Salt-Rising Bread

Description

Salt-rising bread is a white bread made from wheat flour, starters, sugar, water, and salt. It has a dense texture and a slightly cheesy flavor due to the unique fermentation process with a starter made from either cornmeal or potatoes. The bread got its name after the starter which was set in a bed of heated rock salt. The fermentation helps in developing the close grain and fine texture of the bread, as well as the white color of the crumb. It is believed that the first salt-rising bread was prepared by the early settlers in the Appalachian Mountains.