Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-05-16
WHOLE NO. 1913.

free it from any pieces potato put it back
on the fire. and thicken il to the consistency of
molasses. Now put in a good heaping table,
spoonful Of white sugar, and set the whole
aside to COOL When quite tepid-not in the
least over mere hand-warm-put in a half
cup full of yeast, made by dissolving a" Ma
tona Yeast Cake" in half a cup full Of cold
water In twelve hours this yeast will be fit
for use, and must be bottled up and kept in
a cool place. 1t will remain sound for ten
days. If the processes are properly carried
on, it will be as white as snow, and will is.
sue from the vessel in which it is kept in a
torrent of effervescence 1t is strong, sure,
aud innoxious, as the writer can attest after
years of use.
The Sponge or " Ferment."
Having the yeast and the -four in good
condition, it is now possible to convert them
into bread. Take two ordinary sized pota.
toes, quite sound, dry and mealy when boil
ed, and, having peeled them, boil them in a
pint of water Retain the water they are
boiled in, mash them in it, and when quite
fine and cold add wheat -four enough to make
a thick batter-as thick as can be stirred
with spoon. Put in this half a cup full of
yeast, and set the whole in warm place, not
having more than 759 or 500. temperature.
Bear in mind distinctly that if higher heat
than this comes in contact with your yeast
or sponge, it is impossible to make good
bread In setting the ierment, alluded to
above, the time must be considered so as to
have the operation carried on consecutively
and completed. Six o'clock in the evening
is good time to start the ferment BY nine
o'clock, it will have worked into a mass of
bubbles, and it is at this stage that it is ready
to handle for the next operation.
Stir the ferment up, and sift in gradually
with the hand flour to make it quite as stiff
as you can readily handle with long spoon
or other instrument. Then turn it out on a
Toured board, and work in sufficient -four to
make it easily handled. 1t should be by no
means " stiff" in any sense, but so soft as to
readily spread itself gradually over the sur
face of the table 1t must notrun like bat
ter, but be soft in the sense of being easily
nodded. Many persons fail on this point
they mix so much -four in their ferment as
to make the dough hard and stiff. Bread re-
sulting from this plan will be also hard and
stiff; it will dry up easily, and be full of
cracks in its surface. After the dough is
mixed (salt enough to flavor it having been
previously added), put it in a warm place
over night BY six o'clock the next morn
ing it will be ready to work.
Turn it ali out upon a moderately Toured
board, and knead we'll Add no more flour
under any circumstances. If you cannot
work it as it is, you will not have good bread.
1t is easy to see that by adding raw flour to
fermented -four you introduce an element
which is hindrance rather than an advan.
tage. The material is in two stages of pro-
gress, and neither will be benefited by the ad-
dtion. 1t requires some skill and " knack "
to handle soft dough- in those who are not
accustomed to it; but the trick once acquir-
ed, it will be found easily conquered, as all
difficulties are when boldly encountered.
The iermeuting and handling Of bread are
two important points. in the manufacture of
it. According as you carry the termenta-
ton, so will be your loaf. The extreme light
ness which characterizes French bread, is
due to the point to which fermentation is
carried. There is nothing in it but what we
have pointed out, and French baker will 90
into any family, and take the dough they
have set, and make the bread called "French"
out of it, promising that it is in good order.
At the first kneading or handling, the
dough is not fit to bake unless a solid, strong
bread, suitable for hearty digestion, is de-
sired. 1t must be kneaded, and put back in
the pan to ferment again. Some aourS are
much easier to wsrk than others on this score =,
and do not require so much handling or
working; but most Of the so.called family
-four sold in the country will take three hand
lings with benefit. For example the first,
wherein the flour is made into ferment and
then into dough; the second, wherein it is
thoroughly kneaded and the third, wherein
it it nodded into shape, and put into baking
pans,
baking.
The baking of br cad is almost as impor-
tant as the proper fermentation and knead-
ing of it, and, on this head, there is much to
be said. The temperature varies from 350o
to 600', though the latter is extreme, and
scarcely ever, if ever, attained.
As to the time of baking, an ordinary
three pound loaf shou Id bake in three.quar.
ters Of an hour. Longer baking than this
not only drives off the moisture, but increas.
es the crust, making not only waste, but add
ing to its indigestible character. If the oven
is hot enough, and the dough properly knead.
ed and raised, the loaf will be thoroughly
dOne-thrOugh and through-in the time
mentioned. The horror of raw, or half raw
bread, is but family conceivable. Let those
who have vivid imaginations depict it We
willingly delegate the task to them. A stout
and hearty farmer Of our acquaintance sup
poses he has " the liver complaint" when il
is nothing but his wife's slack.baked bread
Finally let us observe that in the art of
bread.making, it is worth while to persevere
until success is attained. 1t took the writer
of this one wears constant effort, before he