Let’s start with Sally Lunn bread. Do you know what that is? I’d never heard of it until several years ago Aunt Annie had us all over for a 4^th of July breakfast and served it hot out of the oven. It was amazing and is definitely worth learning how to make.

Historically, it’s believed this delicious bread was created by its namesake, Sally Lunn. Evidence shows it first appeared in 1780 in the spa town of Bath, located in southwest England.

Sally Lunn bread is actually a large bun or teacake made with a yeast dough that includes cream, eggs, and spice. It is similar to the sweet brioche breads of France. Traditionally it is offered hot out of the oven, sliced and served warm with lots of butter.

It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what makes this bread particularly special. You’ll notice as you read the recipe that it has the same ingredients as many other breads, though you make it like a quick bread then let it rise like a yeast bread. And of course a touch of flavoring sets it apart from other breads as well. Whatever it is, it’s pure deliciousness.

I like to use a Sally Lunn recipe that was passed on to me by Aunt Annie; she says she found it in one of her Taste of Home magazines. But as I’ve looked at other recipes for this pretty bread, I notice they’re all pretty much the same. The bread takes approximately 15 minutes to prep and about 25 minutes for the dough to rise.

And just so you know, this dough tends to be a little sticky, so don’t panic and add extra flour.

Our favorite ways to top it are with loads of honey butter or homemade jams. Why not give it a try—serve it up at your next family gathering and see if folks don’t inhale it. We sure do at our house.

SALLY LUNN BREAD (courtesy of Taste of Home)

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°)

1 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1/8 teaspoon lemon essential oil or 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind (zest); OR 2 teaspoons vanilla

3 eggs

5-1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, butter, sugar, salt, eggs and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Do not knead. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Stir the dough down. Spoon into a greased and floured 10-in. tube pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Bake at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool. Yield: 12-16 servings.

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Finally, let’s look at one more unusual bread. Have you heard of Pan Dulce? My neighbor introduced me to this traditional Mexican sweet bread. She says it’s a favorite to serve when company’s coming.

Pan dulce, translated literally as sweet bread, is one of the poster treats in Mexico and other Latin American countries. One of the first non-native foods that was introduced to Mexico by Spain was wheat, and creative cooks took it from there with the creation of pan dulce.

This recipe is different from others in that you can make it the night before and then bake it in the morning. This bread would be another lovely treat for a special family gathering!

TRADITIONAL PAN DULCE (yield: 12 large rolls)

3 ¹⁄₂ cups flour

2 (1/4 ounce) packages active dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup sugar

½ cup powdered milk

2 tablespoons shortening (melted butter works just as well)

1 egg

1 ¹⁄₄ cups water

Topping

¹ ⁄₂ cup butter

¹ ⁄₂ cup sugar

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon OR 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

² ⁄₃ cup flour

Stir together 1 cup of the flour, the yeast, salt, sugar, and powdered milk. Add shortening, egg, and hot water. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Add another cup of flour and beat at high speed for 2 minutes. Stir in remaining flour and mix well.

Turn onto lightly floured board. Dough will be soft and sticky. Do not knead but gently turn dough several times with a spatula to lightly coat with flour. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rest 20 minutes. Meanwhile, grease 2 baking sheets and make topping.

Topping: Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolk and cinnamon and blend. Add flour and mix well. Mixture may be crumbly. (I had to add a lot more flour at this point- maybe even 1 1/2 cups).

Rolls: With floured hands, divide dough into 12 pieces and shape into round, flat buns. Place on greased baking sheets.

Sprinkle equal amounts of topping over each bun and press lightly into dough. Loosely cover rolls in plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 to 12 hours. Remove from refrigerator, uncover, and let stand while preheating oven to 400°F Bake for 15 minutes.

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