Best Breads: Ruralite readers share their favorite bread recipes

By Ruralite Magazine

More than 400 mouth-watering recipes-English Muffins, Oatmeal Orange Bread, Sweet Rolls and many more. These recipes were submitted for Ruralite magazine's 1997 bread recipe contest. The winning entries were published in the October 1997 issue, and are featu

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ruralite Magazine
• Release date: Apr 24, 2024
• ISBN: 9798869312518

Book preview

Best Breads

Ruralite readers share their favorite bread recipes

Recipes submitted by Ruralite Readers for 1997 Contest

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Dear Ruralite Reader:

Thank you for your interest in this booklet of recipes created by Ruralite readers. These recipes were submitted for Ruralite magazine’s 1997 bread recipe contest. The winning entries were published in the October 1997 issue, and are featured in the first pages of this booklet. Many  excellent recipes were submitted.

They are in no particular order, and unlike the winners, are not kitchen-tested by Ruralite staff. The bread maker recipes are at the end of this book.

Thank you again for your interest. Enjoy!

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Winning Recipes

BLACK PEPPER BREAD

1 C. whole milk

1/2 C. unsalted butter

1/4 C. sugar

2 tsp. salt

1/2 C. warm water

2 Tbs. dry yeast

4 large eggs

2 Tbs. black pepper

7 C. all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten (for brushing tops of loaves before baking)

Scald the milk; add the butter, sugar and salt and allow the mixture to cool.

Combine the water and yeast and proof mixture for 10 minutes.

When the milk mixture has cooled, add the yeast and the 4 eggs that have been lightly beaten beforehand with the black pepper.

Beat in the flour one cup at a time, then knead in more of the flour to make a smooth and elastic dough. Allow the dough to rise for 45 minutes in a warm area, then punch down and place in loaf pans that have been lightly greased. Allow to rise again.

Lightly brush tops of loaves with the beaten egg and bake in 375-degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.

John M. Kilgour, Anderson Island, Washington.

Tanner Electric Co-op

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A TO Z BREAD

3 C. flour

1 Tbs. cinnamon

1 C. oil

1 Tbs. vanilla

1 tsp. each salt and soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 C. sugar

1 C. chopped nuts

3 eggs

2 C. A to Z (listed below)

Sift dry ingredients; set aside. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add oil and sugar; cream well. Add A to Z of your choice and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. Add nuts. Spoon into 2 well-greased loaf pans. Bake in preheated 325-degree oven for 1 hour. Makes two large loaves. Freezes well.

A to Z: Use one of the following, or a combination of the following, to equal 2 cups:

Apples (grated); applesauce; apricots (chopped); bananas (mashed); carrots (grated); cherries (pitted and chopped); coconut (fresh, ground); dates (chopped); eggplant (ground); figs (finely chopped); grapes (seedless); honey (omit sugar); lemons (1/2 cup); marmalade (omit 1 C. sugar); mincemeat; oranges (chopped); peaches (fresh or canned, chopped); peppermint (1/2 C.); pears (chopped); crushed pineapple (drained); prunes (chopped, 1 C.); pumpkin; raisins; raspberries; rhubarb (cooked); strawberries; sweet potatoes (grated); tapioca (cooked); tomatoes (use only 1/2 C. sugar); yams (cooked and mashed); yogurt (plain or flavored); zucchini (grated and well-drained).

Mary Burger, Pahrump, Nevada.

Valley Electric Association

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OATMEAL ROLLS

Cook for 1 minute. Cool to lukewarm:

1 C. dry oatmeal

2 C. boiling water

3 Tbs. butter

In a large mixing bowl combine:

2 pkgs. dry yeast (or 2 rounded Tbs.)

1 Tbs. sugar

1/3 C. warm water.

Let proof until light and bubbly. Mix cooled cooked oatmeal mixture with yeast mixture and the following: 2/3 C. packed brown sugar

1-1/2 tsp. salt

2-1/2 C. bread flour

Mix well, then add about 2-1/2 C. more flour to

make soft dough.

Knead for 6-8 minutes. Place in a large, warm, buttered mixing bowl. Cover with damp cloth and let raise about one hour, or until double.

Place dough on lightly floured surface and knead a few times. Cut dough into even portions. This will make 24 nice dinner rolls. Place in greased baking pans. Let rise 45-60 minutes or until light to touch. Bake in 350-degree oven, 25-30 minutes.

Turn out onto cooling racks to cool.

Sue Maxwell, Haines, Oregon.

Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative

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GRANDMA’S CORN BREAD

1 C. buttermilk

1 egg

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. oil

2 tsp. baking powder

3 Tbs. suga r

Equal amounts of cornmeal and flour, about 3/4 C. each

Mix and pour into a hot pan that has 2 Tbs. of oil in it and bake in a preheated 425-degree oven, 30-40 minutes.

Violet Van Buskirk, Paisley, Oregon.

Surprise Valley Electrification Corporation

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GREAT WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

4 C. hot tap water

Add:

8 C. whole wheat flour

Knead. Add:

3 Tbs. yeast

4 eggs

1 C. honey (may use 1/2 C. honey and 1/2 C. molasses)

1 C. oil

Knead. Add:

2 Tbs. salt

1/2 C. gluten flour

Add:

1-2 C. whole wheat flour

Knead. Grease 9x5-inch pans. Raise double in pans for 45 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees, 30-35 minutes. Makes 4 loaves. Good keeper.

Helen Thornton, Challis, Idaho.

Salmon River Electric Co-o p

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CREAM SCONES

2 C. unbleached flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 C. butter

2 eggs

1/3 C. heavy cream (whipping)

1/2 C. dried cranberries (approximately), or other dried fruit such as blueberries

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Use a pastry blender, two knives or your fingers to cut in the butter until it resembles coarse meal. Do not cream butter.

Stir in the eggs with a fork. Add the dried cranberries and the cream.

 Mix the dough until it clumps into a ball. Knead the dough lightly about two minutes. The dough should be moist throughout and sticking together in a smooth ball. Add a few extra drops of cream if necessary. Lightly grease a heavy cookie sheet (I use cooking spray). Place the dough ball on the cookie sheet. Flatten the dough into a round circle about 3/4-inch   thick. Push any dried cranberries that are sticking out back into the dough. Cut the dough with a sharp knife to make six or eight pieces; use the knife to push the wedges apart a little bit.

Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Sometimes I separate the wedges a little bit more at this point and cook a few more minutes if the scones seem done except for the inside edges.

Serve warm or at room temperature, with or without butter and jam. If you don’t eat them all, these are good reheated in the microwave, 10-15 seconds.

Wendy Hill, Sunriver, Oregon.

Midstate Electric Cooperative

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HOMEMADE HAMBURGER BUNS

1 Tbs. salt

4-1/2 to 5 C. flour

2 pkgs. yeast

1 C. milk

3/4 C. water

1/2 C. oil

1/4 C. sugar

Stir 2 C. flour and yeast together. Heat milk, oil, water, sugar and salt until it reaches 120-130 degrees. (Just before a boil. Use a candy thermometer). Let it cool a bit as not to kill the yeast. Add this liquid all at once to the flour and yeast. Beat with mixer for three minutes, until smooth.

Add the remaining flour until you have a soft dough. Mix well. Rest it for 10 minutes. Roll out on a floured board and cut in circles. Put rounds on greased sheet.

Cover with dish towel and let rise 30-45 minutes.

Bake at 425 degrees, 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Makes 8-10.

Astrid Simon, Ellensburg, Washington.

Kittitas County PUD

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ANADAMA BREAD

1-1/4 C. water

1/4 C. molasses

1 Tbs. oil  

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 C. yellow cornmeal

3 C. flour

2-1/2 tsp. yeast

In bread machine, add water, molasses and oil. Mix flour, cornmeal and salt. Add to water, then add yeast on top.

Most of the time, I stir a handful of chopped nuts and a few raisins into flour before dumping it on top of the water mix.

Fran Whiteman, Wamic, Oregon.

Wasco Electric Cooperative, Inc .

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BUTTERMILK DOUGH

1 qt. buttermilk, warmed

2 pkgs. dry yeast dissolved in 3/4 C. water or buttermilk 2 eggs

3-4 Tbs. sugar

1-1/2 tsp. salt

1 cube margarine

1/2 tsp. baking soda*

8 C. all-purpose flour, approximately

Dissolve yeast in liquid for 5 minutes.

Warm buttermilk; add melted margarine, sugar and salt.

Add eggs; beat well. Add 3 C. flour and soda. Beat well again. Add enough all-purpose flour to make smooth dough.

Dough is excellent for dinner rolls, bread sticks, scones, cinnamon rolls, hamburger buns.

*Be sure to add the baking soda with the first cups of flour; it’s a must.

Gayle Wilkes, Afton, Wyoming.

Lower Valley Power & Light

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SWEDISH RYE BREAD

1 pkg. yeast

1/4 C. warm water

1 tsp. sugar

2 C. scalding milk

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. butter

1 egg, well beaten

1/2 C. each molasses and sugar

2 C. rye flour, sifted

4-6 C. white flour

Soak yeast with water and teaspoon sugar. Let set covered.

Add next six ingredients to mixer and mix well. Add 2 C. white flour and 2 C. rye flour and mix well. Remove from the bowl and knead, adding enough white flour until dough does not stick to hands. If you have a kneading hook, mix until dough does not stick to the bowl. Knead about 7 minutes or until dough is soft and bounces back when pushed on. Transfer dough to large buttered bowl, turn once and place warm wet towel on the top. Put bowl in a warm place to allow dough to rise.

When dough has doubled, cut into two equal pieces and lay one piece of dough on table with a little flour. Roll with a rolling pin into 10x30-inch rectangle. Roll dough up tightly, sealing edges. Place in buttered bread pan with seam down and spread a little butter on top of the dough. Do the same with the other piece of dough. Let raise in a warm place until doubled.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat one egg white and 1/8 C. water in a small bowl.

Brush top of loaves with beaten egg white mixture using a pastry brush.

Bake at 350 degrees, one hour. Cover top of loaves with foil if they start to get dark brown. The loaves should sound hollow when tapped on.

Take out of pans when done cooking (may need to release edges with a knife) and cool on bread board or rack, turning loaves on sides to cool bottom.

Karlene Owens, Pocatello, Idaho.

Lower Valley Power and Light, Inc.

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STRAWBERRY NUT BREAD

1 C. margarine

1-1/2 C. white sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. lemon extract

4 eggs

3 C. sifted flour

1 tsp. each salt and cream of tartar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 C. strawberry jam, or your favorite jam

1/2 C. sour cream

1 C. chopped walnuts, optional

In a bowl, cream margarine, sugar, vanilla and lemon until fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Stir in sour cream and jam until blended. Sift together flour, salt, cream of tartar, baking soda. Add to the creamed mixture; beat well. Stir in nuts. Pour into 4 to 5 lightly greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees, 50-55 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap. Can be frozen.

Cindy Kepler, Sandpoint, Idaho.

Northern Lights, Inc .

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HOE CAKES (BREAD)

2 C. cornmeal

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 C. boiling water

1/2 C. cold water

1/2 Tbs. bacon drippings

Scald cornmeal with boiling water to make a very stiff dough. Add cold water, salt and bacon drippings. Shape into ovals, one handful at a time, leaving print of the fingers across top. Cook on top of stove in a heavy iron skillet, turning them once to brown. May also bake in greased baking pans in 425-degree oven until light brown. Turn and brown on the other side.

Norma Essex, Porthill, Idaho.

Northern Lights, Inc.

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Favorite Bread Recipes

NEW IMPROVED WHEAT BREAD

2 Tbs. yeast

3-1/2 C. warm water

1 C. scalded milk

1 C. blackstrap molasses

5-1/2 Tbs. melted butter

2-1/2 tsp. salt

6-8 Tbs. gluten, optional

4 C. total of walnuts, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, oat bran or wheat bran; ground in blender

Wheat flour (fresh ground is best)

White flour (best for bread)

Proof yeast in water and set aside.

Combine next four ingredients and mix well in a large bowl. Add ground nuts, seeds and bran mixture and mix well. Add enough wheat flour to become thick and hard to stir. Add some of the yeast and water mixture until the dough becomes watery, then add more wheat flour. Alternate adding in wheat flour and yeast and water mixture until half of the yeast and water mixture is gone.

Mix in the gluten and start alternating the white flour with the yeast and water mixture until gone. Add in enough white flour so the dough does not stick to hands or sides of bowl, if using dough hook.

Knead 10 minutes, then place in a large buttered bowl. Turn dough once and cover with a warm wet towel. Raise until double (about an hour) then divide into three equal portions.

Butter three bread pans and place a little flour on table. With a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into a large 10x30-inch rectangle, pushing out air bubbles as you roll. Roll up tightly, pinch seams together and place in the bread pan with seam down. Rub some butter on top of loaf. Raise until double, being careful not to get too high.

Beat together one egg white and 1/8 C. water and brush on top of loaves. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Preheat oven to 350 and bake for about one hour, depending on altitude. Cover the tops of loaves with foil if they start to get dark brown.

Remove from pans right away (may need to use a

knife to loosen edges) and cool on rack or bread board, rotating occasionally from side to side to cool bottom. If you leave out the nuts and seeds this is a very lowfat bread.

Karlene Owens, Pocatello, Idaho.

Lower Valley Power and Light, Inc.

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CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD

1/2 C. applesauce

1-1/4 C. sugar

2 eggs

1/2 C. sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla

1 C. mashed ripe bananas

1-3/4 C. flour

1 tsp. each baking soda and baking powder 1/16 tsp. salt

1/2 C. chocolate chips

3/4 C. walnuts

Chocolate topping, optional:

3 Tbs. butter, melted

1/2 C. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees if using small mini loaf pans, 350 if using a bread pan.

Mix first six ingredients in one bowl and the remaining six in another bowl.

Combine into one bowl, being careful to mix only until blended. Pour batter into well-greased bread pan or small mini loaf pans.

Bake 50 minutes for small pans and one hour for big loaf, or until toothpick in center comes out clean. Allow bread to cool in pans for 20 minutes. Remove bread and place on bread board until cool.

Combine chocolate topping ingredients and spread over top of bread.

Karlene Owens, Pocatello, Idaho.

Lower Valley Power and Light, Inc.

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CARROT DESSERT BREAD

2 C. each ground raw carrot and raw potato 2 C. ground raisins

2 C. flour

2 C. sugar

2 tsp. each baking soda and cinnamon

1/2 C. butter or margarine, softened

Salt

1 tsp. each allspice and nutmeg, optional

Combine first three ingredients. Sift flour, soda, salt and cinnamon and add to the ground mixture. Add butter or margarine.

Pour dough into mini-loaf pans. Cover with foil and place in a roaster that contains 1-2 inches water. Place lid on the roaster and steam in oven for three hours at 350 degrees.

Myrna Sutor, Tillamook, Oregon.

Tillamook PUD

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CRANBERRY NUT BREAD

2 C. flour

1 C. sugar

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 C. margarine

1 egg

3/4 C. orange juice

1 Tbs. grated orange peel

1-1/2 C. fresh or frozen cranberries

1/2 C. chopped walnuts

In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg, orange juice and peel; stir into dry ingredients until blended. Add cranberries and walnuts. Spoon into a greased and floured