The Ideal cook book

Put the flour into a large pan; mix in a dessertspoonful of salt ; make a hole in the middle, and pour in the yeast (half a teacupful of yeast to two quarts of flour), with about a pint of water or milk (which use warm in winter, and cold in summer), not mixing in all the flour ; then put a blanket, or towel, over the pan, and let it stand to rise, near the fire in winter. This is ‘putting bread in sponge.” When it has risen, mix all the flour with the sponge ; knead it well, and let it stand two hours till quitelight. ‘Then mould the dough on a board till elastic, and put the loaves into greased or floured baking-tins; prick them two or three times through with a fork; let them rise ~ again for a quarter of an hour, and bake them in a quick oven. 458. White Bread—Ingredients—Sponge, a pan of butter milk, or sour milk, flour, teacupful of yeast. For the sponge take a pan of buttermilk or sour milk which has just turned thick. Put it on the stove and scald. When the curd is well separated from the whey strain or skim it out. Let the whey cool until it will not scald, then stir in the flour, beating thoroughly. It should be about as thick as batter for griddle cakes. Sweet milk, or even water may be used as wetting for the sponge, if good sour milk or buttermilk cannot be had. But fresh buttermilk is, perhaps, the best of all. When the sponge is about milkwarm, beat in a teacupful of yeast. One teacupful of the yeast is enough for four ordinary white loaves, and a tin of rolls. ‘The sponge should be made at night. Let it stand until morning. Unless the weather is very cold, it is not necessary to put it near the fire. Inthe morning, when the sponge is light, mix with flour, taking care not to put in too much, as that will make the bread dry and hard. Knead half anhour. The whiteness and delicacy of the pene c. eS « Bier} <e : = i °? i. SOs ae = sy ae nie 3 The Dominion Cook Book. bread will be much increased by thorough kneading. Putthe dough away to riseagain. When itis light, if you wish to make rolls, save enough of the dough for that purpose. Make the remainder into loaves. Set them away to rise. When light, bake. 459. Yeast Bread—Ingredients—Yeast, 12 potatoes, 3 large tablespoonfuls of flour, 2 each of sugar and salt, 2 yeast cakes, to every loaf of bread allow 1 pint of yeast. To make the yeast pare twelve medium-sized potatoes and put them in a kettle to boil. While they are boiling put ina pan three heaped tablespoonfuls of flour, two each of sugar and salt. Pour slowly over these a pint of boiling water, stirring constantly to free from lumps. When soft mash the potatoes and add to the contents of the pan. Now pour ina quart of cold water and one of boiling water. Set aside till cool enough to bear your finger in. Stir in two yeast cakes dissolved ina little water. Keep warm till a foam rises over the top, when it is ready for use. For each loaf of the bread take one pint of the yeast, no other wetting being required. Make a hole in the centre of a pan of flour, pour in the yeast and stir it thick as possible, cover, and set in a warm place to rise, which will be in about two hours—sometimes less—now mix into loaves, let it rise again, and bake from a half to three-quarters of an hour. A great advantage of this bread is, it is so quickly made. If the yeast should: become a little sour, a pinch of soda may be put in when first stirred for bread. 460, Plain Bread—Ingredients—% lb. of white flour, 1 teaspoonful of baking powder, a pinch of salt 4 pt. of milk and water.