, homesteaded a farm in an area called Sunny Slope near Nampa, Idaho in the late 1800s. She became a nurse at the age of 19 and helped migrant farm workers for much of her life. A survivor of the Great Depression, she was a creative cook who knew how to make the most of the ingredients she had on hand.
Toasted Bread Loaf
- One loaf unsliced bread
- 1/2 cup butter
With a sharp knife remove all crust from bread. Cut loaf almost through to the bottom in thick slices. Spread all sides with butter, wrap in brown paper, and tie. (May do this much the day before). Shortly before serving, place the loaf in 200 degree oven and heat through. Remove paper and toast on all sides.
Baked Brown Bread
- 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1 cup raisin bran
- 1 cup sifted flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place milk and egg in a mixing bowl and whisk together. Sift together the dry ingredients, and stir them into the milk/egg mixture. Place the batter in a loaf pan and bake for about one hour, until done.
Toasted Parsley Rolls
- 6 hard rolls
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
Slice hard rolls in half lengthwise. Place on a baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven until lightly browned.
Mix together butter, parsley and celery salt. Spread the butter mixture on the rolls and heat 5 minutes before serving.
West Virginian Spoon Bread
- 2 cups cornmeal
- 2 1/2 cups boiling water
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 eggs, divided
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Add the cornmeal gradually to the boiling water, stirring constantly. Let cool. Add butter, salt, and slightly beaten egg yolks. Beat well.
Beat the eggwhites until stiff. Fold the eggwhites into the cornmeal mixture. Turn into a buttered baking dish or pie plate and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until light brown.
Whole Wheat Bread
- 3 cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 cup sweetening (use 1/4 blackstrap and 1/2 honey, or all honey, or all molasses)
- 1/4 cup oil
- 2 packages dry yeast
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the water, salt, sweetening, and oil. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let is dissolve. Warm the flour and mix into the wet mixture to make a stiff batter.
Place the dough in 2 greased loaf pans. Let rise 30 minutes. Bake 1 hour or until done.
Old cookbooks are a great place to find unique ideas for making bread. Handwritten recipes offer a glimpse into the creativity and economy of the cooks who recorded them long ago.
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