MUTTON AND SOUR DOUGH

MUTTON AND SOURDOUGH

At a Sunday School class one sunday morning we arranged to have a dinner and social. Plenty of sheep men in the class, mutton and sourdeugh was to be the menu. It just so happened that no one wanted to cook and in order to keep things going I volunteered.

Never having done it before, it didnt turn out togood.
I decided to keep trying, and after three years of effort
I finally learned how. From then on I could do a pretty good meal.

With some help to getover the volume, I done several dinners, and for about twelve years I cooked a mutton and sourdough dinner for the ward every fall. Serving about 300 people each time.

There are several ways to serve mutton. The sheep herder likes his fried in deep fat and served with a hot drink, usually lamb ~is his choice.

The older sheep need to have more effort and care to make it tender.Sliced pieces of meat dipped in eggs and rolled in cracker crumbs, then browned to a golden brown and placed in a steamer and steamed for five hours. This will make it very tender with out any grease. Any body will just love it.

Sourdough: Some claim to have a sourdough start that grandfather brought with him across the plains, but I prefer to start mine fresh each time. I'm going to use it for awhile. It is easy done, just takes a little time.

Using a crookery jar that will hold about a gallon. Mix one cup of white flour, a teaspoon of dry yeast and ~a teaspoon of sugar, and enough water to make a paste, stir well, then let set in a warm place for a day, stir again.

Add a cup of water and enough flour to keep it a soft paste. Then let it set again for another day. It should be ready to use by the third day. If you want more just increase the flour and water until you have the volume you need.

Just remember it takes a day or two to be ripe enough to use.When your start is ready to use, pour it into a large mixing pan and mix with flour and water, and a little yeast and work it just like you would a batch of bread. After it is mixed well (kneaded) place in pan, cover with a cloth and let it rise until it doubles in size, don't hurry. Knead it again and roll it out on a board, cut into roll size pieces and place in a baking pan, brush with grease, cover and let rise until double in size. Place it in theoven and bake for about thirty five minutes at 350 degrees. When golden brown take from oven, brush with grease again and place on a cooking rack.

They are ready to serve, Have butter and honey or jam ready.Some times it takes several tries to get every thing to turn out alright. Like I said it took me three years of practice before I learned how. You should be a lot faster learner than I was. Good luck.