Retro Recipe: Shamrocks

This is another fun recipe from my favorite little bread pamphlet: “Good Bread: How to Make It”. As ever: the recipe first and my memories of it after!

• The Ingredients
  • 1 cup scalded milk (heated to 180°F/82°C)
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1 tablespoon of lard or shortening
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 7 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 2 tablespoons of white sugar
  • 1/2 cake yeast foam dissolved in 1/4 cup lukewarm water OR 1/2 packet of active dry yeast dissolved in 1/4 of lukewarm water
• The Way of Preparing
  1. Mix the milk, water, butter, lard or shortening, sugar, and salt.
  2. When lukewarm, add 3 and 1/2 cups of flour and the yeast foam.
  3. Cover and let rise until doubled.
  4. When light, add remaining flour and knead.
  5. Let rise again.
  6. Butter your gem (muffin) pans.
  7. Form your dough into small balls, about the size of English walnuts.
  8. Place three balls into each section, making them about 3/4 full.
  9. Let rise until above the edge of the pan.
  10. Bake in a quick oven (approximately 350°F-400°F/Gas 4-6/Fan160-180) for twenty minutes.

I haven’t made any real tweaks to this particular recipe. They’re good, finger burning delicious straight from the oven. I love them with a little apple butter or with butter and cinnamon sugar.

Let me know if you try this recipe! I would love to see what you make, hear how it went!