The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-11-11
GOOD BREAD.

First let me say what | consider good
bread, for there is much diversity of
opinion on the subject, promising that,
having once attained to the making of
a perfect loaf, if your particular family
like it closer or more porous, it is easy
TO indulge them and yet have good
bread.
My ideal loaf, then, is light, white
and tender, of an eUen, porous char
acter, the holes all very small, yet not
really close-a sort of dense lightness,
like good sponge cake-the crust thin
and crisp and something the color of
pitch pine.
To any one making bread for the
first time l would say, make very little
two loaves; if by chance you spoil it,
though don't think you will, the loss
is not great and the work has been
light"
How to produce two perfect loaves in
the easiest and best way:
Take scant quart of water as warm
as milk from the cow, dissolve in it half
a cake of compressed yeast and tea
spoonful of salt Have ready warmed
two quarts of flour, fill measure. Make
n hole in the center of the flour, see
that the yeast is thoroughly dissolved in
the water, pour it into the hole, working
the flour gradually into it with the right
hand; when mixed, this will be q soft
dough- if too soft to work, sprinkle a
lttle flour from a dredger, and knead
ii, but always use rs little rs possible
to knead with. At first. TO novice, it
may seem sticky and rather unmanage-
able, but by degrees, always working
from the sides t0lOa1dS the center. the
rough mass will become smooth and no
longer stick 10 the hands or bowl.
The movement in kneading is diff
cult TO describe, yet I will make the at
tempt. because, in the course of great
many lessons in bread-making, l find
such varied understanding of the word.
Some take the tips of their fingers and
believe they are thoroughly mixing the
bread, while an hour of such handling
will not produce the smooth, plastic
mass that ten minutes proper work
would do; others simply pound and
punch it, which does not change the
position of the dough ut all.
In kneading the small quantity of
dough | have given, one hand is
double your fist and plunge it on to the
side of the dough farthest from you,
bringing it over, with pressure and a
turn of the wrist, towards the middle;
keep on doing this until the dough is
smooth; it will take about ten minutes.
Set it to rise in n warm place, covered
with cloth; if in summer for two
hours, or less, in winter il will take
about four hours 1t is light enough to
work over when there is Il sign of crack
ing and the whole, when pulled, looks
full of very small holes. If the holes
are allowed TO become large like froth
or n coarse sponge, it will be too light,
and the bread, though it may not be
sour, will be dry and taste husky the
second day. "Lot ID rise till double
its dUlG" is perhaps the best rule for
beginner When it is double the bulk
knead it again as thoroughly rs YOU did
the first time. Now, if you are pressed
for time after this kneading. divide the
dough, put il into two well CREASED pans
and set il again TO rise. This bread
will be excellent, but if. instead of put
ting it into the pans after this second
kneading, you let it rise again, then
work it thoroughly and put it in the
pans. 1t will repay the extra trouble by
being whittier and of q finer texture.
After the bread is in the pans, each
loaf should be allowed to rise TO twice
the size it was when put in, but by no
means allow it to get beyond this; after
this, all depends on the oven.
Many bake bread slowly. leaving it
in the oven long time; this causes
thick, hard crust. In modern iron
ovens quick baking is necessary. Let
the oven be quite hot; hold your hand
in it, if you can bear to keep it there
longer than il takes you to count twen-
ty-iive deliberately. it is not hot enough;
yet if you have to withdraw It before
twenty it is too hot and your bread will
be spoilt. 1t is better to manage so
that your oven waits for the bread,
rather than bread for the oven, but if