Recipe: 1949 = First Pillsbury BakeOff Contest

It All Began... The year was 1949, and The Pillsbury Company
was planning its 80th birthday celebration. World
War II had ended, and families were reunited and
prospering. In this upbeat atmosphere, Pillsbury
sought a way to include the country's
homemakers in the birthday festivities. Why not a
recipe contest, to bring forth treasured recipes
from recipe boxes and drawers all over America?

The First Contest ...

New York's elegant Waldorf-Astoria Hotel was
the locale for the first glittering event - the Grand
National Recipe and Baking Contest. Contestants
became overnight celebrities. In fact, the contest
was such a huge success that Pillsbury executives
decided to repeat it the next year. The rest, of
course, is history. The first winner...

Theodora Smafield, Michigan
Grand Prize Winner in the 1949 Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest
No-Knead Water-Rising Twists

This first Bake-Off Contest winner originally
had a unique rising method. In that procedure,
the dough was wrapped in a tea towel and
submerged in warm water to rise.

Below is an updated version of this winning recipe. 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups Pillsbury BEST All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 pkg. active dry yeast
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamonLightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine
1 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, salt and yeast; blend well.

In small saucepan, heat milk and margarine until very warm (120 to 130 F.).
Add warm liquid, vanilla and eggs to flour mixture. Blend at low speed until
moistened; beat 2 minutes at medium speed. By hand, stir in remaining
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups flour to form a soft dough. Cover loosely with greased
plastic wrap and cloth towel. Let rise in warm place (80 to 85 F.) until
light and doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes. (Dough will be sticky.)

Grease 2 large cookie sheets. In small bowl, combine nuts, 1/2 cup sugar and
cinnamon; blend well. Drop about 1/4 cup dough into nut mixture; thoroughly
coat. Stretch dough to about 8 inches in length; twist into desired shape.
Place on greased cookie sheets. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover; let rise
in warm place, about 15 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 F. Uncover dough. Bake 8 to 16 minutes or until light
golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets; cool on wire racks.
Serve warm.

12 rollsHIGH ALTITUDE - Above 3500 Feet: No change.