The Bakers Guide

Set a ferment at 84 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the weather, with the yeast, boiled and mashed potatoes, 6 lbs flour and about 20 quarts water.

Allow the ferment to work for two to four hours.

When the ferment is ready, strain it into the trough with the remaining water, the salt and the sugar, with the water warm enough to bring the dough to about 80 to 90 degrees when all the flour is in.

Make up the dough very lightly into a light firm dough.

Leave the dough in the trough for three hours.

Throw the dough out and scale off 2 lbs 3 oz for each 2 lb loaf.

Hand up the scaled pieces of dough with plenty of dust and let them prove very much.

When fully proved, mould each piece lightly with dust, with a very small top, turning the bottom upside down before putting on the top so it breaks open in the oven.

Mark the top with a stamp and put the loaf at once into the oven.

Bake in an externally heated oven with an iron plate for a bottom, with plenty of top heat and very little bottom heat.

For the silken piled well-fermented bread: mix two bags of flour (280 lbs), about half soft roller whites or supers and half good strong flour, well together in the trough.

Put the pin-board in and make a bay large enough to stir a sponge with a third of the flour, pressing the flour down all round the back of the board to keep the liquor from escaping.

Boil and mash 12 lbs potatoes and mix them with 35 quarts of water hot enough to bring the sponge to 84 degrees when the flour is in.

Strain the water and potatoes into the bay, dissolve the yeast thoroughly into it, and add the salt.

Stir into a stiff batter sponge, firm enough to flap over with the hands, and do this several times to make it tough.

Dust it a little, work it well with a sponge stirrer or the arms, and leave it to ferment until it rises, breaks and falls, about eight hours.

As soon as it begins to subside, pour in 25 quarts of water at 95 degrees and the salt, and mix into a nice clear dough with some spring.

Cut back, turn over and knead well to develop spring and toughness, then let it prove.