The German Rolling Pin

Living in Pennsylvania offers the splendor of a variety of old world demonstrations. We entered a hand stoned home when we were embraced by the sweet smell of homemade biscuits. As we neared the kitchen area the walk in stone fire place was graced with black rod iron cooking pots. The warmth of the fire filled the room and the sweet smell of biscuits cooking permeated the entire lower level of the home. A women stood at a large wooden table dressed in period clothing. She was mixing up another fresh batch of stone ground biscuits and rolling them out with the most unique rolling pin, I had ever laid my eyes on. I questioned her about the rolling pin and she stated that it was a German rolling pin that was made by a man in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She was kind enough to give me the information where I might locate him. I set out on a quest to find this rare rolling pin but was disheartened that the man that had fashioned her rolling pin no longer was living. I was sent to another source that had duplicated the previous mans work but the price was astronomical in comparison to it’s simplicity. I had set aside the idea of ever owning one of these unique pieces but kept the vision rolling around in my head for weeks.
It was Christmas time and one of our favorite past items is to frequent antique shops in the area. Often times it’s not to purchase anything but just to reminisce about items that we had while growing up or embrace new knowledge of the use of items we encountered. We would walk around sometime for hours taking in all the splendor of yesteryear. I paused in one area with my hand draped across an old dresser. I began a conversation with my husband when I glanced down and there inside the dresser drawer was the rolling pin that I had so desperately wanted. I gasped, picked it up and held it tight to my chest. I paused afraid to turn over the price tag. After all it was in an antique shop and could very well be twice the price that I had already determined as astronomical. I bravely removed it from my chest and drew in a deep breath before I revealed the price. It just could not be, it was fraction of the price and in perfect condition. As I inspected it further it was engraved with the name of the man that had passed on and date as proof of authenticity. I knew at this very moment that this was a gift from above.

Cheryl’s Whole Wheat Bread

Preheat oven to 250 degrees and turn your oven off .

Place 2 ½ Tablespoons of yeast in a bowl with 1 Tablespoon of natural sugar and ½ cup of warm water. Let rise.

Place in your Bosch Mixer
5 cups of hot water
2/3 cups olive oil (place oil first so honey does not stick to your measuring cup)
2/3 cups honey
2 Tablespoons of salt
Pulse above ingredients to mix 4 to 5 times

Add yeast mixture when water has cooled to a warm temperature so that you don’t kill your yeast. Pulse to blend 3 times
Begin to Add wheat a cup full at a time
It usually takes about 12 or more cups of freshly ground whole wheat depending on the humidity..
I just add wheat until the dough does not stick onto the side of the bowl.
Set timer for 10 minutes and let the Bosh mix on setting 1

When removing your bread from the bowl, grease counter well with olive oil. (It’s a puddle of oil). Place oil on your hands to pull the dough from the bowl and remove from the dough hook.
Take the mound of dough and fold in the air by grabbing each corner and placing it in the center of your dough. You will do all four corners the same way.
Now, divide dough into four batches and fold air into each batch the same as above.
Grease bread loaf pans and place in warm oven to rise until double in size.
Do not preheat oven but shut door and set oven at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
When removing from oven let sit in pans for a couple of minutes to rest and take a butter knife around the edges to remove onto a cooling rack.
You can rub butter over the tops of bread to make a shiny top on each loaf.
Store in air tight bags.

When making sweet rolls, roll one bread loaf size dough out sprinkle with brown sugar, nuts, and cinnamon. Roll it long ways and slide dental floss underneath the loaf and pull upward to cut desired size pieces. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes.
You can glaze them with a powdered sugar and cream cheese frosting or eat just as is.
Store in air tight container. C.A. Bresin www.risenshinefarm.com