Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1910-07-09
A NEW BREAD Is INVENTED.
Valuable to United States Army-wlll
Keep Eight Years If Kept Dry.

Valuable to United States Army-will
Keep Eight Years If Kept Dry.
Mrs. Jacob Wetmore, wife of q guide
in the Adirondacks, is the inventor of a
new bread recipe which army officers
of the commissary department believe
will prove of the greatest importance to
the United States army. The bread,
called "hard bread for campers use",
appears to last indefinitely when baked
according to Mrs. Wetmore's instruc-
tions, and likewise has the advantage of
being healthful, crisp and tasteful as the
French breads.
Brigadier General Henry G. Sharpe,
commissary general of the army, has
had several tests made at Fort Riley and
in California. With the added ingenu-
ity of the army bakers, the finished
products which are being forwarded to
the War Department give promise that
the United States army will soon be on
an equal footing with foreign armies 80
far as this important ration is con.
cerned.
Early last November Brieadier Gen
eral Sharpe's attention was first brought
to Mrs. Wetmore's recipe. 1t was for
warded by p. L. Hudson, of New York,
with this letter:
81 attach hereto a recipe for bread
which has stood the test for great many
years and proves, for the use of camp
ers, at least, superior to any other
known bread. The recipe was given to
me recently by r. B. Hough, a botanist
and forester of Lowville, N. Y, who
himself got it about IL years ago from
an Adirondack guide named Jakey Wet
more. SO far as We are able to learn,
the bread was invented by his wife and
was used by him for many years.
"The chief advantage of this bread
over others is that it may be preserved
indefinitely if kept dry. Mr.. Hough
himself kept batch of it for 8 years
and at the end of that time found it as
good as when first made"
Tests made at the bakers and cooking
schools at Fort Riley were distinctly
successful. Capt. Lucius Holbrook re-
ports that he has obtained excellent
results with the recipe and has added
to the value of the bread as an army
ration by process which renders it less
friable and consequently easier to tran
sport.
The recipe for this bread follows:
Make sponge about 3 or o'clock in
the afternoon by adding cake of yeast
foam (which has previously been soft
ened in little water) to batter made
of tablespoonful of mashed potato and
pint of water in which the potato has
been boiled, with sufficient good bread
flour stirred in so that the batter will
drop from the spoon, not run as liquid.
Let this rise in warm place, after Civ
ing it good beating, until about or 10
o'clock at night. (The lighter it gets
the better.) Then add pint of luke
warm water, teaspoonful of salt, a
tablespoonful of sugar and bit of lard
the size of hickory nut, though the
bread will be as good perhaps If this is
omitted.
If a bread-rnixer is used put all these
ingredients into it and add three quarts
of -four, measured before sitting, first
deducting therefrom the amount used in
making the sponge in the afternoon.
Mix, or, if a mixer is not used, knead
with the hands, until when poked with
the finger tip it seems elastic and does
not stick to the finger Cover and let
rise over night in warm place-75 de-
grees. And in the morning turn out on
board and pound with the back of an
ak for 20 minutes, working in all the
-four you possibly can, then roll out
about an inch thick with rolling pin
and cut into squares about 2 inches
square, place on creased baking sheet,
such as cookies are baked on, and let
rise until near twice their height or un-
til very light.
Bake about half an honr in a moder-
ate hot oven and then leave in warm
ing oven or about the stove somewhere
to dry out thoroughly for day or two.
Keep in dry place, and when wanted
to use roll over once or twice in cold
water, drain carefully from one corner,
place on a plate, and in a short time it
will puff up much larger and seem like
freshly baked bread.
The bread will keep indefinitely if
kept perfectly dry. One batch was
spoiled by adding too much shortening,
and it would be fully as good if none
was used.