Breads and Sandwiches
Bake a batch of homemade bread or yeast rolls, and watch tired appetites perk up. Surprise your family with hot biscuits or muffins.
For a leisurely Sunday breakfast, make waffles or pancakes.
Before using the recipes for breads, see the section on ingredients and measurements (p.16).
18 to 24 rolls
1 package active dry yeast or 1 cake compressed yeast¼ cup warm water (about 110° F.)¾ cup hot milk¼ cup shortening or oil¼ cup sugar1¼ teaspoons salt1 eggAbout 4 cups flour
Dissolve yeast in water. Mix milk, fat, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cool to lukewarm.
Stir in egg and yeast. Add 2 cups flour and beat until smooth. Gradually stir in more flour until dough leaves sides of bowl.
Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic.
Place in a lightly greased bowl and turn over once to grease upper side of dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place (80° to 85° F.) until almost double in bulk, 1 to 1¼ hours. Dough should rise until a light touch leaves a slight depression. Press the dough down into the bowl to remove air bubbles.
To make plain rolls, divide dough into small pieces and roll into balls about 1½ inches in diameter. Place in a shallow greased pan with sides touching—or 1 inch apart if you prefer crusty sides.
Cover loosely and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Bake at 400° F. (hot oven) 15 to 20 minutes.
Brush rolls with melted butter or margarine after removing them from the oven.
Variations
Crescent rolls.—Divide dough into three portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion into a circle about 10 inches in diameter. Brush with melted butter or margarine. Cut each circle into 6 wedges; roll wedges up tightly, beginning at wide end. Place on greased baking sheet with points down; curve ends to form crescents. Let rise and bake.
Cinnamon-nut rolls.—Roll dough out on lightly floured surface into a rectangle about ¼-inch thick. Brush with melted butter or margarine. Sprinkle with a mixture of ½ cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Press ½ cup chopped nuts into dough. Roll as for jelly roll; seal edge. Cut into ¾-inch slices. Place close together, cut side down, in a greased shallow baking pan. Let rise and bake.
Cloverleaf rolls.—Divide dough into very small pieces and roll into balls about ¾ inch in diameter. Dip each ball in melted butter or margarine and place three balls together in a greased muffin tin. Let rise and bake.
12 biscuits
2 cups flour1 tablespoon baking powder1 teaspoon salt⅓ cup shorteningAbout ¾ cup milk
Mix dry ingredients thoroughly. Mix in fat only until mixture is crumbly.
Add most of the milk and stir to mix. Add more milk as needed to make a dough that is soft but not too sticky to knead. Knead dough gently on a lightly floured surface 10 to 12 times. Form into a ball.
Pat or roll dough to ½- to ¾-inch thickness. Cut with a floured biscuit cutter or cut into squares with a knife. Place on an ungreased baking sheet—1 inch apart for crusty biscuits; together for softer biscuits.
Bake at 450° F. (very hot oven) 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Variations
Cheese biscuits.—Combine ¾ cup shredded sharp or extra sharp cheese with dry ingredients before adding fat.
Sweet biscuits or shortcake.—Combine 1 tablespoon sugar with dry ingredients. Use ¼ cup butter or margarine for fat. Reduce milk to ⅔ cup. Bake at 425° F. (hot oven) 10 to 15 minutes.
12 popovers
3 eggs1 cup milk2 tablespoons melted fat or oil1 cup flour½ teaspoon salt
Grease muffin tins and place them in an oven that is preheating at 450° F. (very hot).
Beat eggs well in a large mixing bowl. Add milk and fat. Mix flour and salt; add to liquid mixture. Beat until smooth.
Fill hot muffin tins half full of batter. Bake at 450° F. 15 minutes; reduce heat to 375° F. (moderate oven) and bake 10 minutes longer. Do not open oven door during baking.
Immediately after baking, insert a paring knife through the top of each popover to allow steam to escape.
6 servings
1 cup yellow cornmeal1 cup flour4 teaspoons baking powder¼ or ⅓ cup sugar, as desired½ teaspoon salt1 cup milk1 egg, beaten¼ cup melted shortening or oil
Mix dry ingredients thoroughly. Combine milk and egg; stir in fat. Add liquid to dry ingredients; stir only enough to mix.
Pour batter into a greased 8- by 8- by 2-inch baking pan. Bake at400° F. (hot oven) about 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Variation
Corn muffins.—Fill greased muffin tins half full of batter. Bake at 400° F. (hot oven) about 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.
6 servings
3 cups milk1 cup cornmeal1½ teaspoons salt2 tablespoons butter or margarine4 egg yolks, beaten4 egg whites
Combine milk, cornmeal, and salt. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Mix in fat. Cool to lukewarm. Stir in egg yolks.
Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Fold into mixture; pour into greased 1½-quart casserole.
Bake at 400° F. (hot oven) for 35 to 40 minutes or until set. Serve immediately.
12 muffins
1 egg1 cup milk⅓ cup oil or melted shortening2 cups flour1 tablespoon baking powder1 teaspoon salt⅓ cup sugar
Beat egg until yolk and white are well blended. Blend in milk and fat.
Mix dry ingredients thoroughly. Add liquid and stir until dry ingredients are barely moistened. Do not overmix. Batter should be lumpy.
Fill greased muffin tins half full of batter. Bake at 400° F. (hot oven) 20 to 25 minutes.
Variations
Blueberry muffins.—Increase sugar to ½ cup. Lightly blend in ¾ cup fresh or drained canned blueberries when combining liquid and dry ingredients. Do not crush berries.
Bran muffins.—Reduce flour to 1¼ cups. Mix 2 cups bran flakes or raisin bran cereal with dry ingredients before adding liquid.
Oatmeal-raisin muffins.—Reduce flour to 1¼ cups. Mix 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats and ½ cup raisins with dry ingredients before adding liquid.
1 loaf
⅔ cup sugar¼ cup shortening2 eggs2 cups flour3 teaspoons baking powder½ teaspoon salt1 cup orange juice or milk½ teaspoon vanilla⅔ cup chopped nuts
Beat sugar, shortening, and eggs until creamy.
Mix flour, baking powder, and salt thoroughly. Stir into egg mixture alternately with liquid and vanilla; stir nuts into last portion of flour mixture before blending it into batter.
Pour into greased 9- by 5- by 3-inch loafpan. Bake at 350° F. (moderate oven) 50 to 60 minutes, or until no batter clings to toothpick inserted in center of loaf. Remove from pan and cool on rack.
6 servings
3 tablespoons softened butter or margarine½ cup granulated sugar1 egg1 cup flour1¼ teaspoons baking powder¼ teaspoon salt⅓ cup milk¼ teaspoon vanilla⅓ cup brown sugar, packed½ teaspoon cinnamon2 tablespoons butter or margarine
Mix 3 tablespoons fat with granulated sugar. Add egg and beat until creamy.
Mix flour, baking powder, and salt thoroughly; add to sugar mixture alternately with milk. Add vanilla. Spread batter evenly in a greased 8-inch square baking pan.
Mix brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over batter. Dot with 2 tablespoons fat. Bake at 350° F. (moderate oven) 25 to 30 minutes.
About 12 pancakes, 4½ inches in diameter
2 cups flour4 teaspoons baking powder1 teaspoon salt2 tablespoons sugar1 egg, well beaten1¾ cups milk⅓ cup oil or melted fat
Heat griddle while mixing batter. When griddle is hot enough, drops of water sprinkled on it will bounce.
Mix dry ingredients thoroughly. Combine egg with milk and fat. Add to dry ingredients and stir only until combined. Batter will be lumpy.
For each pancake, pour about ¼ cup batter onto hot griddle. Cook until edges become slightly dry and bubbles form on top. Turn and brown the other side.
Variation
Waffles.—Increase eggs to 3. Pour batter into hot waffle iron and bake until steaming has almost stopped.
Note: For a lighter-textured waffle, beat egg whites separately until stiff but not dry. Fold into waffle batter.
Sandwiches play many roles in family fare. You can make them fancy for teas and parties—light for snacks—or hearty for the main course at lunch or supper.
Spread sandwich fillings generously, all the way to the edge of the bread. Fillings should be moist, but not wet. Experiment with new fillings, and with different kinds of bread.
6 servings
6 slices bacon6 slices bread6 slices (1 ounce each) cheese
Cut bacon slices into halves crosswise; fry until most of fat has cooked out.
Preheat oven with broiler pan and rack in place.
Put a slice of cheese on each bread slice. Top with partly cooked bacon.
Place sandwiches under broiler to lightly brown bacon and melt cheese.
6 servings
1½ pounds ground beef1 cup chopped onion1 cup chopped celery1 can (8 ounces) spanish-style tomato sauce¼ cup catsup2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed2 tablespoons vinegar2 tablespoons barbecue sauce1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce1 tablespoon prepared mustard2 teaspoons saltPepper, as desired6 hamburger buns
Crumble beef into saucepan and brown lightly. Drain off excess fat. Mix in onion and celery. Combine tomato sauce, catsup, brown sugar, vinegar, barbecue sauce, and seasonings. Pour over meat, cover pan, and simmer barbecue 1½ to 2 hours, or until flavors are well blended.
Spoon beef mixture over buns.
6 servings
6 frozen fried fish portions or 12 frozen fried fish sticks6 buttered hamburger buns6 tablespoons chili sauce6 slices (1 ounce each) cheese
Place frozen fried fish portions or fish sticks in a single layer on a well-greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° F. (hot oven) 15 to 20 minutes, or until heated through.
Place 1 fish portion or 2 fish sticks on bottom half of each bun on a baking sheet. Top each sandwich with 1 tablespoon chili sauce, a slice of cheese, and other half of bun.
Bake at 350° F. (moderate oven) 8 to 10 minutes, or until cheese melts.
6 servings
2 cups ground cooked meat⅓ cup mayonnaise or salad dressing⅓ cup pickle relish½ teaspoon salt (omit when ham is used)Pepper, as desired12 slices breadSoftened butter or margarine
Combine meat, salad dressing, relish, and seasonings; mix well. Chill.
Spread bread with butter or margarine. Then spread 6 slices with meat mixture and top each with second slice of bread.
Variations
Grilled open-face sandwiches.—Use 6 slices bread. Toast bread on one side under broiler. Spread untoasted side of the bread with butter or margarine and meat mixture. Broil sandwiches until meat browns slightly. Serve piping hot.
Poultry salad sandwiches.—Use 2 cups of ground cooked poultry as the meat.