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.