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    Home » Everything Amish » Plain Culture

    The Amish Cook: Rosanna Meets Herman

    Published: Jul 11, 2016 · Updated: Jul 11, 2016 by Kevin Williams | 2 Comments

    Editor's Note: Gloria is taking a much-deserved summer break to visit family in Ohio. She'll return either next week or the week after. Just Plain Rosanna columnist, Rosanna Bauman, is filling in this week. Rosanna, 27, is Old Order German Baptist Brethren and lives in Kansas. The Brethren are a "Plain" church but different from the Amish in theology and doctrinal interpretation.

    Rosanna and her grandmother on their history tour

    Rosanna and her grandmother on their history tour. This week , however, she writes about meeting Herman for the first time.

    By Rosanna Bauman

    The first time I  met Herman, it was under somewhat somber circumstances, but it was definitely laughter at first sight. It was nearly a year and a half after my maternal grandmother’s death until we gathered to divide up her possessions. This naturally included her recipe collection. We quietly passed around Grandma Nead’s stash of hand-written cards, savoring memories of the many dishes she had lovingly prepared for her family. Suddenly, my eyes caught an old newspaper clipping: “Herman Starter?!” I burst into unexpected laughter. What in the world was this recipe for Herman? I had never heard the like. It is, apparently, a sourdough-style quick bread similar to the Amish Friendship Bread, but uniquely umm, Herman.

    Now, if more young girls realized that there was such a thing as a Herman Starter, there may be more girls whisking up this recipe with romantic notions in mind. I know they say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but I do not know if the results would be the same if one admitted to the boyfriend that the delicious bread he ate was Herman.

    Like any good male, Herman needs to be fed. Unlike most males, he only needs fed every 5 days. I am considering giving Herman Starter to some of my likewise unmarried friends as an old-maid joke. After all, what better fellow could a girl ask for than Herman? He sits quietly in the corner of the  kitchen, never tracking mud in the house. He doesn't need someone to cook for him three times a day, and when he does require sustenance it is a simple diet of milk, sugar, and water. And I'm sure he‘ll listen quietly whenever you  have to  unload  about your  stressful  day, no matter  how long or tearful he telling.  Plus, he smells good, like cinnamon and  nutmeg  instead of oil and  sweat. What  more  could a girl ask for? Okay, I  admit he probably won’t contribute much toward the household finances,  but you never  know.

    That’s probably enough snarky comments about poor Herman, but that’s exactly what I like about him is the potential for humor. I have no clue just what kind of history this Herman Bread has. Although I  am sure it is a very  interesting  history, I  have made  no effort to find out yet as I am still   . too amused with its name to color it with any practicality. It is more fun to imagine how Herman Starter got his name than to find out that it is the name of a county where this recipe originated. And,  the actual recipe?  I can stop chuckling long enough to tell share how to make some Herman for yourself.

    Herman Starter

    Mix 1 Tablespoon dry yeast with ½ cup warm water. Mix in 2 teaspoons sugar or honey, 2 1 /2 cups flour and 2 cups of warm water. Place in a glass or plastic jar, not metal. Cover the jar with a damp cloth and fasten with a rubber band. Keep at roam temperature for 5 days, then feed him. Feed Herman early in the morning with 1 cup milk, ½ cup sugar, and 1 cup flour. Place Herman into the refrigerator and keep covered. Stir Herman every day, but do not feed until 5 more days have passed. Then feed Herman another cup of milk,      ½ cup sugar, and 1 cup flour. Herman should be about 4 cups worth of starter now. Use two cups to bake Herman Bread, reserve one cup for growing another Herman, and pass one cup of Herman Starter on to a friend, because, apparently, the world needs more Hermans!

    HERMAN BREAD
     
    Print
    Cook time
    40 mins
    Total time
    40 mins
     
    Serves: 1 loaf
    Ingredients
    • 2 cups Herman starter
    • 1 /2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 cup chopped nuts
    • 2 cups flour
    • 1 1 /2 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 2 /3 cup oil
    • 1 cup raisins or other fruit (optional)
    • STREUSEL TOPPING:
    • 1 tablespoon flour
    • 1 cup brown sugar
    • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
    • 1 /4 cup melted butter
    Instructions
    1. Mix together all of the ingredients and pour into a greased 9 X 13 inch pan.
    2. Mix together streusel topping and sprinkle over Herman
    3. Bake 350 for 35 - 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean
    Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe
    3.4.3177

    ps Her

    « Amish in the News: Weaver Murder, Amish in New York, Return to Amish and More!
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    About Kevin Williams

    Hi, my name is Kevin Williams and I am owner of Oasis Newsfeatures and editor of The Amish Cook newspaper column.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marion Eimers

      July 12, 2016 at 10:44 am

      Hermann was very popular in the 1980s ans still is. A piece of the Starter had to be passed on to a friend together with an explanatory chain letter.
      Also called Glückskuchen cake or bread of happiness.
      I very much enjoy Rosanna s column.
      MARION from Germany

      Reply
      • Kevin

        July 12, 2016 at 11:01 am

        Marion, thanks for sharing that....I'll pass your comments onto Rosanna, so do you know of Herman is German in origin?

        Reply

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    Kevin Williams - The Amish Editor Amish Cook Column

    Hi There, I'm Kevin!

    Welcome to Amish365, where I share my knowledge of Amish cooking and culture! I’ve spent almost three decades exploring Amish settlements and kitchens from Maine to Montana and almost everywhere in between. I’ll occasionally throw in stories of my travels, journalism adventures (I’m a Pulitzer prize-nominated journalist), fascination with grocery stores and Kmarts, and much more!

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