Salt Rising Bread originated in the Appalachian Mountain Region. Instead of using a fungus (yeast) to raise their bread, early settlers used bacteria. Yeast was not readily available yet, so they created their own bacteria-based leavening agent with a base of either potato or cornmeal. When warm milk and a little sugar was added, the potato or cornmeal mixture started to ferment. To keep the mixture fermenting but not kill the growing bacteria, it had to be kept warm, but not too hot, overnight. The baking pioneers would use rock salt packed around their pot to maintain proper temperature (for usually 8-12 hours at 100-115 degrees F) — hence the name Salt Rising Bread! The bread itself does not contain much salt; however, toasting it and adding salted butter is amazing!
The aroma of Salt Rising Bread has been described as cheesy, though there is no cheese in the bread. The sharp smell comes from the fermentation of the ingredients. At The Goodie Shop, we use a cornmeal starter. We feel that by using cornmeal we get a more consistent flavor profile and physical appearance.
We're one of the few bakeries in the United States that still make Salt Rising Bread. We make a fresh batch every 2-3 weeks, but usually have some frozen on-hand daily. Our Salt Rising Bread is a 2-day process and usually comes out of the oven on Wednesday afternoons. We have a SRB Club Call List — we can add your name and you’ll receive a call when it comes out of the oven. If not, just call in advance to check our supply, or order online! We will ship as soon as we can.
Salt Rising Breakfast Sandwich
Though toast is where it’s at. Add some butter and maybe a dash of salt – amazing!