The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-06-17
The Table and the Kitchen
By Ida AMES WILLIS.

sary and will repay you many times over
for the small outlay of time and money.
Homemade bread.
This is a formula that has stood the
test of years and may be helpful to
housekeepers living where fresh COM
pressed or German yeast cannot be OBJ
tanned. Bread raised by homemade or
dry yeast-cakes must stand over night.
On the other hand, compressed yeast
bread is a rapid process and for this
reason preferred by most modern house.
keepers.
% use the dry yeast-cake, soak it in
a pint of warm water, to which add
teaspoonful OF salt, and, in warm weather
as much soda as will lie on a dime;
make this into stiff batter with flour
Il may take a quart or less. as flour
varies so much, to give a rule Is i'm
possible. but II after standing the sponge
has a watery appearance, make 1t thick
er by sprinkling in more -four; beat hard
for a few minutes until it bubbles, and
then cover with a cloth and board or
large cover, for the yeast thrives in
warm, dark moist soil. Stand in a warm
place free from drafts.
Next morning. when the sponge Is at
least twice its original bulk and ike a
honey-comb take about two quarts OF
In winter warm and dry the -four. Put
1t into your mixing bowl, turn the sponge
into a hole in the center: have ready some
water, rather more than lukewarm, but
not hot. Add this gradually. stirring the
-four into the sponge at the same time,
making q dough as soft as possible with
out being sticky and wet. Now knead
with both hands from sides into the CEN
ter; keep this motion, occasionally dip
oh
sticks very much; but do not add more
-four unless II docs. II of just the
right consistency, II will be smooth
mass. very soft to the touch, but not
sticky. You may not obtain this at the
first mixing without adding -four by de-
Erees, Knead until the dough leaves
the bowl all round. then set in a warm
place, covered, to rise. When 1t feels
soft and warm to the touch and his risen
twice its bulk, knead once more.
thoroughly. then divide into portions each
piece of dough half the size you intend
your Ioaves to be; cover and set to rise
until twice its bulk. 1t will rise more
quickly this last time. If too light, II
will be too porous. You may work II
down again if it has not become too light
and a little sour. But have your oven
ready when bread is ready for baking.
A small loaf will take about forty-five
minutes, and should not brown the first
quarter. When il is a nice golden brown,
turn out on a cloth on your hand, tap
the bottom, and if crisp, sounds hollow,
and smells cooked, II Is done. An oven
that bakes well in the bottom is absolute
ly necessary. If coal or wood fire is used,
see that there is no collection of ashes
in the bottom and that the fiues are
clean and clear.
Bread will fail to rise II you scald
the yeast, so water or milk must not
be much above lukewarm temperature.
In winter If it gets chilled il will rise
very slowly or remain stationary, though
cold will not kill yeast, only retard its
growth, the same as other plants. Too
high a temperature will kill ii complete
ly. Do not forget that you are cultivating
tender plant. In order TO create a
leavening agent to raise your dough.
make a light, porous and easily digested
loaf of sweet, wholesome bread. When
this is done the work of the plant is
done, and IL should be no longer an
active agent, as 1t often is in badly
made and poorly baked doughty bread,
one of the most common and vicious
causes of indigestion, slow, insidious in
its work. and generally terminating in
what is almost universally diagnosed as
heart trouble.