This is another one of those recipes we’ve been making for decades. Made with cornmeal, rye, whole wheat, and white flour, the loaf has a really wholesome, nutty flavor. Over the years I’ve added more or less of each type of flour and experimented with substituting or adding other grains like oatmeal and millet. It’s a forgiving recipe! We like to make round loaves and serve wedges of the bread with soup or stew.
A few weeks ago, when it only got
as high as 0 here, I warmed the house by making this bread and a pot of baked
beans. They warmed us inside and out.
Pilgrim Bread (adapted from Ruth B. Hess’ recipe in the 1976 edition of
More-With-Less Cookbook by Doris Janzen Longacre)
Ingredients
¼ cup cornmeal
2 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 ¼ teaspoons dry yeast (1 packet)
¼ cup warm water
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons whole
wheat flour
¼ cup rye flour
2 – 2 ½ cups unbleached white
flour or bread flour
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal,
brown sugar, and salt. Gradually stir in boiling water. Add oil. Cool to lukewarm.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, dissolve
yeast in the ¼ cup warm water. Let sit for five or so minutes, until bubbly.
Add bubbly yeast to cornmeal
mixture. Stir in whole wheat and rye flours. Stir in white flour one cup at a
time to form a soft but not sticky dough.
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic – 7 to 10 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double.
Punch dough down, turn onto lightly floured surface and knead
for about 3 minutes. Shape dough into a round and place in a greased pie dish
(or make it into a standard loaf). Cover and let rise until double. Bake at 375
F. for 25-30 minutes for round loaf, 40-45 minutes for a standard loaf.
Book 1: Come Shell or High Water
And in the meantime, you can enjoy
her other books.
The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes
“murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning,
national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries and the Highland Bookshop
Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction. Her short
stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a
winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest and connect with her on Twitter or Instagram.
thanks for this recipe. I especially appreciate the possible variations
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. I hope you try the bread and enjoy it.
DeleteWhen any one mentions bread, I can start to smell the sweet aromas coming from an oven when bread is just about done. Reading your recipe did that to me. Sounds yummy and will be giving it a try soon. Thanks!
ReplyDelete2clowns at arkansas dot net
The same happens to me, Kay!
DeleteWow. This bread says: “Eat me!” What a great addition to our bread recipes. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us readers/bakers. I am sure it will be a hit at our house also. Luis at ole dot travel
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Luis.
DeleteThis was exactly the right recipe for me today, thanks! On its second rise now. For those who, like me, can't knead that long without pain, letting the dough sit about 15 minutes after mixing and before kneading allows the flour to hydrate so it doesn't require as much work. /Lee
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that about letting the dough sit. Great tip! Enjoy your bread. I can smell it from here.
DeleteI am impressed with how your loaf kept its shape during the last rising!
ReplyDeleteVery good looking loaf. Bet it tastes terrific.
It does taste terrific, Libby. It's a lovely recipe that never disappoints in rising and keeping its shape.
DeleteThis bread looks yummy! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete