Sally Lunn Bread
To accompany the fine and fancy food at Holloway House, there has always been Sally Lunn bread. The recipe dates back to Colonial America, although history tells us there was actually no one named Sally. The words may be a corruption of sol et lune, French for sun and moon, probably used by French immigrants to describe the round shape of the buns, similar to brioche. Sunday suppers in Bloomfield wouldn’t be the same without it.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 2 loaves
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Dissolve the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar in the warm water and let the mixture foam. In a bowl, add the shortening to the warm milk.
Step 2
Meanwhile, using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs on high speed. While beating, gradually add the remaining 2/3 cup sugar and beat until thick and lemon colored.
Step 3
Change the attachment on the mixer to a dough hook. Add the dissolved yeast and the shortening mixture to the egg mixture and combine on low speed. Gradually add the flour and salt to the mixture. When all of the flour is incorporated, beat the dough on high speed for about 5 minutes, until the dough is firm but stretchy.
Step 4
Pour the batter into a large bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch the dough down, cover with the kitchen towel again, and return it to the warm place. Let the dough rise until doubled again, about 1 hour.
Step 5
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease 2 angel food cake pans. Punch down the dough again, divide it into 2 equal pieces, and place the pieces, uncovered, in the greased pans. Set the pans in a warm place and let the dough rise to the top of the pans, about 30 minutes.
Step 6
Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove the pans from the oven, let the loaves cool for 2 minutes, and then remove from the pans. Slice the bread into 1-inch-thick slices and serve warm with butter.
note
Step 7
This bread is allowed to rise three times, resulting in very light bread. This process takes time, so allow approximately three hours for this recipe, with more than two of those hours being inactive time.
