Boston Cooking-School cook book

Bake bread 40 to 60 minutes in hot oven (375° F. to 425° F.). If the oven is too hot, the crust will brown quickly before the heat has reached the center, and prevent further rising. Loaf should continue rising for first 15 minutes, when it should begin to brown, and continue browning for the next 20 minutes. The last 15 minutes it should finish baking, when the heat may be reduced. When bread is done, it will shrink from sides of pan and may be easily removed. Biscuits require a hotter oven than loaf bread (425° F to 450° F.), should continue rising the first 5 minutes, and begin to brown in 8 minutes. Brush bread with melted butter 3 minutes before taking from oven, if a more tender crust is desired. . Bread may be baked before it has risen to double in bulk by starting the baking in a cold oven; then turn on heat and allow oven to heat gradually to hot (400° F.). By this process, the last part of the rising is hastened by the heat of the oven. Care of Bread after Baking. Remove loaves at once from pans and place, side down, on a wire bread or cake cooler. Ifa crisp crust is desired, cool bread without covering; if soft crust, cover with a towel during cooling. When cool, wrap in wax paper, put in tin box or stone jar, and cover closely. Never keep bread wrapped in cloth, as the cloth will absorb moisture and give an unpleasant taste to bread. Bread tins or jars should be washed and scalded twice a week in winter and every other day in summer; otherwise bread is apt to mold. To Use Stale Bread. See Toast (p. 64), Dry Crumbs (p. 29), and Bread Puddings (p. 538), etc. WHITE BREAD 1 cup scalded milk 2% teaspoons salt 1 cup boiling water 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon butter 1 yeast cake dissolved in 1 tablespoon lard or other 44 cup lukewarm water shortening 6 cups sifted bread flour Put shortening, sugar, and salt in large bowl without a lip or in top of large double boiler. Add liquid. When lukewarm, add dissolved yeast cake and 3 cups flour. Mix thoroughly with knife or spoon. Add 2 cups flour, mix with knife, and add remaining flour gradually, using just enough to prevent sticking. Turn on floured board or cloth, leaving a clean bowl. Knead until mixture is smooth and elastic to the touch and bubbles may be seen under the surface. Return to bowl, cover with clean cloth and board or tin cover. Let rise until double in bulk. Cut down. Turn onto slightly floured board or pastry cloth, knead, shape, and place in greased pans, having pans nearly half full. Cover, let rise to double in bulk. Bake 15 minutes in hot oven (425° F.), then reduce to moderately hot (375° F.) and bake 30 to 35 minutes longer. For more detailed directions about mixing and baking bread, see pp. 68-70. Increase amount of butter by 1 or 2 tablespoons, to make a richer bread or a suitable mixture for biscuits and rolls. Bran Bread. Use 1 cup bran and 5 cups flour and 4 cup molasses instead of sugar. Currant Loaf. When shaping into loaves: knead in 144 cup cleaned dried currants. Date Bread. After first rising, add 2 cups dates, cut in pieces. Raisin Bread. After first rising, add 2 cups raisins and 14 cup sugar. ‘To make a richer mixture, add 2 eggs, well beaten. ’ Entire Wheat Bread. Use half white flour and half fine entire wheat flour and use 3 tablespoons molasses in place of sugar. For Raisin Nut Bread, add, after first rising, 1 cup raisins and 1 cup walnut or pecan nut meats, broken in pieces. For Colonial Bread, use half the recipe to make 4 smallloaves. After first rising, knead in 4 cup each finely cut candied orange peel and pecan nut meats, broken in pieces. Put into round tins until 14 full; let rise and bake. Cool and use for sandwiches.