Salt Rising Bread

Scald 1 cup milk and pour over corn meal. Let stand in warm place to ferment, almost 24 hours. Heat 3 cups milk until lukewarm, with salt, sugar and Crisco. Stir in 3 1/2 cups flour, then corn meal mixture. Place bowl containing these ingredients in pan of lukewarm water for about 2 hours or until bubbles work up from the bottom. Then stir in 5 cups flour and knead in 2 1/2 cups. Place dough in three 5 x 10-inch pans until it has doubled in size. Bake in moderate oven for about 10 minutes; then increase heat to moderately hot oven gradually. Bake bread for 45 to 60 minutes in all. Do not attempt to bake bread in cold damp weather, unless house is warm. Be sure to protect batter from drafts.