BREAD MAKING

|;F it be true that bread is the staff of life, no one can be insensible to the statement which has been made by authors on the sub- ject so many times of late, that we make a great mistake, from a dietetic point of view, in the kind of flour which we select for making bread. The most nutritious bread is not the whitest, but rather the reverse, since the branny portion of wheat, which is sys- tematically rejected, contains very valuable substances and salts ^at, taken into the body, go to form bone, flesh, and nerve, as well as to assist in the digestion of starchy matters. The central por- tion of wheat, or that portion which forms the ordinary flour of eommerce, consists solely of starch, which is not a flesh-forming substance, but a heat-giving principle of food. The bran con- tains phosphates, of which bones and nerves are so largely made up; gluten, or flesh -forming substance; and cerealine, a peculiar body which has the character of a ferment, changing starchy mat- ter in such a way as to be more readily absorbed and utilized by ike system in the act of digestion. \

It stands to reason, therefore, that flour miade from the entire wheat contains the very substances which are needed to make it mttritious, and that the removal of the bran in the making of flour,

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as ordinarily practiced, entails the loss of very important items of diet. Further, it is clear that the physiologist is right in recom- mending the use of whole grain flour, provided that there is no special drawback on account of its physical character. But this »s just what has been the case hitherto. When the bran is mixed with the ordinary flour and taken, it is found to be diflicult of digestion, and, in some cases, to irritate; the latter result being due to the mechanical action of the bran scales upon the intestines, and hence there has been a real difiiculty in extending the consumption of brown bread. But recent improvements in milling machinery have to a great extent overcome these difliculties, and as a consequence, the consumption of wheat in its many and various preparations is correspondingly increased.

For good bread three things are essential — good flour, good yeast, and great care.

Yeast that will not Sour.

Good bread cannot be made from poor yeast, and here is a recipe that will not sour: One bowl of flour, one bowl of sugar, one cup of salt, one tablespoonful ginger. Take a double handful of hops and pour over them five quarts of water, boil an hour, and have as much water on at the last, and pour scalding hot through a strainer on to the other ingredients, stirring briskly; when cold add a cup of good yeast and let rise thirty-six hours, pour into a perfectly sweet jug, and keep in a cool place. A cupful of this added to a quart of lukewarm water, with flour enough to make a stiff batter, will make two loaves of bread. Set this at night and knead in more flour the next morning, keep in a place where it will be of even temperature, raising it as fast as possible; when raised again, knead a good deal, using but little flour, and put into bread pans; when well raised bake slowly three-fourths of an hour. Part of this taken out and raised once or twice, with sufficient butter or lard, and the white of an egg added, makes excellent rolls for tea.

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A Good .Reliable Yeast.

Steep slowly, in a porcelain or bright tin kettle, one large hand- ful of hops, tied in a cloth, boil six large potatoes, sliced thin, in two quarts of water; when done very soft, mash till smooth and creamy. Have ready one pint of flour, wet and rubbed to a smooth paste; pour into this the potato water, boiling hot, stirrino- smoothly; let it boil a few minutes, stirring all the time; add the hop water and potatoes, two tablespoonfuls of salt, and one cup of white sugar; stir thoroughly, and set away to cool. When milk warm, stir in one cup of yeast; let it rise in a warm place twelve hours; put it into an air-tight vessel, previously well scalded, and set in the cellar. This will keep from four to six weeks. Always make new yeast before the old is gone, in order to have some to start with. Be very particular with every new batch of yeast, to have the vessel in which it is kept well cleaned, and scalded with hot saleratus water. Much depends upon keeping this sweet and clean.

Another Good Yeast.

Boil two potatoes with a good handful of hops, tied in a bag; mash the potatoes when done, in the yeast dish, and add two tea- cupfuls of flour, and scald with the potato water; when cool, add a yeast cake soaked in warm water. Dry hop yeast can always be found at grocery stores.

Good Home-made Bread. The superiority of good home-made bread has long been acknowl- edged, yet how few know how to make a i-eally good article of bread, therefore so many housekeepers depend on the baker, whicli is at least very expensive, to say nothing of the injury the constant use of baker's bread causes to the health of delicate persons and children, as all baker's bread contains alum, which causes the loaves to increase in weight, as it makes the flour absorb more water. Therefore a pound loaf of baker's bread will contain less nourish- ment than a loaf of home-made bread of equal weight. Economy.

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therefore, should make every housekeeper her own bread maker, as baker's bread dries and becomes stale much quicker than home- made.

To make first-rate bread, the sponge should be set over night in a warm place and raised and kneaded three times; the first time from fifteen to twenty minutes — the more the better. If this rule is followed the bread will present an even surface when sliced off, and not the loose, crumbly appearance which is so often seen in bread.

Take three quarts of good flour, sift and warm; make a cavity in the center, add a large teaspoonful of salt; take one pint of new milk, or water boiling hot, pour into this and stir quickly; cool off with one quart of cold milk or water; add one cup of yeast; mix well together; then cover well and set in a moderately warm place (if in cold weather) ; this will be ready to knead up before break- fast, if set over night. Slashing the dough with a sharp knife adds to its lightness and texture. When well kneaded the first time cover tightly, watch closely, and as soon as light knead as before, but be very careful not to work in much flour; only keep enough on the board to prevent sticking, as all the flour that is added after the first kneading only makes the bread hard and dry. As soon as it is light the second time divide into loaves and reserve a portion for biscuit so that the bread will not be cut till cold. Mold smoothly, put into tins, let rise fifteen or twenty minutes in a warm place; bake half an hour in moderately hot oven. When done, set on hearth, cover with double thick cloth five minutes, turn out on same cloth; let stand until cool; put in stone jar and keep covered. Always keep a cloth folded in the bottom of the jar to take up the dampness which naturally collects.

Yeast Bread.

To three quarts water add one teacupful of yeast, stir into enough sifted flour to make a stiff batter; do this in the evening and set in a warm place. In the morning mix stiff; it will soon

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rise, then mold out into the tins. No certain time can be given for the time of rising, as that depends on the temperature.

Potato Bread. Pare and boil six good-sized potatoes, drain off the water, mash fine and pour over them about three pints of cold water and run through a colander; add flour until this is a thin batter, then put in a coffee .cup of yeast from the jug; let stand until it rises, then stir into it flour as much as you can with a spoon and let it rise again; work in enough more flour to make stiff enough for bread, and then let rise the third time; when light this time, work intvf loaves and let rise. All the flour must be sifted.

Boil four potatoes to the loaf; mash when done and add two tea- cupfuls of flour and scald with the potato water; when cool add the yeast and let stand till bed time, then sponge and knead in the morning; make quite stiff and knead fifteen or twenty minutes; let rise again and mold into loaves.

Milk Sponge Bread. Put a pint of boiling water into a pitcher with a teaspoonful of sugar, one-fourth teaspoonful of salt, and the same of soda; let it stand till you can bear your finger in it, then add flour to make a thick batter; beat it hard for two minutes. Now place the pitcher in a kettle of hot water — not hot enough to scald the mixture; keep the water at the same temperature till the emptyings are light. If set early in the morning and carefully watched they will be ready by eleven o'clock to make a sponge the same as for other bread, with a quart of very warm milk. Let this sponge get very light, then make into loaves and set to rise again, taking care that they do not get too light this time before putting into the oven, or the bread will be dry and tasteless. The emptyings pitcher and bread pan or tray must be perfectly clean and sweet. Scald them out Vfith saleratus or lime water.

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Salt Rising Bread.

In the evening scald two tablespoonfuls of corn meal, a pinch of salt and one of sugar, with sweet milk, and set in a warm place till morning; then scald a teaspoonful of sugar, one of salt, half as much soda, with a pint of boiling water, add cold water till luke- warm, then put in the mush made the night before, and thicken to a batter with flour; put in a close vessel in a kettle of warm water (not too hot); when light, mix stiff, adding a little shortening; mold into loaves. It will soon rise, and will not take as long to bake as yeast bread.

Salt Rising Bread, No. 2.

In the morning take a quart dish and scald it out, then put in a pint of warm water; put in a teaspoonful of salt and a little pinch of soda, two or three tablespoonfuls of corn meal, and flour enough to make a thick batter. Stir well, and set the dish in a kettle of warm water, and keep at the same temperature (just so you can bear your hand in it). If water rises on the top, stir in briskly one or two tablespoonfuls of flour, and put back into the kettle. If the flour is good the emptyings will be light within three or four hours; then take flour enough in a bread pan to make three or four loaves of bread, make a hole in the center, put in the emptyings, and fill the same dish Avith warm water; add a little salt, stir it in with a spoon, mix a thick spotige and cover it with some of the flour, f»nd set in a warm place to rise. When light, mold it into loaves and set to rise again (it does not require as much kneading as yeast bread). Bake from a half to three-fourths of an hour. Railroad emptyings are made in the same way, of middlings instead of flour.

Corn Bread. One pint sweet milk, one pint sour milk, one pint flour, two pints meal, one teaspoonful syrup, one teaspoonful salt, one teaspoonful soda. Steam three hours.

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CoKN Bread, No. 2.

Two eggs well beaten, one cup sugar, half cup butter, one cup sweet milk, half cup sour milk, half cup wheat flour, one and a half cups corn meal, two teaspoonf uls of any good baking powder.

Corn Bread, No. 3. I

One pint buttermilk, two eggs, one pint corn meal, two table- spoonfuls melted butter, a little salt, and one teaspoonful soda.

Corn Bread, No. 4.

One pint com meal, one pint flour, one pint buttermilk, one tea- cupful molasses, one teaspoonful soda, one teaspoonful salt. Bake just two hours.

Grandmother's Indian Bread.

Three cups sweet milk, three cups corn meal, one cup wheat flour, one half cup molasses, one teaspoonful of soda, one teaspoon- ful salt. Put into a buttered bake-dish, and set in a steamer and steam three hours.

Quick Graham Bread.

One and a half pints sour milk, two-thirds cup cooking molasses, a half teaspoonful salt, two even teaspoonfuls of saleratus dissolved in a little hot water, and as much Graham flour as can be stirred in evenly with a spoon. Put into a well-greased pan, and bake imme- diately. It will require from an hour and a half to two hours to bake.

Baking Powder Graham Bread. I One and one-half pints Graham flour, one-half pint flour, onw tablespoonful of sugar, one teaspoonful of salt, two teaspoonfuls baking powder; mix with a pint and a half of milk, or equal parts of milk and water. Sift together Graham, flour, sugar, salt, &r.d baking powder; add the milk, or milk and water, mix rapidl;^ into a soft dough, put into a greased tin, bake in rather hot oven for forty minutes. Protect the loaf with ])aper the first fifteen n-ninutes.

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Brown Bread of Graham Flour. Take one cup of milk; add hot water to warm; thicken with sifted flour, sufficient to make a sponge; stand over night in a warm place; in the morning add half a cup of milk, with a cup of hot water, one cup molasses, one cup butter, one teaspoonful salt; mix in Graham flour till thick, and smooth with a spoon; pour into bread pans half full; let stand in a warm place until the pans are nearly full ; bake an hour in a moderately hot oven. Keep a steady fire.

Graham Bread.

To a scant quart of warm water add a heaping teaspoonful of salt, a good half cup of brown sugar; stir in a pint of the sponge made of flour for potato bread; add as much Graham flour as can be stirred in; put into baking pans and let rise until light; bake in a moderate oven, and when done wrap in a damp towel until cool.

Graham Bread, No. 2.

Take one and two-thirds cups of water or milk and a small piece of butter or lard; mix quite thick with Graham flour or Arlington wheat meal, which is better; add half a cup of good yeast and set to rise over night. In the morning dissolve one-half teaspoonful soda in a little water and add one-half cup of molasses; stir this into the bread, mix quite soft and put in baking tin to rise. Bake thoroughly. A nice rye and wheat loaf may be made in the same way, using one and one-half cups sifted rye and the rest wheat flour. If you wish a light colored loaf use only one cup of rye and* sweeten with sugar.

Brown Bread.

Take two quarts of corn meal; scald with one quart of boiling milk or water; when cool add one quart of Graham flour, one large spoonful salt, one cup brown sugar or best molasses, one cup home- made yeast, one cup flour. Mix with warm water as stiff as can easily be stirred; put in deep basins; steam two hours and bake

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one. Before baking baste with a few spoonfuls of sweet cream or milk; this makes a soft, tender crust.

Biscuit is made from the same dough as the bread, rolled out and spread with a small quantity of lard, which must be very fresh and sweet. Double the dough together, roll and spread again three times; then cut in small biscuits; place on buttered tins; let stand half an hour; bake fifteen minutes until a very light brown. Cover with cloth a few minutes and slip off on the same until ready for use. All bread, biscuit, loaf cake or doughnuts made from yeast should rise after being mixed before being baked; if put into the oven or fried directly they are never light, as the dough has no chance to recover its elasticity.

Beown Bkeai>, No. 2.

One pint of rye meal sifted, one pound of coarse yellow Indian meal sifted, one quart of sour milk, salt, half cup of molasses or less, one heaping teaspoonful of saleratus dissolved in a little hot water. Steam three hours and-a-half in a tin pail set in a kettle of boiling water.

Boston Brown Bread.

Flour one-half pint, one pint corn meal, one-half pint ry*-- flour, one teaspoonful salt, one tablespoonful brown sugar two teaspoonfuls baking powder, one-half pint water; sift flour, corn meal, rye flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together thoroughly; peel, wash, and well boil two mealy potatoes, rub them through the sieve, diluting with water. When this is quite cold use it to mix the flour, etc., into a batter like cake; pour it into a well-greased mold, having a cover (a tin pail will do), place it in a kettle or sauce pan half full of boiling water, when the loaf may steam or simmer one hour; then take off the cover and bake in the oven a half hour.

Rye Bread.

Make a sponge as for wheat bread, and let it rise over night; then add two-thirds cup molasses, one teaspoonful salt, one quart

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milk and water — equal parts — and mix with rye flour, not as stiflf as wheat bread, and bake.

Rye and Indian Bread.

Scald two quarts Indian meal by pouring over it just boiling water enough to wet it, one quart rye meal or flour, one-half tea- cupful molasses, two teaspoonfuls salt, one of soda, one cup of yeast; make as thick as can be stirred with a spoon, mixing with warm water, and let rise over night; put in a bake tin, let stand a half hour, and bake from four to six hours.

Rye Bread with Baking Powder.

One pint rye flour, one-half pint corn meal, one-half pint flour, one teaspoonful sugar, one teaspoonful salt, two teaspoonfuls baking powder, one tablespoonful lard, nearly one pint milk. Sift together rye flour, corn meal, flour, sugar, salt and powder, rub in the lard cold, add the milk and mix into a smooth batter, as for cake; pour into a well greased tin, and bake in a moderate oven three-quarters of an hour; protect with a paper the first quarter.

HoYLETON Bread.

Five cups Indian meal, seven cups wheat flour, two cups rye meal, four cups buttermilk, two cups sweet milk, one-half cup molasses, two teaspoonfuls salt, two teaspoonfuls soda. Put it in a three quart pail that has a cover; let it stand near the fire thirty minutes with the cover off, to rise, then put on cover, and bake or steam four hours.

Norwegian Bread, for Dyspeptics.

One pint barley meal, one-half pint Graham, one-half pint flour, one teaspoonful salt, two teaspoonfuls baking powder, one pint milk. Sift together barley meal, Graham, flour, salt and powder. Mix into a firm batter with the milk, pour into a greased tin, and bake in a moderate oven forty minutes; cover with a greased paper the first twenty minutes.

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Oat Meal Bread.

One-half pint oat meal, one ancl-a-lialf pints flour, half teaspoonf ul salt, three teaspoonf uls baking powder, three-fourths pint milk; boil the oat meal in one and-a-half pints salted water for one hour. Then dilute it with the milk. Set aside to get perfectly cold. Sift together flour, salt, powder, and when the oat meal preparation is cold place it in a bread bowl; add to it the flour, etc.; mix smoothly together, pour from the bowl into the greased tin, and bake in a moderate oven three-fourths of an hour; protect the loaf with paper the first tAventy minutes.

Rice Bread.

Boil one cupful of rice in a pint of water; when tender, add one- half pint milk; when cold, add one and-a-half pints flour sifted, with a teaspoonf ul sugar, half teaspoonful salt, two teaspoonfuls baking powder; mix together smootniy, pour mto greased tin, and bake forty minutes,