Add the salt, sugar, corn meal, and butter to the milk. Place this in a glass fruit jar or a heavy crockery pitcher and surround it with water at about 120 F. Allow it to stand 6 to 7 hours or until it starts to ferment. If it has "worked" enough, the gas can be heard as it escapes. This leaven contains enough liquid for 1 loaf. If more loaves are wanted, add 1 cup water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 Tablespoon sugar, and 1 Tablespoon butter for each additional loaf. Make a soft sponge by adding 1 cup flour to each loaf to be made. Beat well. Put the sponge to rise again at 120 F. When it is very light, add more flour (2 cups flour for each loaf) gradually so that the dough can be kneaded and not stick to hands. Knead 10 to 15 minutes. Put in a greased pan. Let rise until 2-1/2 times its original size. Bake in hot oven 15 minutes and then a moderate one for 45 more.

Notice that there is no yeast in this bread except the wild yeast that comes from the air. While it is baking there is a disagreeable odour that disappears when the bread is baked. It always has a peculiar flavour, disliked by some and prized by others.

It is never so light as bread made with yeast. A loaf made with 1 cup liquid will not rise to the top of a standard-sized bread pan. Do not try to keep this fine-grained white bread for long as it dries out.

Ashbrook The Manual Arts Press, Peoria, Illinois, 1941