Pretzels

1/8 C hot water  

1 1/3 C warm water 

5 C flour  

coarse salt (margarita salt or kosher salt)

1 pkg yeast  

1/3 C brown sugar 

Extra flour  

baking soda 

Mix hot water and yeast. Stir in warm water and brown sugar. Slowly add 5 cups flour, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until mixture does not stick to sides of bowl. Knead until stretchy and smooth. Grease cookie sheets and sprinkle with coarse salt. Divide dough into evenly sized balls. Roll each ball of dough into a rope; shape rope into a pretzel. Fill a frying pan with water. For every cup of water add 1 tablespoon baking soda. Gently boil. Lower each pretzel into pan with a spatula. Count very slowly to 30. Remove from water and place pretzel on salted cookie sheet. Sprinkle salt on top. Bake at 425° for 8 minutes until golden brown.

1 C cornmeal

½ tsp salt

4 eggs , separated 

2 C flour

1 ½ C sugar

1 C milk 

1 Tbs baking powder

3/4 C melted butter

1 tsp vanilla 

Combine egg yolks, milk, vanilla and melted butter. Stir into dry ingredients. In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into batter. Bake in 13 X 9 inch greased pan at 350 for 25 minutes. Do not over bake. Serve with Honey Butter (in Miscellaneous Section of this Recipe Book).

 2 pkgs yeast 

2 Tbs sugar 

1 tsp salt

1 C water 

2 Tbs vegetable oil 

5 ½-6 ½ C flour

1 C warm milk 

1 egg 

white icing

Raisins for eyes

Honey Butter: 

1 C butter or margarine, softened 

1/4 C honey 

1/4 C powdered sugar

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the milk, sugar, oil, egg, salt and 4 cups flour; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. For each bear, shape a 2-in. ball for the body. Add a 1-1/4-in. ball for the head and six 1/2-in. balls for the ears, arms and legs. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 20 minutes. Bake at 400° for 17-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Add raisins for eyes, anchoring with a dab of frosting. Add a frosting smile. In a small bowl, beat honey butter ingredients until fluffy. Chill; serve with rolls. Yield: about 10 rolls (1-1/4 cups butter)

2 pkg dry yeast 

1/3 C sugar 

½ C shortening 

4-5 C flour

1/4 C lukewarm water 

1 tsp salt 

1 C hot milk  

2 eggs, beaten

Soften yeast in warm water until bubbly. Measure sugar, salt and shortening into mixing bowl. Add hot milk and stir until shortening is melted. Cool to lukewarm. Stir in 2 cups flour and blend. Add yeast and beaten eggs. Stir in the rest of the flour to make a dough that does not stick to fingers. Turn dough onto lightly floured board and knead for 2 minutes until dough is springy and elastic. Shape dough into a ball and put in a bowl rubbed with shortening or oil. Turn to coat the dough with oil. Cover and let rise until double in bulk about 1 ½ hours. Shape into dinner rolls or cinnamon rolls. Let rise in pan until double in bulk, about 30 minutes. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes, until lightly browned.

Orange Delight Rolls: Mix together--------melted butter  ½ C sugar 1/4 C orange juice

Make a batch of Sweet Dinner Rolls. After the first rise, roll dough out to about ½ inch thick and spread with melted butter, sugar and orange juice. Roll as for cinnamon rolls and pour orange mixture left on top. Let rise to double. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes.

Make any 2 loaf recipe of your favorite bread. Shape into 2 equal sized balls and let stand 15 minutes. Roll each loaf into a rectangle the width of your bread pan and about ½ inch thick. Brush dough with hot water (no butter). Sprinkle with a cinnamon/sugar mix of 4 parts sugar to 1 part cinnamon. Roll up as for cinnamon rolls starting at narrow end. Put into loaf pans. Let rise until double. Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until loaf sounds hallow when tapped with a fingernail. Brush tops with butter. Great warm or toasted.    *At high altitudes of over 5, 000 ft. Use high altitude flour. You can add 2 Tbs. Wheat germ per loaf for extra nutrition. 

1 pkg active dry yeast 

1/4 C vegetable oil 

1 Tbs cinnamon

1/4 C warm water 

2 tsp salt 

1 Tbs water

2 C warm milk 

5 3/4 - 6 1/4 C flour   

Glaze: 

½ C powdered sugar 

1/3 C + ½ C sugar (divided) 

2 C raisins 

1 Tbs milk

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, 1/3 cup sugar, oil, salt and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Add raisins and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/4 hours. Punch dough down. On a lightly floured surface, divide in half. Roll each into a 15x7-in. rectangle. Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar; sprinkle over dough. Sprinkle with water. Starting with a short side, roll up tightly, jelly-roll style. Pinch seams and ends to seal. Place, seam side down, in two greased 9x5-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over warm loaves. Yield: 2 loaves (16 slices each)

1 pkg yeast 

½ C sugar 

6 1/4 - 6 3/4 C flour

1/4 C warm water 

1/4 C shortening 

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 C warm milk

 1 Tbs grated orange peel

3/4 C orange juice 

1 ½ tsp salt

Filling: 

½ C sugar 

2-3 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp water

Glaze:

1 ½ C powdered sugar

4 tsp orange juice

1 tsp grated orange peel

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. In a large bowl, combine the milk, orange juice, sugar, shortening, zest and salt. Add 2 cups flour, yeast mixture and egg; mix well. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down and divide in half. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each portion into a 15x7-in. rectangle. For filling, combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over rectangle. Sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon water. Roll up, jelly-roll style, starting with a short end. Seal edges. Place each seam side down in a greased 8x4-in. loaf pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks. Combine glaze ingredients; spread over loaves. Yield: 2 loaves (12 slices each)

1 1/2 lb loaf:

2/3 C milk

1 egg

2 Tbs. margarine or butter, cut up

3 C bread flour

1/4 cup sugar 

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp finely shredded orange peel

1 1/4 tsp active dry or. bread machine yeast

Filling:

1 C ground almonds

1 Tbs sugar

1/2 tsp finely shredded orange peel

3 Tbs orange juice

2 lb loaf:

3/4 C milk 

1 egg 

3 Tbs margarine or butter, cut up 

4 C bread flour 

1/3 C sugar (plus a little more)

1 tsp salt 

1 1/4 tsp finely shredded orange peel

1 ½ tsp active dry or bread machine yeast

Filling:

1 1/4 C ground almonds

4 tsp sugar 

3/4 tsp finely shredded orange peel

1/4 C orange juice (plus a little more)

Add the first 8 ingredients to the machine. Select the dough cycle. When the cycle is complete, remove dough from machine. Punch down and cover and let rest for 10 minutes, covered with a damp cloth. If you are not using a machine mix the ingredients by hand and knead until smooth and elastic. Let rise, covered with a damp cloth, for 30 minutes. Punch down and let rest for an additional 10 minutes, covered with a damp cloth. 

Meanwhile, for the filling, stir together the ground almonds, sugar, orange peel and orange juice. (If filling is not easy to spread stir in additional orange juice a little at a time until desired consistency.) Lightly grease a baking sheet. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle. (24 X 10 inches for 1 ½ lb) (24 X 12 inches for 2 lb) Spread the filling over the dough to within ½ inch of the edges. Fold dough loosely from the short side, making seven 3-inch wide folds. (This is similar to rolling a jelly roll, except you fold the dough instead of rolling it.) Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. On each of the long sides, make 1-inch long cuts from the edges toward the center at about 1-inch intervals. Cover; let rise in a warm place about 30 minutes or until nearly doubled. Bake in a 350° oven for 35-40 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped. (If necessary to prevent overbrowning, cover loosely with foil the last 5-10 minutes of baking.) Lightly brush with orange juice; sprinkle with sugar. Serve warm. 

Yield: 1 ½ lb (12 servings)    --     2 lb (16 servings)

(As air develops inside the bag, let it out. It is normal for the batter to rise, bubble and ferment.)

****Day 1 Do Nothing (This is the day you receive the batter.)

****Day 2 Mush the bag

****Day 3 Mush the bag

****Day 4 Mush the bag

****Day 5 Add the following to the bag: 1 Cup flour, 1 Cup sugar, 1 Cup milk. Mush.

****Day 6 Mush the bag

****Day 7 Mush the bag

****Day 8 Mush the bag

****Day 9 Mush the bag

****Day 10 Mush the bag and do the following:

Pour entire contents of the bag into a NON-METAL bowl. Add 1 ½ Cups flour,

1 ½ Cups sugar, and 1 ½ Cups milk. Stir well with a NON-METAL spoon. Then, measure out into 4 separate 1 gallon ziploc bags, one cup of batter in each. Keep one for yourself and give the other three to friends along with the copy of instructions and a slice of the bread they will be baking. (Write the date on the bag or instructions so that the recipient will remember what day they received it.)

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. To the remaining batter in the bowl (which is approximately 2 Cups) add the following:

3 eggs 1 Cup oil (or ½ Cup applesauce)

½ Cup milk 1 Cup Sugar

2 tsp. Cinnamon 1 tsp. Vanilla

½ tsp. Salt 1 ½ tsp. Baking soda

2 Cups flour 1 large box instant vanilla pudding

Mix together well by hand or with a hand mixer. (If you add applesauce, batter may be a little lumpy.)

Grease two large bread pans. Mix ½ Cup sugar and 1 ½ tsp. Cinnamon together. Dust the bottom of the greased pans with the mixture. Pour the batter into the pans and sprinkle the remaining sugar/cinnamon mixture over the batter. 

Bake 1 hour. Cool completely-until the bread loosens from the pan evenly.

Option: you may add chopped nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips. You can substitute chocolate, banana, or butterscotch pudding mix for the vanilla pudding. When passing the bags on to friends, make sure they know which day the process the bread is in. They can pencil in the date in the blanks next to “day 1", “day 2", etc.

Note: If you keep a start for yourself, you will be baking every ten days. The bread is wonderful and makes a great gift for neighbors, etc. Only the Amish know how to create a “starter”, so if you give them all away you will have to wait until one of your friends gives you one back!