Duck Fat Bread
Duck Fat Bread
My Mom used to make this wonderful sweet bread. Made it for every family occasion. She was also a very frugal person and decided rather that toss duck skin she had removed from a duck she was using in soup she rendered the fat. Once it was cooled it looked like butter. She was making her bread and substituted the duck fat for the butter in the recipe. When my brother-in-law, Bob, tasted it he declared it was the best yet. My Mom told him what the secret ingredient was and from that day on we always called it duck fat bread- even when it was made with butter. Here is the recipe- wonderful even made with plain old butter.
Butter Coffeecake Braids aka Duck Fat Bread
4 1/2 c. flour
2 T. sugar
1 t. salt
½ c. butter or 1/2 c. cooled rendered duck fat
1 packet yeast
¼ c. warm water
2 t. sugar
1 c. evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten
Combine flour with sugar and salt. Cut in butter or margarine and set aside. Dissolve 2 teaspoons sugar in warm water. Dissolve yeast in warm water mixture and set aside. Allow to become bubbly, about 5 minutes. Combine milk with eggs. Stir in yeast mixture and add to flour mixture stirring well. Knead dough in bowl until smooth, about 10 minutes. Place on lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1½ hours. Divide dough in half and then each half into thirds. Roll dough into ropes and braid three ropes together. Repeat with remaining 3 ropes. Place braids in 9×5 inch greased bread pans and cover with a towel. Place in a warm, draft-free place and allow to rise until doubled, about 1½ hours. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. If you like glaze loaves while warm with a mix of powdered sugar, a little milk, butter, and vanilla. Toasted almonds or walnuts can be added, if desired. Makes 2 loaves.
Note: You can also refrigerate the dough after kneading it if you would prefer. Just place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight. Roll and shape dough into braids when cold from the fridge. Rise, covered, until doubled in bulk, about 2-3 hours. Bake as directed.
Note: You can also place loaves on a greased baking sheet for a longer, flatter bread rather than in loaf pan.
Cut in Butter or Duck Fat
Form dough into braids
Allow to rise until doubled
Spelt Bread
Spelt Bread
If you haven’t baked with spelt flour before you might want to try it out. Its a whole grain but you end up with a product that is softer than whole wheat and requires less kneading. You can also replace white flour in pretty much any recipe with a similar texture to white flour- but with the nutrition of wholegrain. I really love working with spelt flour. I hope you will, too. Spelt flour is available in some grocery stores, specialty stores and health food stores.
Spelt Bread
3 ¼ c. whole spelt flour
1 pkt. Active dry yeast
1 c. water
1/3 c. honey
¼ c. oil
1 t. salt
1 egg
Place 2 c. flour, yeast and salt in a medium bowl. Heat together water, honey and oil until warm (120-130 degrees) Add water mixture to spelt mixture and beat on low speed of electric mixer for 30 seconds, or until moistened. Add egg and beat on high 3 minutes. Stir in enough spelt to make a soft dough. Cover bowl with towel and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and use a rubber scraper to transfer dough into prepared pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, another hour. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Cover top with foil during last 10 minutes of baking. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Makes 1 loaf. I like this bread so much I often double the recipe so I have a loaf to freeze for later or give as a gift.
