River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-03-18
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
Yeast and Bread.

Yeast and Breed,
Ihls y the poetry Of bread. said my
May ask your good cook how 70 make il ?
said she.
II you choose, replied, but you had better
ask me.
or course my cook made it, that's certainly
true,
Butt taught her::to do it-and | can teach
II with the yeast you would like TO begin,
sew handful OF hops small bag with
Boil in two quarts of water ten minutes or
Till the strength is extracted-you can tell
by guess.
Then like a poor thing that has had its
best day,
You may squeeze out the hop-bag and
throw 1t away.
Put six nice peeled potatoes in that boiling
hot water
And keep it boiling-not faster than it
'Oughter''-
Fill the potatoes are soft, then take from
the fire;
Add tablespoonful Of salt, and one of
sugar you'll desire.
Mash the potatoes all fine with a masher
or spatter,
Put in handfuls of flour till it makes a
thick batter.
Then let il cool slowly till mkewarm. at
least,
Now add half cake of dissolved COM
pressed yeast.
Ia few hours this mixture will be 81 in a
bubble.
1t is excellent yeast without very much
Then by adding corn-meaI till "a stiff dough
il makes,
You can roll it out nicely and cut it in
cakes.
When carefully drying turn every cake
Till each and every side is as dry as the
other,
In the making Of bread I've respect for the
eater,
And will not risk the bread for the sake OF
"a metre.
Good bread is a necessity, as every one
knows,
So l will give all directions in the plainest
of prose.
When potatoes are boiled for the
MONDAY meal mash two of them fine
and smooth, with teaspoon full OF
salt and one of sugar: put with it a tea
cupful of hot water and stir in flour
enough to make thick batter. Let il
cool till abont luke warm, then put in
a dissolved cake OF yeast, if Homemade;
if compressed, half cake. This sponge
should be IN warm place until very
light. The flour for bread should be
sifted and kept in awarm room sever
al hours before using. In the evening
Cor at bed time) put a little salt with
the flour and mix it with warm water
or milk and water; put in the sponge
and work it, and knead it thoroughly
until it loses its "stickineSs, but do
do not make it too stiff. Let it remain
III a warm room covered over, OF
cOurse) over night. In the morning
it will be very light, and a good man
ager will make excellent bread of it,
but a poor manager will not. When a
a young hOusekeeper, said to a friend
why is your bread so much better than
mine when we both use the same yeast
and the same brand of ilour?' Il will
tell you, said she Your cook works
too much dry flour in when she moulds
out her bread into loves; it makes the
bread dark coiored and changes the
taste.
Bread when kneaded (tirst made up)
should be thoroughly worked or kneed-
ed: when light aud being moulded
should have no more flour added than
just possible to mould the loave1 into
shape for the bakingpsns. Rather
small sized loayes are the best.
In the meantime, have the oven
heated right so that it viii bake the
lower part of the loaves and give them
a chance to rise before crustingover on
top. When they are light brown all
over, and clear from the pans, and
sound hollow, they are done. Take
them from the pans, but do not smoth-
er them i'll swaddling clothes, or impris-
on them in tin boxes, but put them in a
comfortable position to cool, on all sides
lean them against something. If
YOU choose, rub the crust over with a
rag dipped in melted butter-it softens
the crust. When cold put them in a
large bread-pan with cover over it.
| find it far better to make bread al
night, it has better chance to rise, and
usually the fire in the morning is bet
ter than at night for baking.