La cuisine creole

by Lafcadio Hearn

BREAD AND YEAST

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REMARKS ON YEAST

Without good yeast to start with it is impossible to make good bread, therefore I devote a few moments to this important consideration. There are several kinds of yeast used for raising bread and rolls. Brewers’ yeast is given to start with, though too strong for a family bread. Bakers’ is better, but not always to be had. A housekeeper should get a little of any good yeast to commence with, and when she finds it is good, and is well risen and sweet, instead of pouring it into flour, and baking it, it is better to thicken it with cornmeal, cut the cakes out, dry in a cool place, and keep the cakes always on hand for any purpose to which they are suited, i. e., in the making of bread, rolls, pocketbooks, loaf, cake, sally lunn, or any kind of light biscuit.

TO MAKE RISING WITH YEAST CAKE

Take a heaping spoonful of good yeast cake pounded, one-half a cup of warm water, a lump of sugar, and enough sifted flour to make a thick batter. Set this to rise in a cool place in summer, and a warm place in winter. It will be light and ready to use in about three hours, unless it is kept very cool. A heaping spoonful is the proper quantity for one quart of flour; half a cup of lard will make the bread better and richer. It is well to grease the bread on top before baking.

TURNPIKE CAKES, COMMONLY CALLED HARD YEAST

Put a cup of hops into a pint of water; when boiling hot, strain it over a pint of corn-meal; add a teacup of bakers’ yeast, and when cool roll the dough in flour, and cut it out into cakes, and dry them for use.

LIQUID YEAST OF PARCHED CORN AND HOPS, WHICH DOES NOT TURN SOUR

Take two teacupfuls of corn, parch it thoroughly, being careful not to burn it; add a good handful of hops; boil in water enough to cover well, for an hour and a half. Pare six good-sized potatoes, and boil them for half an hour with the corn and hops. Sift the potatoes (when done) through a colander, and strain the liquor through a cloth onto the potatoes; add a tablespoonful of vinegar, one cup of sugar, and a half cup of salt; put in cold water enough to make up a gallon. Put the whole in a jug, having added a teacupful of good yeast to raise it. Set the jug, without corking, in a warm place till it begins to “work,” then cork it and put it in the cellar, and the longer it stands the better it becomes. When wanted for bread, you should (at noon) take five or six boiled potatoes, mash them very fine, stir in a teacupful of flour, and pour on a quart of boiling water; then put in a cup nearly full of yeast, and set the ferment in a warm place till night; then set a soft sponge, with warm water and flour, adding the ferment; it will be ready to mould up hard the first thing in the morning. Let it rise till quite light, then mould it out in loaves, rise again, and bake in the usual way. The sponge should not be set near the stove. The superior qualities of this yeast are shown by the fact that you never use saleratus in the bread, and it never sours. If the directions are followed, with good flour, you may be sure of sweet light bread every time.

MISS BEECHER’S POTATO YEAST

Mash six boiled potatoes, mix in half a coffeecup of flour, two teaspoonfuls of salt, and add hot water until it is a batter; beat all well together. When it is blood-warm add to it one-half cup of brewers’ yeast, or a whole cup of home-brewed yeast. When this is light, put it in a bottle, and cork it tight for use. Keep it as cool as possible.

ANOTHER POTATO YEAST WITHOUT HOPS

Boil and mash sufficient potatoes to fill a pint cup; add to them a pint of water, boil them together, stir in flour enough to form a thick batter, and when cool, add a yeast cake, or a cup of good yeast. Bottle and put away in a cool place.

YEAST WITH HOPS

Peel and boil eight large Irish potatoes. Boil a handful of hops in a little water, or in the water the potatoes were boiled in; mash the potatoes fine, and strain the water from the hops over them. Put in a cup of flour to the potatoes before the water is poured on, as it mixes better when dry; mix all together and beat it, then put in half a cup of good yeast, or a yeast cake. This will keep good for a week if kept cool.

HOME-MADE YEAST

Boil one pound of good flour, one-quarter of a pound of good sugar, and a tablespoonful of salt in two gallons of water. Boil for two hours, and bottle it for use. This will do if you are where you cannot get bakers’ yeast, or turnpike cakes to start your yeast, but is not always reliable.

SALT RISING YEAST

Take a pint of new milk, warm from the cow if possible. Put in a teaspoonful of salt, and thicken it with flour to the consistency of batter cakes. Set this in a warm place to rise, and make your biscuit or bread up with it, and some new milk, or milk and water warmed together.

SALT, OR MILK, RISING FOR BREAD, AND HOW TO BAKE IT

Take a pint of new milk, stir in nearly a pint of boiling water, then salt it with a teaspoonful of fine salt; thicken this with flour enough to make a thick batter. Set it in a warm place to rise, and it is ready to mix into bread. Mix the yeast in a soft dough with fine flour, a little lard, and a cup of water; mould it, and set it to rise. When well risen, bake it a nice brown. Wrap it in a damp cloth for a few minutes, and let it cool slowly before it is cut. This is a good bread for a delicate stomach, which is sometimes painfully affected by hop-yeast bread.

HARD FIG-LEAF YEAST MADE WITHOUT HOPS

During the war we could get no hops, and found that fig-leaves were a good substitute. To Make Fig-Leaf Yeast.—Take a pint cup of the leaves, put them to a quart of cold water, and boil them until a strong tea or decoction is made—this is to be put away to cool; then pour off the tea carefully, leaving the dregs and leaves. Now boil and wash Irish potatoes enough to fill a pint-cup, put them to the tea of fig-leaves, beat them up with a tablespoonful of brown sugar and flour, to make a stiff batter, and put it in a covered vessel to rise. When this yeast is light and frothing, thicken it immediately (as keeping too long injures it) with corn-meal, until it is thick enough to be rolled out like biscuit. Roll it out, cut and dry the cake, turning them very often until dry. This will be a supply of yeast for several months. When you wish to make bread, take one of the cakes in the morning, put it in a covered mug or pitcher; put on it a cup of cold water, and when it is dissolved, put to it a spoonful of brown sugar, and make a batter of the water and yeast cake. Make this batter as stiff as pound-cake batter, and when it rises well, mix with two quarts of flour, and the bread will be most excellent, if carefully made according to these directions. Use lard as usual in making the bread up for baking.

TO MAKE A LOAF OF GOOD BREAD

One large spoonful of hop yeast, or a yeast cake; put this to a pint of water, mash to this two Irish potatoes, and stir all together. Sift in flour until you have a stiff batter, and set it to rise. When it is very light, stir in a spoonful of lard, and enough flour to enable you to mould it into a loaf. When moulded, grease the top, and set it to rise again. If really light, you can now bake it; but if not, work it down again, and mould it over and let it rise again. This is made plain and definite, for nothing is more discouraging for a young housekeeper than to feel that she really tried, and yet could not make good bread. This is in such small quantities that a young person could try it, without feeling that she was wasting much, if she does not succeed the first time. Any one who tries this simple recipe will have the pleasure of presenting a nice loaf of bread to her family.

TO MAKE GOOD BREAD

Make a pint of meal into mush, then pour it onto two quarts of flour; when cool, add a little salt and warm water, or milk, and a cup of yeast; work it with a spoon, and set it by to rise until morning. Knead it well; yes, very well, and make it into loaves; place in the pan, and when light, bake it. Add a little lard, if liked.

A VERY NICE POTATO BREAD

To two pounds or pints of flour, add one pound or pint of warm, mashed mealy Irish potatoes. Add to this milk and water, a cup of yeast and a little salt. Make it after kneading it very well, into loaves, and place them in a pan to rise. If you desire a rich, short bread you may add a little lard or butter, but it is nice without.

RAISED WHEAT BREAD WITH POTATOES

Take one half a cup of hop yeast, or yeast made from turnpike cake will do, also two boiled hot Irish potatoes, mash them, and add to the yeast and potatoes one pint of water. Make a sponge of this by beating in sifted flour until it is a soft dough. Set it to rise by the stove; when it is light, pour the sponge in the bread tray and mould it rather stiff with sifted flour, knead it well and set it to rise again. When it is light, work in a little more flour, shape it in loaves in the baking-pans; and when light the second time bake it; this allows the yeast to lighten or rise once, and the dough or bread to rise twice, making three fermentations the dough undergoes before it is baked into bread.

LIGHT BREAD, INVARIABLY GOOD

Take nine pint cups of flour, one pint cup of good yeast made from hops, two pint cups of warm water and a pint cupful of warm milk. Make into a sponge, let this rise; when risen, knead it with all your strength, work more flour into it, and let it rise again. When it is light, you must bake it in loaves.

EXCELLENT FAMILY BREAD

Take a peck of sifted flour, half a pint of family yeast, or a gill of brewers’ yeast; wet all up soft with new milk, or milk and water warm. Add a cup of shortening, and a teaspoonful of salt. Knead it faithfully, and set it in a warm place to rise. It is better to take the dough when risen, and work it down again; but some dislike the trouble, and bake it as soon as it rises. You must keep your dough for wheat bread very soft; but for rye, you may have it stiff.

SPONGE BREAD

Take three quarts of wheat flour, and three quarts of boiling water, mix them thoroughly; let them remain until lukewarm, then add twelve spoonfuls of family yeast, or six of brewers’. Place it where it will be warm; keep the air from it, and leave it to rise. When it is light, work in flour to mould it, and a little salt. Let it stand for a second rising, then shape into loaves and bake.

RYE AND INDIAN BREAD FOR DYSPEPTICS

Take a pint of rye flour and a pint of Indian meal, scald the meal with a cup of boiling water, and when lukewarm, mix in the flour and a cup of yeast; add a little salt, and knead it as for other bread. Bake for two hours.

GRAHAM BREAD

Get good, fresh, ground unbolted flour, and sift it through a common hair sieve. Take three quarts of this wheat meal, one half a cup of good yeast, and three spoonfuls of molasses. Mix to a sponge with water, work in flour enough to mould it, and proceed as you do with common wheat bread. You must put a little soda in the batter before moulding, as it is more disposed to ferment than fine or bolted flour.

MISS SHATTUCK’S BROWN BREAD

One quart of rye meal, two quarts of Indian meal, two tablespoonfuls of molasses; mix thoroughly with sweet milk. Let it stand two hours, and bake in a slow oven.

BOSTON BROWN BREAD

One and a half pints of Indian meal, half a pint of wheat flour, one cup of sweet milk, one cup of sour milk, with a teaspoonful of soda in it; three tablespoonfuls of molasses, one tablespoonful of yeast, and a pinch of salt. Put it in a warm place to rise, then let it bake steadily for four hours; warm by steaming it when wanted to use.

CORN BATTER BREAD

Take six spoonfuls of flour, and six of corn meal; add a little salt, sift them together; make a batter with four eggs, and a cup of milk; stir in the flour and meal, make it a soft batter, and bake in small tins for breakfast. Some use yeast powder or soda with this batter, but that is a matter of taste. If yeast powder is used, sift it in the flour; if soda is used put it in the milk.

MISSISSIPPI CORN BREAD

One quart of buttermilk, two eggs, three spoonfuls of butter, and a teaspoonful of saleratus; stir in meal, to the milk, until it is as thick as buckwheat batter. Bake in squares about one inch thick. It will require half an hour in a hot oven. If it is not nice, it will be because you have put in too much meal, and made the batter too thick. But try again, and you will succeed.

SODA OR MILK BISCUIT

To a pound of sifted flour, put the yolk of an egg; dissolve a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda in a little milk; put it and a teaspoonful of salt to the flour, with as much milk as will make a stiff paste; work it well together, beat it for some minutes with a rolling-pin, then roll it very thin. Cut it in round or square biscuits, and bake in a moderate oven until they are crisp.

RICH SODA BISCUITS WITH CREAM OF TARTAR

To each quart of flour add two teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar sifted through it. Put in a tablespoonful of lard or butter; dissolve a tablespoonful of soda in a cup of water, pour it on the flour; mix with milk, or milk and water, to a soft dough, roll out on the floured biscuit board, cut with the biscuit cutter, and bake quickly. Add a little salt.

A NICE WAY TO MAKE YEAST POWDER BISCUIT

Take a quart of flour—which is about the quantity required by an ordinary family of six persons; sift one pint of the flour in a tin basin, and sift into it two heaping spoonfuls of yeast or baking powder. Add to the flour a tablespoonful of lard; put this also in the basin and make, with a little salt, a nice batter; beat the flour, lard and water very briskly until it is light. Take down your biscuit board and sift on it the other pint of flour, make a hole in the flour, and pour in your batter, gently stirring it until it is a soft dough; keep it as soft as possible, roll it out, cut it with the biscuit cutter, and bake quickly. These biscuits never have that screwed or drawn-up look that most biscuits made with yeast powder have.

SPONGE BISCUIT WITH YEAST

Stir half a teacup of melted butter, a teaspoonful of salt and a cup of good yeast, into a pint of lukewarm water; then add flour to make a stiff batter. Set this to rise; when light drop this mixture onto flat buttered tins; drop them several inches apart so as to leave room for them to rise. Let them stay in a warm place fifteen minutes, before being put in the oven to bake. Bake them quickly to a light brown color; they will take about six or eight hours to lighten, though the time depends always on the yeast, and the coldness or warmth of the weather.

SPONGE BISCUIT WITHOUT YEAST, MADE WITH CREAM

Mix half a pint of thick cream, four eggs, a little salt, soda, and flour enough to make a stiff batter; if too stiff to drop nicely, thin it with a cup of sweet milk. Drop on tins like the above recipe. Bake in a quick oven.

CREAM OF TARTAR BISCUIT FOR BREAKFAST

One quart of sifted flour, three teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar and one of soda mixed in the flour, and a little salt, two large spoonfuls of shortening; mix soft with warm water or milk, and bake.

MILK BISCUIT OR ROLLS

Warm a pint of milk and half a pound of butter; pour this into nearly two quarts of flour (you must take out a handful for finishing the biscuit); add two eggs and a cup of yeast, knead it very well and make into round balls, flatten each one on the palm of your hand and prick it with a fork; bake.

NICE ROLLS OR LIGHT BISCUIT

Beat together one egg, one spoonful of sugar, a small lump of butter and a gill of yeast, or a yeast cake; add to this a quart of flour, and enough warm milk, or milk and water, to form a dough; work it and set it to rise. When it has risen, take down your bread-board, flour it well, roll your dough out on the board, and spread over it a tablespoonful of lard or butter. Sprinkle a dust of flour over the butter, roll it up into rolls and bake quickly. Rolls are often made dark by allowing them to get too light.

VIRGINIA ROLLS

One tablespoonful of good yeast, one egg, one large spoonful of butter, one pound or pint of flour, a little salt and enough milk to form into a stiff batter. Set it to rise in a warmed pan until it is light; sift a cup of flour into the bread-tray, and pour the light batter in; work it well and keep the dough very soft, which is the most certain way to have light rolls or bread. Now, that it is well worked, moist and soft, set the dough to rise; when light, make into rolls, and lay them on a warmed and buttered pan; set them by the fire to rise again, baste the top over with butter, and bake in a quick oven as soon as they are light. Do not keep them too long rising or they might become sharp or sour.

LIGHT FLOUR PUFFS FOR BREAKFAST

Take a tumbler of sifted flour, a tumbler of milk and two eggs. Put a teaspoonful of yeast powder in the flour before sifting; beat the eggs separately. Mix all together, and add a teaspoonful of melted butter or lard just before baking in little fancy pans. Put salt in the flour with the yeast powder, and then bake as quickly as you can.

ROLLS FOR BREAKFAST

Sift at night a quart of flour; add half a pint of milk, a spoonful of salt, two well-beaten eggs, and a half cup of yeast. Work it well, cover it, and set it in a warm place to rise. Next morning work in two tablespoonfuls of butter, and mould the dough into rolls. Rub over each roll a little butter, and bake.

FINE ROLLS

Warm half a cup of butter in a half pint of milk; add two spoonfuls of small beer yeast, or a cup of homemade yeast, and a little salt; pour this on to two pounds of flour. Let it rise an hour, knead it, and make into loaves or rolls.

RICE CAKES

Take a pint of rice that has been boiled soft; add to it a teacup of flour, two eggs well beaten, a pinch of salt, and enough milk to make a nice thick batter; throw into the batter a tablespoonful of melted butter or lard, and bake on a hot griddle.

SALLY LUNN

One cup of warmed sweet milk in a cup of yeast, one cup of sugar, one quart of sifted flour, and four eggs, with a cup of lard and butter melted together. Pour this mixture, after it has been well beaten, into a cake mould; let the mould be warmed and well greased. Set it now to rise in a warm place, let it rise until very light, and bake like a cake. With a sharp knife divide the cake, severing the top from the bottom crust; butter both, set the top crust down on the under half, and bring it to table hot.

SALLY LUNN

Pour a cup of risen yeast into a bowl, add a cup of warm sweet milk, one-half a cup of white sugar, and a large spoonful each of lard and butter mixed and warmed; also add four eggs well beaten, three and one-half cups of sifted flour, and a little salt. Beat all this well, and pour into a warm and well greased cake pan and set it to rise in a warm place in winter, and a cool one in summer. If you wish it for tea, make it up five hours beforehand, having set the yeast to rise after breakfast. If wanted for breakfast make it up at nine o’clock the night before. Remember if made up at night, you add a little more flour, or make the dough a little stiffer, and do not put it in a pan at night, but allow it to rise in a tureen or crock, and pour it in the pan and let it rise a little before baking. It must be baked like a cake. This is a never failing recipe and has been much liked.

MUFFINS AND CRUMPETS WITH YEAST

Take two pints of milk, four eggs, and a small teacupful of yeast, or a yeast cake; melt a piece of butter (the size of an egg) in a little of the milk, add a teaspoonful of salt, and thicken with sifted flour until it is like buckwheat batter. Set it to rise for eight or ten hours, and then bake in muffin rings, or pour it like batter cakes, on a hot griddle. Butter them, when cooked this way, just as they come from the griddle. Some like sugar and ground cinnamon, sifted over each crumpet as it is baked.

NICE MUFFINS

To a quart of milk, one quarter of a pound of butter, four eggs, and enough flour to form a very stiff batter, add a cup of yeast; set it to rise three hours, then bake in greased muffin rings. Split, butter, and serve them hot.

GRAHAM MUFFINS FOR DYSPEPTICS

Take a quart of Graham flour, one half cup of brown sugar, one teaspoon of salt, two tablespoonfuls of yeast, warm water or milk enough to soften it sufficiently to stir readily with a spoon. When it is light, stir up again and drop in rings and bake. If made over night, add a little soda in the morning. Bake soft.

POCKET BOOKS, FOR TEA. VERY MUCH LIKED

Take a cup of light and warm yeast, a cup of warm, sweet milk, two eggs beaten, a cup of sugar, a spoonful of grated orange peel and nutmeg; add to this, flour enough to make a thin batter, and set it in a warm place to rise. If you wish it for tea, you must make this batter up about nine o’clock in the morning, and in two hours it ought to be full of bubbles, and light. Then pour this batter into sifted flour, enough to form into a rather stiff dough; add salt and a lump of butter as big as an egg. Work it thoroughly, and set it in a tureen to rise again. When it is risen it is ready to form into shapes, called pocket-books. To do this you must flour the board and roll out the dough half an inch thick, smear the surface with butter, cut into strips about six inches long, and two inches wide, fold them over and over, and lay them within an inch of each other on a warm and greased baking tin, or pan; swab the tops over with warmed butter and a beaten egg; set them now to rise, which will require an hour. Just before you put them in the oven, you must sift some sugar over them.

“PAIN PERDU,” OR LOST BREAD

Take a pint of fresh milk, and sweeten it with a cup of sugar; stir two beaten eggs in it, and season with any flavoring you like. Cut six slices from a loaf of bread, soak each piece of bread a few minutes in the custard of milk and sugar already prepared, take the pieces out one by one, and fry them in butter made hot in a frying pan, pile them up and serve hot.

INDIAN BREAKFAST CAKES

Take a quart of milk or milk and water, make it scalding hot, pour half of it hot, on as much fine corn meal as it will wet; let it cool, then beat up in it two eggs—beat the eggs light; add a little salt and a teaspoonful of saleratus; thin the batter a little with the rest of the milk; butter pan, and pour in the mixture. Bake in a quick oven.

INDIAN-MEAL GRIDDLE CAKES, WITHOUT EGGS

One quart of milk, or milk and water, one pint of corn meal, four tablespoonfuls of flour, one tablespoonful of salt, and a teaspoon of butter; beat up and bake on a griddle or in shallow pans.

HALY’S BUCKWHEAT CAKES

One quart of fresh buckwheat flour, half a cup of yeast, one tablespoonful of salt, one and a half quarts (or a little less) of milk and water warmed. Beat all well with a large spoon, and pour the mixture in a tall jar, as in that it rises better than in a flaring or open crock. In the morning add a teaspoonful of soda or saleratus, just before frying the cakes. Then grease the griddle and fry them brown; eat with syrup or honey.

BUCKWHEAT GRIDDLE CAKES

Put three pints of warm water into a stone jar, add half a gill of baker’s yeast, or an inch square of turnpike cake dissolved in a little warm water; add a heaping teaspoonful of salt, and half a small teaspoonful of saleratus. Have a pudding-stick, and gradually stir in enough buckwheat flour to make a nice batter; beat it perfectly smooth, then cover it and set it in a moderately warm place until morning. A large handful of cornmeal may be put with the flour, and it is by many persons considered an improvement. If the meal is added it will require an egg and a cup of milk.

NOODLES

There are few things nicer than “noodles” when they are properly made. Make a stiff dough with two eggs, a little salt, and sufficient flour. Roll this out very thin, shake on a little flour and rub it in; fold the dough over, and roll it up, after which cut it fine with a knife. Have ready a pot almost full of boiling water into which you have put a little salt. Drop the noodles in, and boil them for five or six hours. Pour the water off, and fry the noodles in plenty of butter, and they will be splendid.