Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-07-31
USE OF POTATOES
IN BREAD MAKING
Way Webster City Housewives Can
Help Conserve the Flour Sup
ply Of Country.

ceipt of the following from the de-
partment of agriculture at Wash
ington with request to publish for
the information of bread makers of
Webster City and vicinity:
The pressure of war conditions
has brought to light the value of po-
tatoes in bread making, both in Eng
land and America. AS an economy
in England, potato flour was mixed
with wheat and peculiarly deli
cious bread resulted. In this cOun-
| try potato flour is not available to
the average housewife, and the U.
S. department. of agriculture has
therefore devised recipes for the
making of bread with simple, plain
boiled potatoes mixed with the
wheat flour.
This bread is said to be not only
complete success from the economy
standpoint, where potatoes are
cheap and plentiful, but to supply
an attractive novelty in the house,
hold menu, and welcome variation
from the usual bread monotony. 1t
has a rich brown crust, is tender
and elastic, and the flavor is pre-
ferred by many to the bread made
wholly of wheat 1t contains more
moisture than ordinary bread, and
therefore has longer keeping quail
ties.
For the making of potato bread,
lat the present time, it is advisable
to use the early perishable potatoes,
since the later varieties are capa-
Bile of storage until spring. "Culls"
also may be so used.
To make four one-pound loaves:
pounds of boiled and peeled po-
tatoes; "a pounds of good bread
flour; level tablespoonfuls sugar;
Il level tablespoonful salt; 1 cake
compressed yeast; tablespoonfuls
water.
Boil, peel, and mash the potatoes
as directed in the straight dough
method. In the evening take IA
pounds, or % solidly packed half
pint cupfuls, of the cool mashed po-
tato, add to it the salt, ounces
of flour q scant half-pint cupfuD.
and the yeast rubbed smooth WITH \
the water, reserving one spoonful to
rinse the cup.
In the morning add the remainder
of the potato, the sugar and the rest
of the flour. Knead thoroughly un-
til a smooth and very stiff dough
is formed. After working the
dough, set it to rise according to the
directions given for the second ris-
ing under the straight dough meth
cd. Thereafter handle the dough ex-
actly in the same way as is given
under the straight dough method.
To this well-risen sponge, which
now will be found to be quite soft,
add the remainder of the flour.
kneading thoroughly until smooth
and elastic dough has been formed.
The dough must. be very stiff. since
the boiled potato contains large
amount of water which causes the
dough to soften as it rises. Do not
add water to the dough unless it
is absolutely necessary to work in
the flour. Set the dough back to
rise again-temperature at about Sc
degrees F-until it has trebled in
volume, which will require another
hour or two. Then divide the dough
into four approximately equal parts.
reserving tiny lump weighing 8 or
4 ounces for an indicator" Shape
the sample into ball and press it
into the bottom of a small tumbler
with straight sides. The glass
should be slightly warmed Note the
volume of the ball Of dough in the
tumbler and mark the glass at twice
this volume.
Mold the four portions into loaves
and place in creased pans which
have been slightly warmed. Place
the glass containing the indicator
beside the pans and let all rise, un-
der proper temperature, until the
indicator" shows that 1t has dou-
bled in volume. Then place the
loaves in the oven and bake in
good, steady heat (4OO degrees to
425 degrees F.. for As minutes.
To test oven: Where no oven
thermometer is at hand, a convent
ent test will be to put teaspoonful
of flour in an earthen dish in the
oven. If this flour becomes light
brown evenly throughout in five
time, the oven is right for
bread baking. II the flour scorches
in that time, the oven is too hot,