549. Boil some potatoes, mash them, and to six potatoes add one gill of flour. Stir in as much water as will make the whole into a thick batter; add some yeast and a wine glassful of salt. When it is light, put it in your jar and cover it.
[BREAD.]
550. Set a sponge at night of a pound of flour, a little salt, if your yeast should not be salt enough, a gill of yeast, and water enough to make a thick batter. In the morning stir in as much flour as will form a dough, knead it well, and if the weather is cold set it in a warm place to rise. When it is light grease your pans, mould out the dough in loaves, put them in the pans, and as soon as they rise again bake them.
If the weather is cold, set your sponge with lukewarm water, place it near the fire to rise. But in summer it should be set with cold water, and not be placed near the fire. It is better in warm weather to put the dough in your pans as soon as the flour is added to the sponge and the dough well kneaded, as if permitted to stand it might turn sour.
Bread is much nicer baked in small loaves.
POTATO BREAD.
551. Boil some potatoes, mash them fine, and add as much warm water as will make a mixture about as thick as cream. Pass it through a sieve in order to extract all the lumps. When cool add a little salt, some yeast, and as much flour as will make a very thick batter.
The next morning stir in enough flour to make a dough. Knead it well, let it rise, when light grease your pans, mould it out gently into loaves, put them in the pans, let them stand till they rise again, then bake them.
This bread may be made with milk instead of water, but it is best when eaten fresh, as it soon becomes dry.