Another formula which will be found excellent is as follows :
The day before baking bread have mashed potatoes for dinner ; take
of them when prepared for the table a pint, or so, soak a good fresh
yeast cake in as little water as will soak it thoroughly, mix well with
the potatoes, using the hands ; then pack in a bowl, cover closely,
and set in a warm place. If this is done directly after dinner, by the
time one wishes to sponge the bread in the evening, it will be light —
not raised up, but light all through," and just right for use. If one
wishes to wait until morning before using, the yeast will not be in-
jured by standing, only it must not get chilled.
When ready to sponge the bread, have warm water and warm
AouT^ which has been placed in the oven long enough to be dry and
get warm through. Dry^ warm Hour is one of the strong points of
success. Stir in the flour with a spoon, not very stifi*, and put it in
a warm place to rise. If this is done early in the morning, follow-
ing directions, the sponge ought to be ready to knead upas soon af-
ter breakfast as one may wish. Then make up stiff, add a little sugar
and salt, also a little lard if wished ; but no soda unless the sponge
is too light to be good, and if that is the case some must be added,
but the bread will not be first-class. Be sure to use the sponge be-
fore it needs the soda. Use warm flour this time also, and let no
draught strike the bread at any time. Knead it up so stiff that it will
need no more flour when niade into loaves, put it in the bread pans
to rise, and with the fist make a dent in the center to the bottom of
26 BREAD-MAKING.
the bread. When this is well rounded out the bread is ready to
form into loaves. Place the pan in a warm place free from draughts,
A box having one or more snelves, set behind the kitchen stove is a
great convenience. When the bread in the pan is light, if time or
strength is any object, divide it into loaves, taking care not to have
them too large for the tins in which they are to be baked, and take
a chopping-knife and chop the bread instead of spending a half
hour or more kneading each loaf. It is much easier, and the dough
makes just as good bread. Chop and fold over, and chop again,
and again, molding in shape as needful. Put the loaves in the tins
and let them rise until very light — just here no written directions
can take the place of experience. As to the heat required to bake,
and the time also, ovens vary much. But an observing woman will
soon get acquainted with ner stove and oven, so that she will
be mistress oi the operation every time, if no one is allowed to at-
tend to the fire while she is baking.
Page 18
Presented as published in 1890. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Another formula which will be found excellent is as follows : The day before baking bread have mashed potatoes for dinner ; take of them when prepared for the table a pint, or so, soak a good fresh yeast cake in as little water as will soak it thoroughly, mix well with the potatoes, using the hands ; then pack in a bowl, cover closely, and set in a warm place. If this is done directly after dinner, by the time one wishes to sponge the bread in the evening, it will be light — not raised up, but light all through," and just right for use. If one wishes to wait until morning before using, the yeast will not be injured by standing, only it must not get chilled.
When ready to sponge the bread, have warm water and warm flour which has been placed in the oven long enough to be dry and get warm through. Dry warm Hour is one of the strong points of success. Stir in the flour with a spoon, not very stifi*, and put it in a warm place to rise. If this is done early in the morning, following directions, the sponge ought to be ready to knead upas soon after breakfast as one may wish. Then make up stiff, add a little sugar and salt, also a little lard if wished ; but no soda unless the sponge is too light to be good, and if that is the case some must be added, but the bread will not be first-class. Be sure to use the sponge before it needs the soda. Use warm flour this time also, and let no draught strike the bread at any time. Knead it up so stiff that it will need no more flour when niade into loaves, put it in the bread pans to rise, and with the fist make a dent in the center to the bottom of
the bread. When this is well rounded out the bread is ready to form into loaves. Place the pan in a warm place free from draughts, A box having one or more shelves, set behind the kitchen stove is a great convenience. When the bread in the pan is light, if time or strength is any object, divide it into loaves, taking care not to have them too large for the tins in which they are to be baked, and take a chopping-knife and chop the bread instead of spending a half hour or more kneading each loaf. It is much easier, and the dough makes just as good bread. Chop and fold over, and chop again, and again, molding in shape as needful. Put the loaves in the tins and let them rise until very light — just here no written directions can take the place of experience. As to the heat required to bake, and the time also, ovens vary much. But an observing woman will soon get acquainted with ner stove and oven, so that she will be mistress oi the operation every time, if no one is allowed to attend to the fire while she is baking.