Bread
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the dough
In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, and salt.
Add warm water gradually to form a dough.
Knead the dough until smooth, ensuring all flour is incorporated.
Cover and let it rise in a warm place overnight.
Shape and bake
In the morning, dissolve baking soda in a little warm water and knead it into the dough.
Divide the dough into two loaves and place in a baking pan.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for about 45 minutes.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Flour
- Forms the gluten network that gives the bread its structure.
- Yeast
- Ferments the dough, producing gas that makes it rise.
- Salt
- Controls yeast activity and adds flavour to the dough.
- Baking soda
- Raises the dough's alkalinity and adds some additional lift and browning.
The step that matters
Letting the dough rise overnight. The rise depends on yeast activity in a warm place; if the dough is too cold or the rise is cut short, the loaves will be dense. Kneading in the baking soda separately keeps it evenly distributed.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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