Hasty Pudding

4 ¼  cups water

1 cup oatmeal ( or rye flour or cornmeal)

½ teaspoon salt

Milk or cream to taste

Sugar, molasses, maple syrup or honey for sweetening.

 Bring a quart of water to boil in a pot. Remove from the fire. In a separate container, mix ¼ cup of water and 3 tablespoons of the oatmeal together.  Add the oatmeal mixture and salt to the pot of water. Place back on fire. Slowly add the remaining oatmeal ¼ cup at a time, stir to blend, and bring pot back to boil before adding the next bit of oatmeal. This should take about a half-hour. Serve hot with milk or cream, butter and sweetner to taste.

Take leftover mush and chill. Slice and dust with flour to fry in butter. Serve with your choice of syrup or honey.

This recipe is from the 18th century, adapted with modern measurements.

American Rye Bread

1 package dry yeast

2 cups warm water

2 cups Rye flour

2 ¾  to 3 ¼ cups of all purpose flour

2 ½ teaspoons salt

Stir the yeast and warm water  together in a large mixing bowl  and let stand for a minute or two to dissolve the yeast. Add the Rye flour, 2 cups of the all purpose flour, and the salt. Beat vigorously until well blended. Stir in enough all purpose flour so you can handle the dough, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for a minute or two, then let rest 10 minutes.

  Resume kneading for about 10 minutes, adding all purpose fkour as needed to keep the dough from being too sticky.  Once smooth, place in a large greased bowl, cover and let rise until double in size.

Punch the dough down  and shape into two loaves, either in bread pans or  two round loaves. Round loaves should be placed on greased baking sheet with a sprinkle of cornmeal on it.  Cover lightly and let rise til double in bulk or to top of bread pans.

Slash loaves with a knife on top just before putting in a preheated 375 oven. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Place on a rake to cool.

From the Fannie Farmer’s Baking Book