Bobbi’s Biscuit Recipe

1/3 Cup lukewarm water (105 to 114 F)

1 package active dry yeast

1 tablespoon firmly packed light brown sugar

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspon of baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 butter or lard (or your shortening preference)

3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl combine the yeast, brown sugar and lukewarm water. Set aside (10 minutes or until foamy). In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the yeast mixture and buttermilk all at once. Stir until a soft dough forms.

Turn out and knead for 30 seconds to a minute on a lightly floured surface (adding flour as necessary for a moist dough). Pat or roll to 1/2 inch thickness and cut your biscuits (2 1/2 inches is a good size but I just use my favorite sized glass to cut biscuits). Re-rolling as necessary. Place on un-greased cookie sheet lined with parchment paper brush tops with milk. Rest for 5 minutes if desired. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until golden brown. Serve Warm.

Enjoy!

Great Aunt Edna’s Swedish Rye Bread

My Great Aunt Edna was a small woman. I remember that she made me feel tall and I wasn’t. She always wore these just awful black orthopedic shoes with two inch heels. I remember her house had those old fashioned rag rugs and flowers. I never knew her when she was “young” for me Aunt Edna was always an old lady with a gentle smile and a small voice. Yet you listened if she talked. She commanded a kind of quiet respect. She was delicate and had the bearing of a lady. She was one of my favorite old people and occasionally I miss her still though she’s been gone many years.

One of the many things that she left our family were her recipes. This one has been paired down a bit as we modern day women don’t usually bake 5 to 7 loaves at once. I prefer this as a breakfast bread toasted with my homemade red currant jelly. It is slightly sweet and does not have an overpowering rye flavor.  Enjoy it!

Swedish Rye Bread

1 package Dry Yeast
¼ cups Warm Water
1 Tablespoon Sugar
2 cups Hot Water
? cups Butter (or Shortening Of Choice)
¾ cups Molasses
½ cups Brown Sugar
2 cups Rye Flour
4 cups Flour (all-purpose Or Whole Wheat Pastry)

**Note that this bread rises twice prep time is about 25 minutes but rise time is 2 to 3 hours**

Dissolve yeast in the 1/4 cup of water and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let stand until yeast is activated (foamy). In a separate bowl add the 2 cups of hot water, butter, molasses and brown sugar. Allow the butter to soften (melt) then mix well. Add the yeast mixture. Then mix in the flours (rye and all-purpose). If using a stand mixer knead until a somewhat stiff dough is formed. If kneading by hand mix in the bowl until unable then turn out onto floured board. Add additional flour as needed when kneading. Place in a greased bowl allow to rise until double. Punch down, knead and all to rise again. After 2nd rise form into loaves and put in greased pans.

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes makes 2 good sized loaves.

Recipe: English Muffin Loaves

I bake two loaves a week here at our house. And if we are conservative they will last 4 days. That is also assuming I have hidden one loaf in the back of the refrigerator. Fabulous toasted with butter and jam. Enjoy!

English Muffin Loaves

5 – 6 Cups Flour
2 packages yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 cups milk
1/2 cup water

Cornmeal for dusting

Combine 3 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt and baking soda. Heat liquids till very warm. Add liquids to dry mix and beat well. Stir in additional flour to make a stiff batter. Spoon into prepared loaf pans (to prepare pans grease and “flour” with cornmeal).

Sprinkle tops of loaves with cornmeal. Let rise 45 minutes (until nicely domed in pan). Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and cool on racks. Slice, toast and enjoy!

Notes on this recipe:

I occasionally have to add my yeast to the warm liquids and allow it to raise then mix into the dry ingredients. This is dependent on the brand of yeast I have in my cupboards. Best option is to try a test batch following the recipe if the raise after 45 minutes is not sufficient or your yeast doesn’t dissolve in that batch. On the next try adding it to the water and/or warm liquids to activate prior to mixing in. Doing this will shorten your raise time a bit so be sure to pay attention to your pans or your dough will spill over the pans and fall when baked.