Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1868-11-25
BY A PRACTICAL HOUSEWIFE.

Holy w r1t assures us tnat bread Is the
staff of life; and our daily experience full
ly proves the truth of the assertion But
it is not enough to procure this staff of life
in sufficient quantity; the excellence of its
quality is of great importance. The strong
healthy man may eat poor bread without ex-
periencing any inconvenience; but the deli
cate child, or the invalid whose impaired di-
gestion requires great carefuness in diet,
cannot pay too much attention to the quail
ty; bread is indeed to them the sta # of life
The superior nutritious properties of bread
have been disputed, but the doubt has been
dspelled by some chemical Researches made
in France, testing the comparative nutri-
ment of various edibles.
Messrs Percy and Vanguelin have discov-
cred that bread contains 80 nutritious parts
in 100; meal, 81 in 100; French beans, 90;
common beans, SO; peas, 90; cabbages and
turuips contain only parts solid matter in
100 pounds while 100 pounds OF potatoes
contain 25 pounds Of solid substance And
as general result the scientific reporters
estimate that | pound Of good bread is G.
quail to % or 3 pounls good potatoes An a
farming statement to many Of us, who have
supposed potatoes quite equal to bread in
nutriment The Irish, whose food in the
old country chiefly consists of potatoes and
milk, might find bread quite as cheap food
if they could raise the wheat Potatoes al
so give a fl .bblness to the muscular system.
The word bread is derived from brayed
grain, from the verb to bray or pound: in
dicative of the old method of preparing the
-four. Dough comes from the Anglo Saxon
word deGctan, t. wet, TO moisien. Loaf Is
from the Anglo Saxon word If ian, to raise,
to lift up, as raised bread. Leaven is deriv-
ell from the French verb leyee, to raise, as
the Saxon word lif-ian.
The superiority of good home made bread
has long been acknowledge, yet how few
families really make good bread. All ba-
kers use alum, which is injurious to the
health. aud causes indigestion in delicate
persons But the alum benefits the baker
in several ways; it causes his loaves to sep
arate evenly and without trouble. and in
creaseS the weight of the loaf, as it makes
the -four absorb more water; therefore, a
four pound loaf of baker tread will con-
tain less nourishment than a loaf of home
made bread of equal well ht Economy
should make every oman her own bread
maker. The alum also imparts a. better
color to tie -four, and conceals any unpleas
ant odor arising from damaged -four. Ba-
ker's bread dries much quicker than home
made The reason is, that alum is what
chemists calls an efflorescent salt, that is, it
dries by exposure to the air; common
salt is deliquescent, that is, it attracts mois-
ture from the air; therefore, bread which
contains salt only will keep moist much
longer than that which contains alum.
These are certainly reasons why every WON
an shoud make her own bread, or have it
made in her kitchen.
Wepurpose to give few recipes for bread
making that will not fail. First we will give
a recipe for making yeast. The yeast bought
at the door is not always of good quality
The recipe for hop yeast given has been tes-
ted for 30 years, and rarely fails; never, II
The yeast Jug is perfectly sweet and the yeast
properly made Boil in porcelain or copper
timed kettle, two large handfuls of hops
tied in cloth, six large potatoes sliced thin
in six quarts of water. When the potatoes
are very soft, skim them out, and either rub
through colender or mash fine on e plate
Take out the hops, squeeze dry, and hang
away for another time, as they can be used
twice. Keep the water boiling, mix one
and one half pints of wheat -four to smootl
batter with cold water, and one tablespoon
| tul of ginger, two of brown sugar and one
! teaspoonfnl of salt mix in the mashed
potatoes. stir all into the boiling water, anC
boil ten minutes. Turn into a six-quart tir
pan. When milk warm to the touch ado
! one teacup of yeast. Let 1t rise over night,
| then put into stone jug.
! This yeast will keep in a cellar, perfectly
/ good for six weeks. large teacupful vii
make two large loaves of bread Be sure tt
|, reserve a teacupful to rise the yeast with
the next time. Always scald the jug thor
uoghly ID keep water in over night, with
! tablespoonful of saIeratus stirred into it
This will sweeten the jug. 1t takes large
quantity of this yeast TO raise bread, biscuits
or mullins than the diStilery yeast, but tn,
effect is quite as good. Once used, the yeas
man bell will pass unheeded.
To make bread OF irstrare quality, thu
sponge should be laid over night. BreaC
| that has been raised three times is much
the best 1t is of firm, even texture ha:
no assures or cracks, and the slice present:
an even surface Here is a recipe that rare
! " fails: Take one quart of new milk adj
boiling water sufficient to make il warm
10 the touch. Water can be substitu
ted for the milk but bread made withou
milk dries more rapidly.) Add one tea
spoonful of saltstlr in three quarts of iou
and one feacup of home made Yeast, o
three tablespoonfuls of distillery yeast Mi,
well together, then sprinkle -four all round
the edges of the batter or sponge, leavin.
a small space in the middle uncovered. Sc
in warm place to rise, covering with pan
In summer the sponge will be ready to mol,
over before break fast. Mix it up thick tha