Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-13
THE CORN DODGER.
Kentuckian Tells How to Make
"Pone" and "Hoe Cake"

From the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Now and again when material for dis
cussion is scanty, the Kentucky corn pone
and the Kentuckian's affection for it are
discussed by our northern and southern
neighbors. The Clarksville (Tenn) Leaf
Chronicle reaches the conclusion that the
prime for the excellence of corn
bread in this state is that meal is made
from the white flint corn, and made by
processes slow enough not to destroy the
flavor of the grain. This is the real secret
OF corn bread making and one of the rea-
sons, at least, for the northerners detesta-
ton Of the 'dodger' Is that he rarely, If
ever. sees anything but the basest imita-
ton of the ''dodger'' as it is known and
loved upon its native heath.
There are many varieties Of bread more
or less palatable made from corn meal. The
two old-fashioned varieties, dear to the
southern palate, are the hoecake and the
corn pone or dodger. Neither has any
leavening in 1t when properly made, and
neither can be made acceptably with any
but white corn meal that is not ground to
the fineness of -four by modern machinery.
The ''bOlted' meal of the modern grist
mill is totally unfit for making corn dodgers
or hoecakes. 1t is so finely ground that I'M
leavened bread made from it is as solid as
wedge. The rare nut-like flavor of the
perfect ''dodger' can be produced only
when the meal is coarse enough for minute
air chambers to exist throughout the dough
as it cooks. Formerly, when watermilIs
were in general use throughout the south,
1t was easy to procure coarse meal. The
best was that made from new corn, and
the corn dOdger from the first turn of
corn taken to the mill after constructing
time was the best of the year.
Since the water mill has been supplanted
by the roller mill, it has been difficult to
secure anything but fine ''bolted'' meal
without having the family supply especially
ground, and as this is infrequently done
there has been marked decadence in corn
dodgers even in the south.
When baking powder Or other leavening
is introduced, In an effort to ligthen the
"bolted meal. an always inferior and too
often sour imitation Of the ld-fashioned
'dodger" is the result: Many kinds Of
egg bread and batter bread and corn
cakes may be made by using an ingredient
to make the mixture rise" but the corn
dodger and the hoecake must depend for
lightness upon the quality of the meal of
which they are made.
1t is not difficult to find restaurants and
hotels even in the north where Kentucky
corn dodgers may be ordered. 1t Is dltfi-
cult even in the south to procure the corn
dodger in its native purity and perfect quail
ity except in private houses where the
traditions and recipes of antebellum days
have been preserved.
To make corn dodgers there is required
meal, properly made from white flint corn;
water-or sweet milk-salt and cook that
is conscientious and will not use anything
to make the bread rise. To make hoecakes
there Is needed the same meal the same
cook. little water and a little salt. The
combination has become rare even in Ken
lucky, and because of the fact that when
corn bread is ordered at hotel and some
thing very like mineral deposit is served,
the Kentuckian is believed, in the north,
to be a barbarian who feeds upon lead.
mistaking it for bread, as toad swallows
shot.