Today's Case:
School Cafeteria Bread Recipe
Re: School Cafeteria Bread recipe
From: Peggy
To: Phaedrus
Date: 7/17/2026, 8:25 AM
On 7/16/2026 7:17 PM, Peggy wrote:
Sir,
I'm trying to find the bread recipe used in the Decatur, IL, Public schools
in the mid 60s to early 70s. I'm 73 and I still can smell and taste that bread.
They cut thick slices and you could slather on as much butter as you wanted.
Thanks, Peggy
Hi Peggy,
Sorry, I did not have any success finding a bread recipe that said it was from Decatur, IL Public Schools cafeterias in the 60s and 70s.
I posed the question to the Gemini AI, and it came up with the below recipe. However, remember that an AI will cobble together a copycat recipe that it thinks might be similar and present it as the correct recipe. That is most likely what this recipe is - not an actual recipe traceable back to Decatur school cafeterias.
However, It is probably worth trying. It might be similar or it might be a very good recipe in it's own right.
You might also try posting a request for the actual recipe on these two Facebook pages:
"School Cafeteria Recipe Sharing"
"Decatur Public Schools #61"
You might have some success there.
I will post this for input from my readers. It's always a possibility that one of them has the recipe.
Phaed
"If you are looking for the nostalgic, fluffy yeast bread famously served in
Illinois school cafeterias, this classic 1950s/1960s "Lunch Lady" recipe is
what you remember. It uses dry milk (a staple in older school pantries) to
give the bread a soft texture and rich flavor."
Gemini's School Cafeteria Yeast Bread
Ingredients:
2-1/2 Tbsp active dry yeast
2 cups warm water (110° F)
2/3 cup white sugar
3/4 cup instant non-fat dry milk powder
2 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable shortening (or substitute melted butter)
2 eggs, beaten
6 cups bread flour (all-purpose flour works too)
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Wake the yeast: In a large mixing bowl (or a stand mixer), dissolve
1/3 cup of sugar in the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let
it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture gets frothy and foamy.
Mix the wet ingredients: Add the dry milk powder, salt, shortening
(or butter), eggs, and the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar into the yeast
mixture. Mix well.
Add the flour: Gradually add the bread flour into the wet mix.
Stir until a sticky, shaggy dough starts to form.
Knead: Using a stand mixer with a dough hook (or your hands),
knead the dough for about 8 to 10 minutes until it is smooth and stretchy.
First Rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover it with a damp cloth
or plastic wrap and put it in a warm, draft-free spot. Let it rise for 45 to 60
minutes, or until it doubles in size.
Shape the loaves: Punch the dough down to let the air out. Divide it into
2 equal pieces for sandwich loaves.
Pan and Second Rise: Grease your loaf pans or baking dishes. Place the
dough inside, loosely cover it, and let it rise for another 30 to 45 minutes.
Bake: Preheat your oven to 375° F. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the
top is deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Brush with
melted butter immediately after taking it out of the oven.
