Sally Lunn Bread

Yeast bread dough after proving for 40 minutes (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

The origin of the name of this bread is debated. Some think it was named after a young girl who walked the streets of Bath, England in the 18th century “crying” the sweet yeast bread. Some believe she was the daughter of a pastry chef in Bath. Yet, others believe she never existed. Nonetheless, this is a recipe that is many, many generations old. It’s uniqueness makes it perfect for a special occasion.

• 1 cup scalded whole milk
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour (half bread flour and half cake flour, plus 1 teaspoon fresh baking powder)
• 1/3 cup vanilla sugar
• 2 teaspoons sea salt (Iodized is bad for yeast)
• 2 packages dry active yeast (I used one champagne and one regular)
• 3 farm fresh eggs

Grease a 10-inch cake pan. Heat milk, coconut and 1/4 cup water until very warm – about 120° F degrees. The oil doesn’t need to melt completely. Blend 1 1/3 cups flour with the sugar, salt and dry yeast in large mixing bowl. Blend the warm liquids into the flour mixture. Beat at medium speed for about 2 minutes, occasionally scraping the sides of the bowl. Gradually add 2/3 cups of the remaining flour and the eggs and beat at high-speed for 2 minutes. Add remaining flour and mix well. The batter will be thick but not stiff. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft free place until it doubles in bulk – a little over an hour. Beat dough down with a spatula and turn into prepared pan. Cover and let rise, again, until increased in bulk by 1/3 to 1/2 – about 30 minutes.

Bake in a 350°F degree preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes. Run a knife along the center and outer edges of the bread and turn onto a plate to cool.

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