The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1875-02-11
Making Bread.

In the first place the -four must be of
irst-rate quality; second-rate flour will
never make excellent bread. Then the
yeast must be fresh and frothy, and last
but not least, the exact degree Of fermenta-
ton must be attained when the lOaft is put
in the oven, and the heat of the oven must
also be exactly of the right temperature
not SO hot as to brown it directly, and give
1t a burned appearance nor so cool as to
make it rise too slowly, and present pas
try, halfbaked aspect.
All these things cannot be taught by
receipt but must be learned by experience
and the exercise of due judgment. Bread,
TO be of an even texture, and without deep
holes, should be kneaded at least three
quarters Of an hour before it is put into the
pans, and then should remain in warm
place until it rises up light and spongy and
! cracks on the sides and top the least bit.
The best rule know of for making first
rate -four into bread, is to make a sponge
| by taking four quarts Of sifted -four, one
cup of sweet, light yeast, tablespoonful
of salt and one quart of warm water, not
too hot but just about as warm as milk
fresh from the COW. Stir this thoroughly
together by putting the -four into the bread
pan, making hole in the middle of it,
| turning in the water, stirring it little,
and then add the yeast. Mix this in by
stirring slowly until there are no Jumps
in it. Sprinkle flour over it, cover with
pan and place in a cool pantry or closet for
| the night, in summer, and near the stove
in winter. Early next morning add enough
! -four to mix it into a dough that will mould
| soft and light If too much -four Is added
it will make the bread stiff and crumbly
and hard to knead Two quarts of -four
and one pint Of warm water will make a
soft dough Knead it in the pan for at
! least fifteen minutes then set it away for
while until it rises up well. Knead on
the moulding beard now for at least half
an hour, taking great care not to add much
-four in the kneading. as it cannot be raised
enough to make it light before the lo2ves
are ready for the oven, and hence it will
be soggy and clammy, and make the bread
So One fertile source of noa-success in
bread-makinS comes from the adding of
-four when kncading the bread after the
first kneading. Sprinkle just little on the
board to keep the dough from clinging to
it, and -four the hands very lightly There
is great difference in flour as the quantity
of wetting requiring to make it into dough
of the proper consistency, 50 that no exact
rule for water or milk can be given but
the dough should be rs moist rs it is pos
sible to work it up into loaves Al cake
makers know that too much -four will spoil
their cake, and in the same way too much
-four will always make bread stiff and hard
! Throw little sprinklng of flour into
the oven to test its heat. II it burns quick
ly, the oven IS too hot to bake WELL and il
should be cooled down little If it browns
slowly but surely, it is just right, but if il
hardly coors, it needs more fire before you
bake the bread Too much heat over the
loaf will bake the top too quickly, however
and leave clammy spot in the center the
oven needs to equally heated. In the morn
ing, as soon as Il fire is kindled, the breaC
must be attended to, and little of the
risen sponge, baked in gem Iansp or mul
fins rings, will never come amiss on the
breakfast table. -
i After breakfast, the bread must be looked
at and kept IN mind until 1t Is well baked
aud the smoking loves are turned up agains
a towel on the kitchen dresser TO cool off
Good bread can only be obtained by con
stant watohfillness, 1t connot be left t,
/, itself while the baby, is dressed, or tn,
breakfast dishes washed or the chambel
work attended to; it must be Of the frs
/ Importance in the day 5 work And 1t il
on this account that 80 many housewives
fail utterly ia its Manufacture. If it ha
risen beyond the exact degree of fermenta
ton, no saleratus OF soda can ever make i
, as good again yet they must be added t
make it liz the least degree palatable Fo
three loayes Of bread, take two level tea
spoonfuls of s,leratus, turn hot water on il
aud let it boil moment on the stove, t
dissolve it thoroughly as spots of vel owls
1 Substance ruin bread utterly. Add thi
| liquid, turning itin the center OF the brea,
pau, and kpeading 1t very thoroughly 70
D at !east twenty minutes 1t needs alnlCst a