Farm and home cook book and housekeeper's assistant

winter. In the morning I turn the dough into nicely buttered bread tins, smear the top with melted butter, and let stand until it is double in bulk. Have the oven pretty hot for the first 20 or 30 minutes, and then reduce the heat somewhat. This gives a deliciously crisp crust. — [Mrs. W. J. T., Vt. About the Baking The baking of the bread is of the greatest importance, as the yeast plant must during the baking process be thoroughly killed. Otherwise it is capable of setting up fermentation in the stomach. If the oven is too hot and the loaves large, the crust surrounding will prevent the heat from penetrating to the center of the loaf. Such bread is very unwholesome. There are several ways of testing the oven without a thermometer. The old-fashioned baker's method was to throw flour on the floor of the oven and if it browned up after 3 minutes without taking fire, the oven was sufficiently heated. The ordinary cook will hold her hand in the oven while she slowly counts twenty. If you have an indicator on your oven, the hand should register 8. When the bread is done, it should immediately be removed from the pans and tipped up so that the air may circulate freely around each loaf. Do not cover the bread even with a light cloth, as in this way the moisture is held, destroying the crispness of the crust, and making the center rather heavy. — [Mrs. S. T. R. To Make Yeast Without Yeast On Monday morning boil 2 ozs hops in 4 qts water i/^ hour, strain, and when the liquor is lukewarm add a small handful salt and V2 lb brown sugar. Mix ^/^ lb flour to a smooth paste with some of the liquor and then mix all well together and let stand till Wednesday, then add 3 lbs raw potatoes, grated, mix well and let stand till Thursday. It should be stirred frequently and stand in a warm place. When baking bread you will find that it will not require more than V2 of this yeast as compared to other yeast. — [Mrs. N. E. W., Mo. Fresh Yeast To 4 large tablesp hot mashed potatoes add % teasp salt, 1 teasp sugar, and hot water enough to make a thin batter. When lukewarm, add 1 cake compressed yeast, thoroughly dissolved in a little lukewarm water. Stir well and set in a warm place to rise over night. I always make yeast fresh the day before I bake bread. This insures sweet, delicious bread, with no sour taste. — [L. M., N. Y. HOMEMADE YEASTS 15 Perpetual Yeast Dissolve 1 cake compressed yeast in 1 pt lukewarm unsalted water in which potatoes were boiled. Mix well, add Vz cup sugar, stir thoroughly, pour into a 2-qt glass jar, cover loosely, and then let stand in a warm place over night. Next morning it will be a foaming mass. Put the rubber on the can, screw the cover down tight and set away in a cool place. When ready to make bread, pour into the can of yeast foam prepared as above, 1 pt lukewarm water in which potatoes were cooked, mix well, and then stir in ^4 cup sugar. Let the can stand open in a warm place about 5 hours, or until the contents are very light and foamy. Then stir it down and use 1 pt of the mixture for raising four loaves of bread. Put the rubber and cover on the jar again and keep in a cool place. Some of this yeast may be used once or twice a week, or every night, by adding fresh potato water and sugar as described above. — [Mrs. C. E. A., N. H. Potato Yeast