Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-01-28
How TO Make French Rolls.

A correspondent (evidently a woman)
of the Prairie Farmer gives the follow
ing humorous directions for making
breakfast rolls.
Bread that Is like snowaakcs piled
Take Two good-sized potatoes, cook,
mash, pour the boiling water off them on
one saucerful of flour. When it is milk
warm stir in one cup of "rot" and set
in warm place, and when it foams up
like soda-pop then it is ripe and the
dough should be made.
Now ii there is any woman among you
who knows that she has the patience
of Job, the hang-on of the bulldog"
and the grit of the Guinea negro" let
her attempt TO make French rolls; but II
you are lacking in any of those perqui-
sites fold your hands and say you can't
and you will be just as happy.
After mixing your dough thoroughly
then work it, and this working dough is
no'child's play. Take off your collar,
roll up your sleeves, open the window
and have an assistant standing at your
elbow to mop the sweat from your heat
ed brow--for il is one of the beauties OF
this Woodworking business that while
you are at it you have no hands for any
thing else. Yes, work that dough till
your fingers cramp and there is hurt
under your shoulderb blade; and your
blackwell, it always does ache-and
now, If you are doing your duty by
the dough, it should "ache double"
But you must not stop for trifies-" no
cross, no crown" Work it until il is
light" Then set tin cold weather
near the fire, in hot weather where il is
cool, and If the weather is neither hot
nor cold you should set it "middlin'
jist" After putting it in just the right
place you should look at it and move II
little back, and directly go and feel the
Jar and set it little closer. Every time
the door is opened and lets in draft
throw blanket four double over the
dough, and if the room gets too warm
give il wet sheet pack; be sure to keep
it the right temperature, for next to hav-
ing the proper amount of rot" in 1T the
temperature is the most important.
About nine O'clock, or any time after
you get the baby to sleep and the stock
ings darned and the chairs set back and
the floor swept, you must work your
dough over; then fold it in the blanket
and set it-somewhere; if you take the
| bread in one hand and the thermometer
| in the other and go around the kitchen,
like water-witch hunting for vein
| with forked stick. you will be sure to
| find somewhere in the place the right
| temperature, and as soon rs you do set
| it down "instanter," for the tempera-
| ture might change its mind. Now "quiet
down your nerves" and go TO bed and go
| to sleep. But bark! the clock strikes
one. Arouse, we woman! Arouse, We
| slave! Come forth and work that dough; ;
| see, it has started to meet you, and once
| again let me entreat you TO work ii
well Never mind those shiyers that
run down your back; it's moth
1 ing If you do sneeze a time or two;
| keep on working, no matter If the baby
| has walked up and is pleading its own
! cause; John can take care of the baby,
| YOU work that dough; all these things
| that annoy you are small and tri1ing,
while that that You hold in your hands
| is the staff of life" When you have
| worked it till it begins TO snap like
morning glories' and smell like last
years cider barrel, then put it in its
| little bed" between the blankets; and
| creep to your own bed with feeling OF
| triumph, for the receipt does not require
anything more of you till morning. But
| il YOU should by any chance get waked
| up before morning you might work that
dough over again; it won't hurt the
dough, and the benefit it will be to il you
NAV never know. Goodnight.
Get up early in the morning with a
bright smile for everybody; with q
"happy good-morning, and yes, |
thank you,n dress the children; but first
make out your rolls so they will have
time TO raise, get the other things ready,
and set the table while the rolls are bak-
ing, and when all is ready, and you sit
down to the table, if your husband don't
say that you make the best bread, and
are the best rife in the world, then he Is
brute, aud ought to be fed on Graham
Gems" all the rest Of bis life.