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You asked for it: Not all should earn title of Vienna breadBy ANNE LONG
© St. Petersburg Times, Oscar Blassingame writes that his wife, Sylviajane, did research in response to Helen Henry's request for Vienna bread. They send the recipe they found in Gourmet's Old Vienna Cookbook. The interesting narrative that accompanies the recipe states that "the name 'Vienna bread' may be applied to all small white breads and fancy loaves, but, to be properly eligible for this title, they should be made of rich Vienna bread dough that always yields bread with a beautiful brown crust." Bread baking is a satisfying culinary endeavor, and Virginia Grumney shares her Vienna bread recipe, found about 40 years ago in a book called Breads, Breads and More Breads. Lazy daisy cake is "a favorite, a moist, tasty, easy, large cake and a good choice for family or potluck dinners," according to Barbara Marino. Several cooks have shared this recipe, and a number sent their half-size versions, which make a handy 9-inch cake. * * * For: Helen Henry of St. Petersburg From: Sylviajane and Oscar Blassingame of St. Petersburg Recipe: Vienna bread and rolls (Wiener Brot und Semmeln) from Gourmet's Old Vienna Cookbook. Vienna Bread and Rolls
Soften yeast in warm water. Add pinch of sugar and whisk the yeast well. Add 2 cups sifted flour and beat the mixture well with a wooden spoon to make a smooth batter. Sprinkle this sponge with a thin film of flour. Let it rise in a warm place until bubbles appear on the surface, then break, and the sponge begins to sink in the middle. Pour the milk over the sponge. Stir in sugar and salt and gradually add about 5 1/2 cups sifted flour. The sponge might not take the entire amount. After enough flour has been incorporated, work in the shortening. On a lightly floured board, knead the mixture into a soft dough. The finished dough should be kneaded and folded a few times until it is smooth and dry. Cover the dough in a bowl with a cloth and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until cracks appear on the surface. Fold and knead on a lightly floured board or cloth for a few minutes, until it is smooth. Return the dough to the bowl, cover it and let it rise for about 20 minutes. Shape the dough into round loaves or small rolls. Put the rolls on a cloth lightly dusted with flour and cover them with a cloth. Put the loaves into warm, greased bread pans. Let the rolls or loaves rise in a warm place until they are double in bulk. Transfer the rolls to warm greased or floured baking sheets. Brush the tops of the loaves or rolls with cold water. Bake the rolls in a very hot oven (450 degrees) for 12 to 15 minutes, the loaves for 45 to 50 minutes. Cool them on wire racks. Makes 2 loaves or 3 dozen rolls. * * * From: Virginia Grumney of Seminole Recipe: Vienna bread, from Breads, Breads and More Breads, about 40 years ago. Vienna Bread
Mix the first three ingredients and let stand until bubbly. Add the rest in order, mixing well, cover and let rise until double in bulk. Punch down. Knead, cover and let rise until double again. Punch down and knead very well. Shape into long, thin loaves. With scissors, make gashes in the top of each loaf, about 3 inches apart and 1/2-inch deep. Cover and let rise, not touching, on a greased baking sheet until double in bulk. Carefully brush with slightly beaten egg white. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then turn down to 375 degrees and bake for about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush well with beaten egg white and sprinkle with coarse salt or poppy seeds. Return to moderate oven for 3 minutes more, or until seeds brown slightly. * * * For: Mary Salvato of New Port Richey From: Barbara Marino and Jo Kohn of Seminole, Eadie Nieman of Gulfport, Deanna Raye Toscano and Juanita Washington of Clearwater, Mary Tague, Erna Crittenden and Nancy Fontaine of Largo, Charlotte Merry of Citrus Springs, Jeanne Grebe of Oldsmar, Dorothy Bellmer of Sun City Center, Janet Olson of Homosassa and Sandra Abbott of St. Petersburg Recipe: Lazy Daisy Cake Lazy Daisy Cake
In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla until thick, about 4 minutes. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to egg mixture and beat until just combined. In a saucepan, bring milk and 1/4 cup butter to a boil, stirring constantly. Add to batter and beat until combined. Pour into a generously greased 9- by 13-inch baking pan and bake in a 350-degree oven until cake tests done, 35 to 40 minutes. If making half the recipe and baking the cake in an 8- or 9-inch pan, bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake tests done. Combine frosting ingredients; spread over warm cake. Put under broiler on medium heat until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Watch carefully so it doesn't overbrown. Yield: 16 to 20 servings. Recipe requestsFilomena DelFarno of Spring Hill used to make orange pound cake years ago, but the recipe has vanished. Filomena adds that the cake was baked in a loaf pan. Do you have the recipe in your files? Olivia Pollard of Port Richey enjoyed a dish in the 1970s called pancit rajhan (the spelling is a guess). Small cubes of pork and very thin noodles were among the ingredients. The dish was served with lemon wedges. For the rest of the recipe, Olivia is relying on you. Do you have a good recipe for chocolate butter toffee? Please send it for Lucille Barringer of Palm Harbor. -- You Asked for It is a reader mail column. If you have a cooking question or the answer to someone else's question, write to You Asked for It, the St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. Be sure to include your full name, city and phone number with your letter. Letters without this information will be discarded. Requests cannot be answered by phone or mail.
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