Amish Bread

Baking bread, muffins, and biscuits in the PA Dutch kitchen

There aren’t many better smells than the aroma of fresh-baked bread.  And it’s a common enough scent wafting through Amish kitchens, where Amish housewives do much of their own baking.  Try one of these PA Dutch and Amish recipes for bread, biscuits and muffins and you’ll be enjoying the same aromas in no time.

Bread Recipes

 
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OATMEAL BREAD

• 2 cups quick oats
• yeast
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup honey
• 3/4 cup of butter
• 2 tbsp. salt
• 1 cup brown Speltz flour
• white flour

Boil 2 ½ cups of water.  Pour over quick oats. Dissolve 3 pks. of yeast in 1 cup of warm, not hot, water.
Beat eggs, add honey, butter, and salt. Stir in cooled oats, add yeast and brown Speltz flour (or whatever you prefer). Add enough white flour to make a dough that is spongy (should not be sticky). Grease top and let rise.  Form into 4 loaves.  Let rise and bake for 30-35 min at 350 degrees. (adapted from R&E Sales, Monroe, IN).

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CORN BREAD

• 1 cup white or yellow cornmeal
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, well beaten
• 1 cup skimmed milk
• 1 cup flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons melted shortening

Add the sugar and salt to the cornmeal. Beat the egg well and pour into the milk.  Stir this mixture into the meal, beating thoroughly. Sift the flour and baking powder into the meal.  Add melted shortening.  Beat vigorously. Grease a pan and pour the mixture in.  Bake until brown at a temperature of 400 degrees. (adapted from Pennsylvania Dutch Cook Book of Fine Old Recipes)

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POTATO BREAD

• 4 medium-sized potatoes
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 cake yeast, dissolved in 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 4 cups bread flour

Pare and boil the potatoes.  While hot, mash potatoes to a fine consistency.   Rub mashed potatoes through a colander or sieve.  Add the sugar, salt and dissolved yeast cake. Stir flour into the mixture, beating well. Add more flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured board and knead, and then return to bowl.  Cover and leave it to rise over night. In the morning, shape dough into loaves. Let dough rise until light.  Bake 45-50 min. at 350 degrees. (adapted from Pennsylvania Dutch Cook Book of Fine Old Recipes)

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RAISIN BREAD

• 1 medium-sized potato
• 1 quart water
• 1 cake yeast
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1 pound seedless raisins
• 1 tablespoon butter flour

Pare and boil the potato in the quart of water.  Mash the potato, and then mix sufficient flour with the water to form a smooth batter. Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of lukewarm water.  Combine with the batter. Cover and set in a warm place.  Let rise for 4 hours. Add the rest of the ingredients and knead (add flour as needed). Be careful not to let dough get too stiff. Allow to stand for 2 hours.  Next form dough into loaves.  Place in bread pans and let rise until light. Bake for 30-40 min at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. (adapted from Pennsylvania Dutch Cook Book of Fine Old Recipes)

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ZUCCHINI BREAD

• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ cup walnuts, if desired

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.  Mix zucchini, sugar, lemon juice and egg. Add oil and mix together well. Mix dry ingredients in a second bowl.  Add dry ingredients to zucchini mixture and mix together. Pour batter into a  greased loaf tin.  Bake for 65 minutes. (adapted from “Valerie’s Views”, The Vendor August 10, 2010)

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EGG BREAD

This bread is also known as “hootsla”, a classic PA Dutch breakfast bread which goes well with cinnamon sugar or maple syrup.

• 1/2 loaf of day old bread
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 eggs, beaten until light
• 1/2 cup milk
• Salt and pepper

Cut bread into cubes.  Brown in a pan in melted butter. Beat the eggs and add milk.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over bread and fry until brown. Serve at once. (adapted from Pennsylvania Dutch Cook Book of Fine Old Recipes)

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SALLY LUNN bread

Sally Lunn bread is a cake-like bread with origins in England or France.  

• 2 cups flour, sifted
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• 3 tblsp. sugar
• 2 eggs, separated
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup shortening, melted

Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Combine the beaten egg yolks and milk and add to the flour mixture, stirring only until mixed. Add shortening, fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Turn into greased 9 inch square pan and bake for about half an hour at 350 degrees. Cut into 3 inch squares.

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BISCUITS

• 2 cups flour
• ½ tbsp. salt
• 3 tbsp. baking powder.

Mix the above ingredients together.  Then add:

• ¼ c. shortening
• ¾ c. milk

Also good for making pizza crust or drop biscuits. (adapted from R&E Sales, Monroe, IN)

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HOMEMADE BISCUITS

• 9 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup baking powder
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 2 cups shortening

Mix above ingredients like pie dough. Can be stored in the fridge for up to six weeks.

To make biscuits, use a proportion of 3 cups of the above mix with 2/3 cup milk. Mix and knead 15 strokes. Roll to 1/2 thickness, then cut and bake for 15 minutes at 450-475 degrees. (adapted from Plain and Happy Living: Amish Recipes and Remedies by Emma Byler)

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SOUR CREAM BISCUITS

• 6 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sour cream

Sift flour, salt, and baking powder. Gradually add the cream, working as little as possible. Turn out on floured board and press out with hands (do not roll). Cut with biscuit cutter.  Bake about 10 min at 400 degrees. (adapted from Pennsylvania Dutch Cook Book of Fine Old Recipes)

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BRAN MUFFINS

• 1 cup flour
• 3½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 tblsp. brown sugar
• 1 cup bran
• 1 egg, beaten
• ⅔ cup milk
• 2 tblsp. shortening, melted
• Raisins or dried chopped prunes (optional)

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the sugar and bran. Combine the beaten egg, milk and melted shortening. Add to the dry ingredients and mix quickly. Turn into greased muffin pans and bake for 25 min at 425 degrees F. Raisins or chopped dried prunes may be added.

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BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

• ⅓ cup butter
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg beaten lightly
• 1 cup milk
• 2 level cups flour
• 4 level teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup blueberries

Cream butter and sugar. Add fruit and egg, then milk and flour sifted with baking powder and salt. Bake in muffin tins.

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CAPPUCCINO MUFFINS

• 2 cups flour
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 ½ tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup butter
• 1 tbsp. instant coffee
• 1 cup milk
• ½ egg, beaten
• ¾ cup miniature chocolate chips

Recipe makes about 14 muffins.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. In a second bowl, stir milk and coffee granules until coffee is dissolved. Add butter, egg, and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.  Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups to 2/3 capacity. Bake for 17-20 minutes. (adapted from Cooking & Such magazine, Winter 2011-2012)

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BACON MUFFINS

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons melted shortening
• 1 cup milk
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• ½ cup bits crisp bacon

Sift flour, add sugar, salt and baking powder and sift again, add beaten egg and milk. Add melted shortening beating in quickly. Add bits of crisped bacon. Bake for 15-20 min at 425 degrees. Goes well with orange marmalade.

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Cut bread: Tango McEffrie/flickr
Unless otherwise noted, recipes adapted from Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking.

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