Recipe(tried): Rec: Salt Rising Bread

My mother and I have made this salt rising bread for years. The smell of salt rising bread is terrible, but we make it because we think that it makes the best toast in the world.

Salt Rising Bread

3 medium sized potatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
4 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt

Pare and slice the potatoes. Add corn meal, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and boiling water. Wrap bowl in a heavy cloth, cover (I sealed the top of mine with Saran Wrap) and allow to stand in warm place overnight (it usually takes between 12 and 24 hours for it to ferment. There will be a fairly thick foam, sometimes several inches worth, on top of the liquid when it is fermented and ready.) In the morning remove potatoes.

Add:

2 cups lukewarm milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
Flour

Add sufficient flour to make a dough (this will take approximately 14 cups of flour) just stiff enough to knead. Knead (this will take approximately 2 more cups of flour) until smooth and elastic. Form into 3 loaves and place in well oiled bread pans. Cover and let rise until double in bulk (the time will vary everytime depending on the temperature, sometimes just a couple of hours and sometimes it will take all day.) Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour.

This bread freezes well.