Batter breads are made from a very soft yeast dough, thus the term “batter” bread. When coffee cans were readily available, people would pour their batter into a coffee can, let it rise, and then bake it in the can, too. It would come out with a nice mushroom top. When was the last time you saw a coffee can? This recipe comes from Sunset Breads (Lane Publishing Co, Menlo Park, CA 1984). Unlike most batter breads, it requires two rises.

  • Ingredients
  • 1 can (13 oz) evaporated milk or 1-1/2 cups fresh milk
  • 3 Tbsp. sugar
  • 3 Tbsp. butter, cut in pieces
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. caraway seed
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • 1-1/2 cups (about 6 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 pkg. active dry yeast
  • ¼ cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)
  • 3-3/4 cups flour
  • 2 eggs

In a pan, combine milk, sugar, butter, salt, caraway seeds, garlic powder, and cheese. Over medium heat, stir and heat to about 110 degrees F (butter and cheese need not melt completely).

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk mixture; beat in 1-1/2 cups flour. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition; gradually beat in remaining 2-1/4 cup flour until batter is smooth. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 45 minutes).

Stir batter down and spoon into a generously greased 10” tube pan or two 4-1/2” x 8-1/4” loaf pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled (about 45 minutes).

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven (325 degrees F for glass pans) for about 55 minutes if using the tube pan or 45 minutes if using the loaf pans, or until browned. Let cool in pan on rack five minutes; then turn out onto rack to cool completely. Yield: 1 large loaf or 2 small loaves.

Notes: I used an envelope of brewer’s yeast instead of active dry. It took twice as long to rise, but that could be because my kitchen was on the cool side. It’s been a rainy cool summer here so far. I realized while writing this down that I shorted the flour about ¾ cup in the batch I just made. Ouch. It came out just fine, but that’s a significant amount of flour. We had Bigos for dinner and this bread was a great accompaniment.