Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-25
OUR DAILY BREAD.
XII.-Corn and Other Hot
Breads.
photo by Frederick A. Schultz
By Frederic J. Haskiu.

Hot corn bread still remains the favor
lite bread food with hundreds of thou
sands of American citizens. Notwith-
standing the increasing use of raised
white bread, the delicious hot corn
breads Of the southern states will not
soon lose their popularity. Corn breads
Of various kinds are known in all parts
Of this country, but it is the haky. white
corn meal, ground in the old-fashioned
water power mill, which is the basis of
the corn breads SO long the delight of
epicureans in t. e south. 1t is being re-
placed in cities by other breads not SO
much because it is no longer recognized
as an excellent bread food, but because
modern conditions are such that good
corn meal is not SO easy to obtain
Tile speed at which the modern roller
process mills are operated produce more
heat, and therefore extract more oil from
the meal than did the water wheel
process. The underground corn meal is,
therefore, different in its chemical COM
position and distinctly different in taste.
1t is also more perishable. as the oil be-
comes rancid, and in a few weeks causes
the meal to lose flavor Good meal must
be freshly ground.
Several varieties of corn bread are rec
ognized as standard by the true south
referred to. That consists of nothing
more than water, corn meal and salt
mixed to the proper consistency. In old
slavery days the colored labOrers mixed
it at each mealtime and baked 1t upon
the blades of their hoes by simply hold
ing them over an out-of-doors fire. But
up in the big house" hoe cake was just
as popular as in the field, cook baking
it on the top of the stove on griddle,
as every good southern cook does today.
The corn dodger rivals the hoe cake in
popularity It's ingredients are the same:
water, corn meal
Corn DOdger and salt. but 1t
Rivals Hoe Cake.1TS,s m nnok ma sL1ae f.
into shape with her hands and bakes 1t
in the oven It consists of rich. brown.
crumbly crust with a small amount OF
soft crumb between. The true dodger
is practically all crust. 1t has to be
made fresh for each meal and any left
over is thrown away or used as chicken
feed, but the process is such simple
one that the average southern housewife
still feels that it is well worth the trou-
BILE to supply her family with SO tooth
some food. Johnny cake is term APP
piled rather at random to several forms
of corn bread. In most southern local
tiles it may be baked either as hoe cake
or dodger and the ingredients are the
same only the meal is scalded before
mixing. which renders it more elastic
than when only cold water is used. The
scalding process also produces a differ
ent flavor in the meal.
The far Southerner also has what Is
simply known as corn bread 1t is
made by mixing a fairly stiff batter of
water. corn meal and salt. although oc-
casionally sweet milk is substituted for
water. Corn bread is of two kinds,
plain" and short" the only difference
being that the first contains no shortening
of any kind. while the second has a
small amount of lard or other fat added
to it in the mixing
When a more elaborate bread is de-
sired, egg bread is baked. For this
eggs are added, milk is used instead Of
water. and baking powder is added to
give it lightness. The white of the eggs
makes 1t possible to raise this bread.
the albumen supplying the mucilaginous
substance, taking the place Of gluten
in wheat
Another corn bread In great demand
for occasional use, especially for break
fast, is spoon
Spoon Bread bread" In Vir-
u;nia cnoon bread