The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-03-04
new BREAD Will.
KEEP FOR 8 YEARS


Washington. March. 4.--Mrs. Jacob
Wetmore, wife Of a guide in the Adir-
ondacks. is the inventor of a new bread
recipe which army officers of the COM
missiary department believe will prove
Of the greatest importance to the Uni
ted States RAINY. The bread. called
hard bread for campers use" appears
to last indefinitely when baked accord
ing to Mrs. Wetmore's instructions,
and likewise has the advantage of be-
ing healthful, crisp and tasteful as the
French breads.
Brig. Gen. Henry q. Sharpe, COM
missary general of the army, has had
several rests made at Fort Riley and in
California. With the added ingenuity
Of the army bakers, the finished pro-
ducts which are being forwarded to
the war department give promise that
the United States army will soon be
on an equal footing with foreign arm
les so far as this important ration is
concerned.
Early last November Brigadier Cen
eral Sharpes attention was first
brought to Mrs. WetmOre's recipe. 1t
was forwarded by P. l.. Hudson Of
New York with this letter: d..
81 attach hereto a recipe for bread
which has withstood the test for so
many years and proves, for the use of
campers, at least, superior to any other
known bread. The recipe was given
to me recently by r. B. Hough, bot
anist and forester of Lowville, N. Y,
who himself got it about twelve years
ago from an Adirondack guide named
Jakey Wetmore. 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 eight
years and at the end of that time found
it as good as when first made"
Tests made at the bakers and cook
ing schools at Fort Riley were dis
tinctly successful. Captain Lucius Hol-
brook reports that he has obtained
excellent results with. the recipe and
has added to the value of the bread
as an army ration by a process which
renders 1t less friable and consequent
ly easier to transport.
The recipe for this bread follows
Make a sponge about 3 or o'clock
in the afternoon by adding cake Of
yeast foam (Which has previously been
softened in a little water) to a batter
made OF a teaspoonful of mashed po-
tato and pint of water in which the
potato has been boiled, with sufficient
good bread flour stirred in so that the
batter win drop from the spoon, not
run as liquid. Let this rise in a warm
place, after giving it a good beating,
until, about 9 O'Clock at night. (The
lighter it gets the better) Then add
a pint of Iukewarm water, teaspoon
full of salt, a tablespoonful Of sugar and
a bit of lard the size of hickory nut,
though the bread will be as good per-
haps If this is omitted.
If breadmixer is used put all these
ingredients into 1t and add three quarts
of flour, measured before sitting, first
deducting therefrom the amount used
in making the sponge in the afternoon.
Mix, or, if 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 a warm place
rs degrees. And in the morning turn
out on a board and pound with the
back of an ak for twenty minutes,
working in all the flour you possibly
can, then roll out about an incn thick
with rolling pin and cut into squares
about two inches square, place on a
creased baking sheet, such as cookies
are baked on, and let rise until near
ly twice their height or until very
light.
Bake about half an hour in a mod
erately hot oven and then leave in
warming oven or about the stove
| somewhere to dry out thoroughly for
day or two. Keep in a dry place,
and when wanted to use roll one over
once or twice in cold water, drain
caretully from one corner, place on a
| plate, and in short time it will puff
up much larger and seem like freshly
| baked bread.
| This bread will keep indefinitely IL
kept perfectly dry. One batch was
| spoiled by adding too much shortening
and 1t would be fully as good If none
| was used.
|