[118.] French Rolls, or Twists.
Turn a pint of lukewarm milk, into a pint of flour, mix them well together, then turn in a small tea cup of yeast, two tea spoonsful of salt, and flour enough to make a thick batter. Set it in a warm place to rise. When light, put in a piece of butter of the size of a hen's egg, and half a tea cup of lukewarm water, the butter should be melted before it is put in; knead in flour until stiff enough to roll out. Let it stand till risen again, then roll it out, about half an inch thick, cut it into narrow strips, braid and twist them a little, as you braid them. Lay them on flat buttered tins, let them remain from twenty to thirty minutes, then bake them slowly.
[119.] Yeast.
Boil a small handful of hops, in two quarts of water, when all the strength is obtained from them, strain the liquor, and put it back on the fire, take a little of it, and mix smoothly with a couple of table spoonsful of flour, mix it with the boiling liquor, when it has boiled five or six minutes, take it from the fire, and when lukewarm, add a tea cup of yeast, keep it in a warm place till risen, then stir in a table spoonful of salt, turn it into a jar, and cover it up tight. Some people keep yeast in bottles but they are very apt to burst. Yeast made in this manner, will keep a fortnight in the warmest weather. If your yeast appears to be sour, put a little saleratus in just before you put it into your bread; if it does not foam well, it is too stale to use. Another method of raising bread, which is very good, is to leave about half a pound of dough, from one week's baking to another. It should be rolled out thin and dried in the sun, about two hours before you wish to bake your bread, turn a quart of warm water to it, and set it near the fire till light, which will be in the course of an hour, then scald your dough, and when lukewarm, stir in the yeast; it will raise the bread in the course of an hour. This can only be used two or three times, without having fresh yeast put to it.
[120.] Yeast Cakes.
Stir into a pint of yeast, a table spoonful of salt, and Indian meal sufficient to enable you to roll it out. When rolled thin, cut it into cakes with a tumbler, and dry them in the wind; in hot weather, care must be taken to keep them from the sun, or they will ferment; when perfectly dry, tie them up in a bag, and keep them in a cool dry place. To raise four or five loaves of bread, take one of these cakes, and put it in half a pint of warm water, set it near the fire to rise, when light use it to raise your dough.
[121.] Biscuit.
Melt a cup of butter, and mix it with half a pint of lukewarm milk; if you have not milk, water will do, add a tea cup of yeast, two tea spoonsful of salt, and flour to render it sufficiently stiff to roll out. Set it in a warm place, when light, roll it out about an inch thick, cut it with a tumbler into cakes and let them stand half an hour before baking them.