An Illinois Bread Recipe That Dates Back to the 1750s

 This is an 18th century U.S. recipe for bread from Illinois (Kaskaskia). The recipe has been kept in one family since the 1750s. It is very economical and is simple to make. It is so simple that it was no doubt still popular in the early 19th century as well. It was very normal for a lot of early to mid 18th century recipes to still be popular even up till the 1840s.

This recipe was gifted to the 1820 Benjamin Stephenson House by the family whom it originated from. It has been kept in their family since the 1750s when their French-speaking ancestors moved to Kaskaskia. There was a large French population in Kaskaskia, as well as in St Louis, during this period.

I have baked this bread half a dozen times now and it has never failed me once. It is incredibly easy to bake and I am not surprised why it has been a go-to since the 1750s! Let us begin.

In a bowl combine 3 cups of all-purpose flour with 1 heaping tablespoon of active dry yeast. Pour in 1.5 cups of warm (not scalding hot but be sure that it's warm) water and a large dollop of honey. You may use molasses instead of honey. For this recipe today I used honey. Do not use sugar as the honey or molasses will also keep the bread moist. That is it. Flour, yeast, honey, water.

mix until you have formed a dough 

Now let us put our dough in a warm place to rise for one hour. I have placed mine several feet away from my hearth. Any warm kitchen will do. If you are unsure if your house is warm enough you may cover the bowl with towels or even a jacket. 

After one hour the dough has expanded and is ready to be kneaded. To knead your dough place it on a well floured surface, coat the surface or your hands with a bit more flour then roll your dough a little bit over and over until the dough is no longer sticky. 

After kneading shape as desired and place onto a pan. You do not need to butter the pan as long as it is a non-stick pan. 

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes. Once the top is a golden brown it is done. If you are baking using a dutch oven as I am be sure to rotate it every 10 minutes so that one side does not burn.

35 minutes later and we have beautiful bread. Wait for 30 minutes before handling and slicing. 

If the above YouTube video does not work click this link: 

https://youtu.be/QtegUTgN4pM

Recipe: 

3 cups of all-purpose flour 

1-1.5 cups of warm water

1-2 tablespoons of honey or 1 tablespoon of molasses

1 heaping tablespoon of dry, active yeast

Directions: 

 Combine 3 cups of flour with 1 tablespoon of yeast in a bowl. Pour in 1 to 1.5 cups of warm water. Be sure that the water is not boiling hot. We only need for the water to be steaming, not boiling. Add your sweetener whether that is honey or molasses and mix until you have formed a ball of dough. Set your bowl aside in a warm room to rise for one hour. You may cover your bowl with a towel or even a jacket to keep it warm. After one hour remove your dough onto a well-floured work surface and knead with floured hands until your dough is no longer sticky. Shape as desired and place onto a cooking pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes until golden brown as shown in my photos.