Potato Rising Bread

Title: Potato Rising Bread
Subject: potatoes; salt; cornmeal; water; baking soda; flour; milk; sugar; butter
Description: Card 1 Front:

Potato Rising Bread 3 5X9 PANS
Use non-mealy 2½" diameter, new red-skinned potatoes for the starter.
Place them in a stainless steel bowl. Set bowl in water in an electric
dutch oven w/heat maintained at about 115-120°. Results in 15 hours.

Pare, the cut into thin slices : 2½ c. new non-mealy potatoes
Sprinkle over them: 1 T. salt , 2 T. water ground corn meal.
Add & stir until salt is dissolved: 4c. boiling water. Permit
potato mixture to stand, covered w/cloth for 15hrs. Now squeeze out
potatoes. Discard them. Drain liquid into a bowl and add, stirring until
well blended: 1t. soda, 1½ t. salt , 5c. sifted all purpose flour.
Beat & beat until the arm rebels. Set the sponge in a warm place to
rise until light. Bubbles should come to the surface and the
sponge should increase its volume by about ½. This will take 1½ hrs.
Scald: 1c. milk , 1t. sugar. When lukewarm, add:
1½ T. butter. Add this mixture to the potato sponge with
6 c. all purpose flour.

Card 1 Back:

(cont)
Knead dough for about 10 minutes before shaping into
3 loaves. Place in greased pans. Permit to rise, covered
until light and not quite double in bulk. Bake in a
preheated 350° oven for about 1 hour.

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# Potato Rising Bread

*Makes 3 loaves (5×9 pans)*

## Ingredients

- 2 1/2 c. new non-mealy red-skinned potatoes (2 1/2" diameter), pared and cut into thin slices
- 1 Tbsp salt (for starter)
- 2 Tbsp water-ground corn meal
- 4 c. boiling water
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 5 c. sifted all-purpose flour (for sponge)
- 1 c. milk, scalded
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp butter
- 6 c. all-purpose flour (for final dough)

## Instructions

1. Use non-mealy, 2 1/2" diameter new red-skinned potatoes for the starter. Place them in a stainless steel bowl. Set bowl in water in an electric dutch oven with heat maintained at about 115–120°. Results in 15 hours.
2. Pare, then cut potatoes into thin slices. Sprinkle over them: 1 Tbsp salt and 2 Tbsp water-ground corn meal.
3. Add and stir until salt is dissolved: 4 c. boiling water. Permit potato mixture to stand, covered with cloth, for 15 hours.
4. Now squeeze out potatoes. Discard them.
5. Drain liquid into a bowl and add, stirring until well blended: 1 tsp soda, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and 5 c. sifted all-purpose flour.
6. Beat and beat until "the arm rebels." Set the sponge in a warm place to rise until light. Bubbles should come to the surface and the sponge should increase its volume by about 1/2. This will take 1 1/2 hours.
7. Scald 1 c. milk with 1 tsp sugar. When lukewarm, add 1 1/2 Tbsp butter.
8. Add this milk mixture to the potato sponge along with 6 c. all-purpose flour.
9. Knead dough for about 10 minutes before shaping into 3 loaves. Place in greased pans.
10. Permit to rise, covered, until light and not quite double in bulk.
11. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for about 1 hour.

## Editor's Notes

- The starter preparation described in the first paragraph (placing whole potatoes in a heated water bath at 115–120° for 15 hours) appears to describe a wild-yeast or natural fermentation starter process. No commercial yeast is listed anywhere on the card; the recipe appears to rely entirely on natural fermentation from the potato starter.
- **Food safety note:** The fermentation step involves leaving the potato mixture covered at warm temperatures (115–120°F) for 15 hours. Care should be taken to maintain consistent temperature to avoid spoilage.
- **"Water-ground cornmeal"** — cornmeal produced by water-powered millstone grinding rather than modern steel roller milling. The slower, cooler grinding process preserves the corn germ and natural oils, retaining wild yeasts that contribute to fermentation in this starter. Modern substitute: stone-ground whole grain cornmeal (Bob's Red Mill or similar). Standard degerminated cornmeal is a less faithful substitute as it lacks the germ where wild yeasts reside.*
Creator: Barb Washburn
Source: RCA0009 - From Loan Ledger to Kitchen: The Barb Washburn Collection (Family)
Date: 1960s
Rights: Personal/Family
Format: Typed recipe card
Identifier: RCA0009-20260629-0035
Coverage: Washington, US Wisconsin, US