This is one of those specialty baking items that can catch even an enthusiastic home baker by surprise if one’s lacking context.for it.
Fortunately, James D. Porterfield’s definitive railway cooking-and-cooking-history work Dining By Rail* provides a wealth of this… and gets deep into the economic and marketing nitty-gritty of why quality ingredients in railway breakfasts could become a focus of serious attention, during the golden age of US rail travel.
A predominantly male ridership, in a time when dietary health concerns were not voiced, assured beefsteak its perennial place as the most popular food item on dining-car menus of transcontinental trains. Aside from the quality of the cut, however (where the Union Pacific, with its ready access to the stockyards at Omaha, Nebraska, surely prevailed), distinction could only be established with cosmetics. Thus, the Cotton Belt Route topped its steaks with a pimento cut to the distinctive shape of its logo, and the Union Pacific – leaving nothing to chance – served its steaks with a large fried onion ring, unique for its coating of potato flour and potato meal.
In meeting the demand for the second-most-requested item, apple pie, the railroads played up whatever apple of the season was grown by their shippers. Beyond that rather important distinction, only a pie’s crust and toppings could differ, as the nutmeg sauce that topped Fred Harvey’s French apple pies and the sweet pastry crust of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad attest.
It fell, then, to French toast to become the most popular menu item that was both common to the various railroads, yet creatively distinctive. And… chefs responded with some dazzling variations on the classic formula of stale bread soaked in an egg-and-milk wash, then fried. These frequently requested recipes were distributed to patrons to share with others, giving special meaning to the concept of “word-of-mouth” marketing. The Northern Pacific Railway went so far as to develop a flavorful bread used for its French toast, one suitable for use with all the recipes provided.
…Among the recipes we’ll be sharing here over the next few days (which go back to a 2018 post at my main blog, Out of Ambit), the French toast recipe developed by the Northern Pacific stands out. But then this is no surprise, as that railway was absolutely one of the early 20th century’s leaders in creative marketing of its specialties. (If you don’t believe me, do an online search for the terms “Northern Pacific” and “Great Big Baked Potato” and have fun with what you turn up.)
Anyway, this bread’s worth making either for the Northern Pacific’s French toast recipe, or anyone else’s. It’s just faintly sweet (due to the presence of the baking malt, which you can also detect due to the bread’s color) and bakes up both light and firm. Its whole purpose is to provide you with a sliced bread that won’t fall apart when soaked in the milk-and-egg wash before frying… and it’s absolutely a success at this. So: highly recommended.
*Please note that if you should elect to buy Porterfield’s book using the link above, our website gets a wee tiny commission on the sale. But you probably knew that. 😊
You’ll need: large mixing bowl, medium mixing bowl
two 8″ x 4″ bread pans
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Preparation time: 2.5 hours
Yield: 2 loaves
(Just a note here in passing: while the recipe calls for an all-purpose flour, this was probably an economy move on the railway’s part. I did my trial bake with bread flour, and I think that may have contributed to its quality. So do experiment, if you feel inclined.)
In a large bowl, combine yeast with sugar and warm water and let stand for 8-10 minutes. (Even if you’re using an instant or quick yeast, it can’t hurt to make sure it’s viable, and doing this won’t interfere with the quality of the bread.) Add the milk (slightly warmed, if you like), the salt, the dry malt, and shortening. Mix at low speed until blended.
Add 3 cups of flour and beat very thoroughly. (If you’re using a stand mixer with a dough hook, about ten minutes’ total kneading time seems to work.) Using a wooden spoon (or the stand mixer or other mixer as above), gradually stir in enough of remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough. On a floured surface, knead dough until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.
Punch down dough, divide in half, and let rest for 10 minutes.
Form loaves and place in the greased bread pans. Let rise again until doubled, about 35 minutes. (But don’t feel worried if you need to let them rise longer. The doubling is the important part.)
Bake for 40 minutes.
For the best French toast, allow bread to become stale by storing in a paper bag at room temperature for 2-3 days. If bread is still moist when sliced, expose each side to air for up to an hour before using. Slice as directed by the individual French toast recipe you’re using.
They”ll be listed here, bear with us
Stuff we’ve seen and found interesting, things we want, things you might want, who knows…?
Other people’s recipes that have worked really well
