SOURDOUGH ROLLS HITCHCOCK

Lillie Hitchcock grew up in San Francisco during the gold rush times.  Most of the 
buildings were made of wood and were tinder dry.  Fires in buildings were very common.  
There was a fire going on somewhere in San Francisco most of the time.  Some of the 
fires caused quite a stir.   When Lilly Pink's home for girls caught afire a number of San 
Francisco's leading male officials were forced to leave the building completely nude.  No 
matter how hard they tried, they just could not explain this to their wives.  Divorces 
resulted on a large scale that has really never been stopped.  San Francisco still has a 
divorce rate of 57% for couples married forty years or more.  A 25% divorce rate for 
those married a day or so.

Lillie Hitchcock developed a passionate interest in fire fighting.  She just loved to hear 
the fire bells ringing, the firemen running into buildings, belching smoke, flames and 
occupants.  Lillie answered every fire call and was away from home most of the time.  
Her father was an English Episcopalian but felt that the Roman Catholics had the answer 
to discipline for girls.  He sent Lillie to a Catholic convent school.  Lillie liked the nuns.  
They were very kind to her, even understanding here love of fires and firemen.  She went 
on a hunger strike and refused to eat a thing.  The nuns, however, left hearty sandwiches 
in her room under her pillow every day and the sandwiches regularly disappeared.  
Lillie's father came and got her within a week.  He failed to notice that she had lost any 
weight at all, possibly gained a bit.

Lillie immediately went back to chasing fires.  Lillie polished brass nozzles at firehouse 
No. 4 and dashed off with the firemen as soon as the bell rung.

She married Howard Coit a stock exchange worker but her interest in fire fighting never 
flagged a bit.  When the fancy Knickerbocker volunteer fire company No. 5 made her a 
member, she embroidered "L.H.C.5" on everything she owned and wore its badge at her 
throat.

When Lillie died in 1929, she left the City of San Francisco over $200,000 to be used to 
build a Coit tower, a monument to fire fighters.  The Coit tower is now a San Francisco 
landmark.

Lillie not only worked at the fire houses and went to the fires but actually made tons of 
sourdough rolls and pastries for the firemen.  She and the firemen were always having a 
"feed" as she called it.

Here is Lillie's original recipe for sourdough rolls.

Mix 1 cup bubbling sourdough starter, 1 cup of lukewarm milk and 1 1/2 cups of flour.  
Mix together until all the lumps are gone.  Cover with a damp, lukewarm towel and set in 
a warm place to rise, preferably in a covered box.  Let rise for about 1 1/2 hours.

Stir down the dough and combine in a small bowl 1 level tablespoon of sugar, 1 level 
teaspoon of salt, 1 level teaspoon of baking powder and 1/2 level teaspoon of baking soda.  
Be sure that all the lumps are out of this mixture.

Sprinkle over the roll dough and stir in gently.  Turn the dough onto a board which has 
one cup of flour on it.  Knead lightly until all of the flour is worked into the dough.  Use 
more flour if the dough does not feel just right.

Shape into rolls, dipping each one in warm oil or bacon drippings.  Place in a warm pan, 
cover with a warm, damp towel and put in a warm place, preferably a covered box.  Let 
rise until double in bulk.  This will take about 45 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes until golden brown.  Serve at once while good and 
warm.

Skiff note:  I use muffin pans to have any shape to the rolls.  This recipe makes about one 
dozen.