Miss Corson's practical American cookery and household management

The variety of hot and cold breads is very great ; only specimens of different kinds can be given here, for there are enough to fill a large volume of American breads alone. Many breakfast and luncheon breads are included in this chapter. The dinner bread proper is a rather thick slice, or square piece, of white bread laid upon the napkin. French dinner bread is baked in a long roll so that there shall be plenty of crust. Of the fried cakes, only the fritters are suitable for dinners ; they are in place among the entrees, but often take the place of dessert at informal family dinners. The waffles are special breakfast and supper cakes, and the griddle-cakes are generally used at breakfast. HOME-MADE BREAD. These two bread recipes, like several others in this volume, are reproduced from the author's Baltimore Recipes, because the formulas have stood the test of several years' trial in the school of cookery. Two methods are given, with personal preference for the compressed-yeast bread, because it is the quickest, and best preserves the nutriment of the flour. To make yeast, boil two ounces of hops in two quarts of water for half an hour ; strain the liquid, and cool it until it is only lukewarm, then add half a pound of brown sugar, two teaspoonfuls of salt, and one pound of flour; let this leaven ferment four days in a warm place, stirring it whenever it foams over the top of the jar in which it is placed ; on the third day add to it three pounds of potatoes boiled and mashed; on the fourth day strain and bottle it, and keep it in a cool place. To make bread, put seven pounds of flour in a deep wooden bowl ; in the centre of it put a tablespoonful of salt, a teaspoonful of sugar, a gill of yeast, and sufficient lukewarm water to make a soft dough (about three pints) ; mix these ingredients with the hands until they form a smooth, shining dough ; if necessary, use a little extra flour, only enough to facilitate the working of the dough; flour the bowl on the bottom and sides, so that the bread will not stick to it, cover it with a thick towel folded several times, set it in a warm place protected from draughts, and let it rise over "night. In the morning knead the dough fifteen minutes, divide it into four loaves, put them into floured baking-pans, cover them with a folded towel, and set them in a warm place to rise twice their height ; when they are so risen, prick them at the sides with a fork, and bake them in a moderate oven until a knitting or trussing needle can be run into them without being made sticky. Be sure that they are well done, but do not let them burn. COMPRESSED-YEAST BREAD. When it is possible to obtain fresh compressed yeast, also called German yeast, an excellent bread can be made in about two hours and a half; the rapidity of the leavening or " raising " the dough is advantageous, because less of the nutritive elements of the flour are lost than by following the long process. For two loaves of bread, use three pounds of flour, about a quart of water, two teaspoonfuls of salt, and