A few months ago I posted about going down to Pap’s for a piece of his sweet bread. More than a few of you wanted his recipe. Today-I’m going to show you how Pap makes sweet bread.
First Pap heats 2 cast iron pans on the stove and adds a spoonful of lard to each.
While the lard is melting-Pap breaks 2 eggs in a mixing bowl.
He cuts a stick of butter in half. Then cuts the half in half-adding a half of a half to each pan. (I think I just invented a new tongue twister)
While the butter is melting Pap adds one cup whole milk to the eggs and mixes well; then he adds 2 teaspoons of vanilla and mixes well.
Once the butter is melted in the frying pans-Pap pours most of it into the bowl-stirring well. Pap says he likes to melt his butter in the frying pan because it’s one less dish to wash.
Next Pap adds a little less than 1 cup of sugar to the mixture and stirs well.
He then adds 2 cups of self rising flour and stirs till smooth. (Pap’s Mother used plain flour-sodie-and salt. Sometimes Pap makes his sweet bread that way-other times he takes the faster route of using self-rising flour)
Pap divides the batter equally between the 2 pans-and puts them in a pre-heated 350 degree oven.
Pap bakes the sweet bread for 20-25 minutes or till golden brown.
You can put icing on your sweet bread if you want too-but our favorite way to eat it is straight out of the pan. Pap likes to open a can of Granny’s peaches to eat with his.
When Pap was growing up in the mountains of NC there wasn’t many sweet treats for kids to eat. Pap has fond memories of the special times his Mother would make their family a pan of sweet bread.
If you try it-me and Pap hope you like it!
Tipper
Tipper, I was so excited to see the recipe for Sweet Bread as I’ve never heard anyone else refer to it or talk about baking it except my maternal grandmother, Cordelia McNeil, who died in 1966 at age 73. Our parents took us to Grandma’s each Sunday to visit and eat dinner (noon meal). My siblings and I always looked for the Sweet Bread, which Grandma kept in a big glass container with a lid. There was no icing, but it had a soft, waxy top. Grandpa really loved it, so she made it regularly. I have several of Grandma’s recipes, including the one for Sweet Bread. She called recipes « receipts. ». Have you ever heard of that? I compared her recipe with yours, and it’s almost exactly the same except her amounts are twice as much for a bigger cake, and she used plain flour and baking powder and salt. .She wrote: “Mix like any other plain cake. If you use orange peal, just use 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Bake at 300 degrees.” She doesn’t say how long to bake it.
Thanks again for this video. My grandparents lived in a very rural community called Hoop Creek in Claiborne County, TN, definitely in the Appalachian area. I see so many similarities with many of the subjects in your videos and blogs.
Brenda-so glad you enjoyed finding the recipe 🙂 I have heard lots of older folks call recipes receipts 🙂
Susan
Thank you for the comment! If you do make Paps sweet bread I hope you like it-and your Mothers addition of raisins sounds tasty!
I hope you have a great day and I hope you drop back by the Blind Pig often!
Isn’t it amazing how most of us that grew way back in the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s remember how our parents would make do with what little they had and the beautiful memories they made with us? I remember mama making sweet bread with raisins, I asked her about the recipe when she was in her 90s and she didn’t remember anymore. Thank you for sharing I am going to try this one.
Thanks much for this recipe it is like my mom used to make so good
Thank You Paps, I have been searching for this recipe for many years because I was so young when my granmother made it, that I did not know what it was; it tasted like a really good pound cake to me, only better. I kept asking my friends mothers about it and ask if they would make it for me, but none of them ever came thru. Thank so much for the directions and pictures, so that even I could not screw it up.
Mmm, sounds and looks delicious! Hope you’re doing well!
That sounds and looks delicious! I’ll bet it tastes so good still warm straight out of the pan.
made in a cast iron skillet… the only way to go!!!
YUM!!
Tipper, Please tell Pap thanks for his recipe of sweetbread! I grew up on it, and made a lot of it, too. If we didn’t have sugar to sweeten it with, we used sorghum syrup, that Blue Ribbon Cane variety my Daddy made so much of in the fall for everyone far and wide! But if we used syrup for sweetnin’ of the sweet bread, we had to cut down on the amount of milk, as the syrup itself was liquid. You learn to “go with the flow” on these good homemade breads and dishes that are a part of our culture. You get a “feel” for what’s right!
Man that looks good, my mama made it for us all the time. Never did get any sweets except Sweet Bread.. Peaches are delicious with it..
It was the staple sweet. Folks made this cake all over my childhood. Sometimes they would make a simple white icing for it but I always remember peaches with it. I don’t remember it once we moved to Indianapolis; maybe Mom or my sisters made it but our life changed so much I’m not sure I ever saw this delicacy again.
Oh, people up here had sweetbreads; but what a profane food they attached to the name. My mind came to associate offal with the word “sweetbread” and, in time, I forgot about our mountain confection.
Now, watching Pap make it, the wonderful smell seems to waft under my mind’s nose and draw me to the kitchen. Don’t tell me we’re out of vanilla!
no wonder you are such a smart cookie … you have pap to show you all the tricks of the trade.. eh?
that bread looks so good.. i could go for a piece now.. with a cup of hot tea… (its cold here in pa tonite )
hope you and yours are keeping warm .. sending blessings and love your way
lynn
I will difinitely be making this soon, and like you, without the frosting.
Tipper, those cakes sure look mighty good, I remember my grandmother making something like this but they were a little flat cake that was crunchy like, and then she would put fresh applesauce in between them, and called it a stack cake, I wasn’t much on them, but boy I sure loved those little cakes with just fruit. What I would give for one of those again????? Thanks Tipper for a great blog, and amazing stories. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Thought sure that 2011 would be our year to finally meet, but maybe 2012 will be the year . LOL
will definitely have to try this one
Thanks Pap and Tipper for sharing this recipe. We’ll have to try this one out for sure, looks DELICIOUS!
Sounds good. Will try it. Nana
If you don’t have self risin flour, how much sodie n salt would you use? Thanks for another great recipe Tipper.
T
Oooh that sounds really good Tipper. That wonderful of your Pap to show us how to make his Sweet Bread.
I wonder how strawberries would taste over the bread :O
Trying this recipe out tonight! It sounds so yummy!
So much of your blog, including this cast-iron sweet bread recipe, reminds me of West Virginia. Also, the pickin’ and grinnin’… I, too, grew up sitting around the kitchen singing with my dad on banjo, my uncle on guitar and all my cousins strumming alongside. So many great memories. Can’t wait to read more!
Kendra
My mouth is watering! I might enjoy a slice or more with honey. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks so much for this recipe. Sure brings back some thoughts of my childhood. My Mama would make it sometimes so I could have some when I got home from school. You can also add some Molasses and Ginger if you have some. It’s great with Applesauce or Pearsauce. Pap, you’re the best!
Most surely the sweet bread sounds like something that would sit well in my belly –thanks to you and Pap for the sharing of the makings.
Oh, Tipper! Thank you. My Aunt Jean (Hyatt) Richardson used to make Sweet Bread for me when we visited her. I got her recipe for cornbread (which I swear is the best on the planet), but somehow never got the one for Sweet Bread. I’ll have to give this a try. I remember eating it warm and it sure didn’t need icing or anything other than a big ol’ glass of milk (sweet milk for this).
whole milk, eggs, butter and sugar-that has to be good! I will definitely make this.
My grandma used to make something very similar to this. Sometimes, as an added treat, she would even put finely chopped apples, or raisins, or nuts into what she called “batter bread.”
sounds yummy – can’t wait to get back home and try it — the “suite” here doesn’t have an oven. Most of all, I LOVE The Friendly Beasts by Paul & Pap.
Definitely will be trying this – looks delicious! Oh… I love a man who can cook too!
Will have to bake that today. Would go so good with this cup of coffee. thanks for sharing.
Nice recipe. I think we will try it for a treat tonight.
Do you remember when supper wasn’t a big meal? Just some kind of bread (cornbread or regular) and milk.
Pam
Tipper, thank you and Pap for the directions. I’m gonna give it a try!
this is how daddy make what he called Hoe cakes, but he did not put sugar in it, we ate it like bread. i am thinking the sugar would make it even better. and sweet enough to be good but not too sweet like cake. daddy ate canned peaches with every thing.
It does look so good, I’m going to try it too.
Mother made Sweet Bread when I was young (a long, long, time ago!) I don’t remember her making it in later years. I hadn’t thought of it in years until you mentioned it. Now, I need the receipe for cornmeal gravy!
Tipper,
My mother would make sweet bread for us young-un’s, and it was always a treat! That looks wonderful and you and Pap sure made me hungry for some! I might just make some for my clan this evening…thanks!
I SURELY WILL BE TRYING THIS RECIPE, FOR IT BRINGS BACK MEMORIES OF MY CHILDHOOD. JOHN
Thanks, Tipper I’ve been waiting for this recipe and I’m definitely going to make it soon. My mama made this when we were kids and I remember her letting me help but I could not remember the amounts for each ingredient. I do remember the wonderful smell of the bread when it came out of the oven (wood stove) and we just couldn’t wait to get a piece of it. It was just melt in your mouth good. I’ll let you know when I make it and thanks again to you and Pap for the recipe.
Looks like we have something new to try this weekend. Thanks for sharing.
That looks SO GOOD! I just love a man that can cook!
Well, I sure know what I am going to be having for breakfast.. looks so good in your pictures, there is no way I am not trying it! Thanks!