This recipe comes from my Aunt Jean Fearheiley. She died long before I was born and I don’t know specifically how old this recipe is, but it makes something very different from what we consider a coffee cake today. I’m honestly not sure how common it is to make a coffee cake with yeasted dough anymore, so this might be something of a historic novelty. I wish I had more information to share about it, but recipes on index cards are notoriously brief by necessity.

In reality, this makes something more like a faintly sweet, fortified bread. It can be enjoyed simply on its own or with butter. Toast it and add jam, peanut butter, or use it to elevate a sandwich.

One thing I’ve learned after attempting this is that I need to ensure the dough gets enough warmth and moisture during the proof stages. I didn’t get a whole lot of rise out of this, and what I did get was in the second proof when I remembered my oven had a proofing setting. Kari (who is the more expert bread maker in our household) also reminded me to use a damp towel over the dough and add a shallow pan of water in the oven while baking. This might help with future batches!

1 cup warm water
1 package yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons shortening

Pour water in bowl and add yeast. Beat until dissolved.

Add the shortening, sugar, salt, and flour. Beat for 2 minutes at medium speed.

Let it rise until it doubles. [Not in the original recipe: if you have a proofing setting on your oven, this will help with the rising process. Cover the bowl with a damp towel to ensure the dough retains moisture.]

Stir the batter down by beating (25 strokes).

Pour into a greased 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. Cover again and let it rise until doubled (40 minutes). [Again, a proofing oven and damp towel will help.]

Heat the oven to 400F (removing the dough if it’s in there) and add a shallow pan water to the lowest shelf. Bake for 30 minutes.