MNOWLH Recipe Blog
Minnesota Ole West Living History
Many of our visitors that come to our camp have asked for some of our recipes like: Our bread. So here you go!
No-Knead Bread
(BIG Batch)
Sister Annie mixes & Cook E bakes it!
Makes approx. 4-5 loaves depending on the size you bake
Just remember 6-3-3-13
6 cups pf water
(warm enough for yeast to grow)
3 Tablespoons Yeast
3 Tablespoons Salt
( you can use less salt , but this is a preservative)
13 cups of White (all purpose) Flour
(Bread flour & etc. makes the dough /bread too tough)
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If the weather is raining or cold add a Teaspoon of Sugar. Yeast gets hyper from eating sugar just as some children do
Mix the water yeast and salt together first then add the flour. The dough should sticky and does not get kneaded, If it is dry add a dash of more water - if it is runny or too sticky add a little more flour.
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The flour can be half another kind like rye or whole wheat or ? You can use gluten-free white flour also.
Take a hunk and put it your pan you are using to bake the bread. Bake at 350% for 30-40 minutes - Check it at 30 minutes - if the top is golden brown & when you thump it- it has a slight hollow sound ,it is done. Run butter across the top to melt in and take off the fire. or out of oven.
If you bake in a modern oven put a pan of water on the bottom shelf of your oven when you bake it. (the bread needs that extran moisture in such a dry environment)
If you are baking in a Dutch oven - figure the diameter of your pot times by three. (ie. 12x3=36) use 1/3 hot coals/briquettes under the Dutch oven & 2/3 on top. While baking turn oven bottom every 10 minutes & top every 10 minutes in opposite directions. (Bake in Dutch oven for 30-40 minutes)
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Should you only want a loaf a day, until it is gone - then put it in a bowl or large Zip-lock bag with a crack open for air, then put in your Ice box to store it. If there is no dairy or egg products in it - it can be left in a cool area outside of the ice box.
THIS WILL GROW & GROW!!!
So every time you walk by it, go & punch it down - if it is in a bag pick up the bag & squash it hard. In the middle of the night go hit it.
OR Freeze it in balls, it stops growing when frozen. Take one out, thaw & bake. It will start growing once it thaws.
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You can make a different flavors & color
(You may need to add more flour if the liquid makes it too sticky)
What do we add:
Mix it in-
Mock Rye
1/2 cup of Sorghum or molasses &1 tsp. caraway seed
Orange/Cranberry
1 cup dried cranberries & 1tsp. orange zest, 1 tsp. orange flavor or orange juice
Cinnamon/Raisin
1 cup Raisins & 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
Wild Rice
Take the water you boiled your wild rice in - instead of plain water (if not enough - as much of it with water/other ligiuds for the 6 cups water amount) Add 1/2 cup cooked wild rice
Sour Dough tasting bread
Add 1/2 cup of Sour Cream or Buttermilk to the mix - omit some of the water
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MORE great choices
We have added Baking Powder to 2 cups of the white dough and made dumplings.
We have taken a few smaller hunks spread them out , added 1/4 cup (any kind) pie filling and 2 Tablespoons cream cheese folded up & deep fried them. We baked them instead at St Croix 2019 Yummy! (rolled in sugar after being fried/baked)
We have used it for pizza dough
We have used it as deep fried donuts.
We have baked it as buns rather than bread. (must use more flour to get buns to stay formed in pan)
We have taken an apple, left it whole and unpeeled, took the seed area out, added brown sugar, nuts & cinnamon to the middle hole where we removed the seeds and etc. Then wrapped the dough completely around the apple - sealed the dough up. Baked it for approx. 20 minutes until the dough was a pretty golden brown. served with melted butter, ice cream or whipped cream. YUM!
THE IDEAS ARE ENDLESS AS ARE THE USES!
** This is an adaption from the Mother Earth News, Artisan Bread - 5 minutes a day**