The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1876-05-11
MAKING YEAST AND BREAD.
Country Gentleman.

Country Gentleman.
In recent article on "household econ
omies" from the clever and very practi-
cal pen of Faith Rochester" she claims
that it is as economical to buy yeast cakes
as to make them. This l agree with, but
think as good bread cannot be made from
them as from soft yeast of our own man
uIacture. In my fifteen years of exper,
fence in housekeeping, I presume I have
tried as many different methods of max,
ing yeast and bread, but have obtained
the best results from the following mode
which hope some young housekeeper
may be led to try, and thus save herself
some of the trials and disappointments
[ endured.
First get a package of yeast cakes
any of the different kinds are good provi-
ded they are fresh-grate in a pan one
coffee cupful of potato, add one coffee
cupful Of sugar, enc half cupfull of salt
one level teaspoenful of ginger, and three
quarts of boiling water; set on the stove,
stir constantly, and after boiling ten min
utes remove. When lukewarm, add two
yeast cakes previously soaked in warm
water, and set in warm place to ferment
If made early in the morning, at night il
will be ready to put in clean, sweet jug,
loosely corked: after standing "a hours
cord tightly, and in "a hours more it will
be ready for USE Before this is gone
make new again, adding two cups of the
old to raise it with, and about every other
time an additional yeast cake.
After tea, at night-earlier in cold
and later in warm weather-sift your
-four, and to one cupful of mashed pota-
toes add one quart of hot water, stirring
to remove all Jumps; then add one pint of
fresh, cold sweet milk, put into your -four
and stir, adding one cupful of the above
yeast; then MIX thoroughly into mess,
care being taken against getting it too
stiff-but this is one Of the things that
must be learned by experience. Cover
the top with a little -four and put in a
warm place to rise.
Early in the morning mix thoroughly
again, and again set in warm place to
rise. When sufficiently light, mold light
ly into loves. Have your oven heated, as
it rises quickly this time, and very much
depends on the way you bake it. When
even with the top of the pans put into a
hot oven. 1t it be so hot that your bread
commence to brown in ten minutes, you
may be sure of fine grained, moist, spongy
bread; but if the over is cool, the gas will
escape, and your bread will be coarse
grained and dry. After fifteen or twenty
minutes, let your oven gradually cool
down. If you burn good hard wood,
this can be easily regulated; but with
coal it is more difficult but can be done.
If your loaves are small or medium size,
forty five or fifty minutes will make them !;
if large, longer time will be required.
After taking them out of the oven, wrap
them in damp towel, and lay on their
sides. .....
Perhaps some may object to my plan
as requiring too much labor, but have
failed to have or see good white bread
without thorough mixing and attention
on the details; for in making bread, as in
everything else, the little things determine
the difference between good and bad.
With good white and brown bread, sweet
butter and plenty of canned fruit, no
housewife need fear the unexpected visit
or.