Cinnamon Loaf

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup soft butter

2 eggs, well beaten

1 3/4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. baking powder

Topping:

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 T. cinnamon

Combine sour cream and baking soda, then blend in butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour and baking powder. Spread half the batter into pan, cover with half the topping mixture. Add remaining batter and top with rest of topping. You can make this in a loaf pan or an 8x8 cake pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes at 350.

Quick Bread

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar, or less (as little as a tablespoon works)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk (I cheat and use regular milk with a wee bit of lemon juice)
1 egg
1/4 cup oil

Mix together and put into a loaf pan or an 8x8 pan. If using a loaf pan, bake for 45-50 minutes at 350. If using an 8x8, bake for 30 minutes.

Perfect if you need a bread side dish for soup or baked beans.

Focaccia Bread

Make a batch of pizza dough and spread it into a round pizza pan. Brush it with margarine or butter and sprinkle with garlic salt and parsley (or whichever spices you like).

Bake at 375 for about 20-25 minutes. This makes a great fast side dish for lasagna and the like.

Simple Scones

2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup hard butter
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg

Mix dry ingredients. Grate in or cut in the butter until it is quite fine. Add raisins, sour cream and egg. After mixing, press the dough into a ball. Pat it into a 7-8" circle on a pan lined with parchment paper and sprinkle with 1 tsp of sugar. Cut it into 8 triangles. Bake for 15-17 minutes at 400, until golden.

Soft Pretzels

1 T yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
4 cups flour

Mix and knead until smooth. Roll out into long ropes and form into pretzel shapes. Place on a cookie sheet. Brush with beaten egg mixed with water and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until browned.

That is the original recipe. We like powdered sugar pretzels so I eliminate the egg wash and coarse salt and just bake these plain. Then when they are done I brush them with a little melted butter and dip them into a plate of icing sugar. We eat them with caramel sauce.

Caramel Sauce:
In a small saucepan, melt together equal amounts of butter and brown sugar. Bring to a boil then remove from heat and add a splash of milk and a little vanilla. Will thicken as it cools.

Never Fail Biscuits

2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup milk

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Add milk and mix well. Roll out (not too thin and use lots of flour since the dough is a bit sticky) and cut circles out of the dough with a cup. Bake 10 minutes at 450.

I use this recipe for anything that calls for a biscuit dough. I use it to wrap up sausage for pigs-in-a-blanket. Another popular dessert around here is cinnamon rolls using this biscuit dough. Roll out the dough pretty thin and sprinkle it thickly with sugar and cinnamon. Cut into rectangles and roll up. Then bake 10 minutes at 450 until golden brown.

Banana Bread

3-4 ripe bananas, mashed (sometimes I only use 2)
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups flour

Mix in order given. Bake in a bread pan 45-50 minutes at 350 on the bottom rack of the oven.

Golden Sweet Cornbread

1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup oil


Mix dry ingredients. Combine egg, milk and oil and mix into dry ingredients. Mix well and pour into a 9" square pan. Bake 20-25 minutes at 400.

Oatmeal Bread

This is what I make when we need bread but I've run out of milk.


1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 T shortening
2 tsp yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup honey
5 cups flour


Combine water and oats and let sit until slightly cooled. Add remaining ingredients, mix as for bread. Let the dough rise about 30 minutes covered, then divide into two balls and place into two greased bread pans. Let rise covered again about 45 minutes, then bake 25 minutes at 375.

Honey Beer Bread

3 cups flour
2 T sugar
1 T baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 T honey
1 bottle beer (12 oz)
1/4 cup butter, melted


Mix everything except the butter. Pour half the butter in the bottom of the bread pan, put in the dough and pour the rest of the butter on top. Bake 45-50 minutes at 350.

White Bread

Ingredients:

10 cups white flour

2 tbsp yeast

6 tbsp sugar

4 tsp salt

4 tbsp shortening

2 cups milk

2 cups water

Place 4 cups of the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and shortening in mixer. Combine milk and water and microwave about 3 minutes until warm. Add to mixer. If your mixer can handle it, add the remaining 6 cups of flour all at once and then turn it on. If it can't, turn the mixer on and add the 6 cups of flour one at a time. When the dough is mixed, turn it out on a floured surface and knead until smooth. Cover and let rise 30 minutes. Divide into four balls and place each ball in a greased bread pan. Cover and let rise again 45 minutes. Bake 26-35 minutes at 350 degrees on the lowest rack of the oven.

You can be creative with this recipe. I've made it with partly whole wheat flour or partly spelt flour. I've also added Red River cereal (soaked in boiling water) for some crunchy interest.

Once baked, turned out of the pans and cooled, I store each loaf in the freezer to maintain the freshness.