BREAD
Three things must be exactly right in order to have good bread, the quality of the yeast, the lightness or fermentation of the dough and the heat of the oven. It requires careful attention and good judgement to decide when all are right, no precise rules can be given.
Scald 1qtof milk when cool add 1 Fleischmann yeast cake dissolved in luke warm water. 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of lard or butter melted, 1 tablespoon of salt, stir in 6qtsof sifted flour or more, enough to make a stiff dough, then put in a bread pan or deep bowl to rise over night. In the morning knead and put in pans. Let rise to the top of the pan. Put in hot oven, bake 45 minutes.
Wash pare and boil 6 large potatoes until soft. If the water boils away very much, add enough more to make about 3 pints. After removing the potatoes from the kettle, add to the water in which they were boiled a very small pinch of hops. The water should be but slightly colored. Let the water boil hard for 10 minutes, now take a large pitcher or earthen crock which will hold 2 to 3 quarts. Put the potatoes in the pitcher and mash them smooth. Then add ¹⁄₂ cup of flour, the same of sugar and a tablespoon of salt, being sure to rub out all the lumps. Place a fine strainer in the top of pitcher and as the hop water boils, add 1 or 2 cups of water and stir again until all is smooth. Then add the rest of the water. There should be about 2 quarts of yeast. When just warm add ¹⁄₂ cake of magic yeast. 1 cup will raise a sponge for 5 or 6 loaves. This yeast should be as thick as thin cream and about the color. This yeast will rise very quicklyand when it begins to foam, stir 2 or 3 times. Do not bottle yeast but keep in the pitcher and place a saucer over the top. Keep in a cool place in winter and in the refrigerator in summer. It will keep sweet for two or three weeks.
Take 1 Fleischmann yeast cake, dissolved in 1¹⁄₂ cups of lukewarm water. 1¹⁄₂ cups of milk, scald and cool. Then add 2 tablespoons of lard or butter melted. 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1¹⁄₂ teaspoons of salt, 7¹⁄₂ cups of whole wheat flour, stir until a stiff dough. Then place in a deep bowl to rise over night and in the morning mould out in tins let rise again. Then put in the oven to bake 1 hour, bake slower than white bread.
1 cup of Indian meal, 1 cup of molasses, 1 cup of rye flour, 2 cups Graham flour, 1¹⁄₂ pints of sour milk, 1 teaspoon of soda, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 egg. Mix the dry ingredients together, dissolve the soda in two tablespoons of boiling water, add it to the milk, molasses stir well and pour in the other ingredients, beat the egg and add it. Mix thoroughly and pour into well buttered tin pan that holds 2 quarts. Steam 4 hours and then put in the oven for ¹⁄₂ hour.
1 cup corn meal, 2 cups of boiling water, 1 cup of Orleans molasses, 2 cups of sour milk or buttermilk. 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 quarts of Graham flour not sifted. Grease well five tall and narrowqt. buckets or cans, fill half full and cover tightly. Bake two and one half hours in moderate oven.
1qtof Graham flour, ¹⁄₂ a cup of sugar, ¹⁄₂ teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of melted lard, 2 heaping teaspoons of baking powder, 2 cups and ¹⁄₂ of milk or part water can be used. The wetting depends on the flour. It should be mixed quite soft. Bake in moderate oven in covered pan 1 hour.
Dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar in luke warm water. Take 2 cups of milk, scald and cool, then add ³⁄₄ cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons lard or butter, ³⁄₄ cup raisin, 1 teaspoon of salt, 6 cups of sifted flour, then add the yeast cake. Mix a stiff dough and put to rise in a greased bowl to rise overnight. In the morning knead out in loaves and put in greased pan to get light, then bake in a hot oven.
Dissolve yeast in a little warm water, take 2 cups of milk scalded and cooled, then add 1 large tablespoon of lard or butter ¹⁄₂ cup of sugar, 1 cup of chopped walnut, 1 teaspoon of salt, add 6 cups of flour or more, to make a stiff dough and set to rise over night, in the morning when light, knead and put in pans to rise again and when light bake in a hot oven.
Pour two cups of boiling water over oatmeal, cover and let stand until cool. Dissolve yeast in a little warm water and add this to the oatmeal and water with ¹⁄₄ cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon lard or butter, 1 teaspoon of salt, add 4 or 5 cups of flour enough to make a stiff dough. Then set to rise overnight and in the morning knead the bread and put in greased pan to rise until light. Then bake in hot oven 45 minutes.
2 eggs well beaten, add 1 large tablespoon of lard or butter, 1 large tablespoon of sugar, 1 level teaspoon of salt, beat this all together, then add 1 cup and ³⁄₄ of milk and flour enough to make a stiff batter to drop from the spoon, lastly 2 teaspoon of baking powder, place in hot greased muffin tins and bake a light brown.
May be made in the same way as the above receipt using whole wheat instead of white flour or corn meal, graham all made the same.
Allow half a pint of ground rice to aqt. of milk, or milk and water, put the milk and water over the fire to boil, reserve enough to wet the rice. Stir out the lumps add a large teaspoon of salt and when the milk and water boil, stir in the rice, exactly as when you make gruel. Boil it up two or three minutes, stirring it repeatedly, then pour it out into your bread pan and immediately stir in as much flour as you can with a spoon. After it is cool enough and of this be very sure, as scalding the yeast will make heavy, sour bread, full of holes, add a gill of yeast and let it stand until morning. Then knead in more flour until the dough ceases to stick to the hands. It is necessary to make this kind of bread a little stiffer than that in which no rice is used, else there will be a heavy streak through the loaf. It is an elegant bread, keeps moist several days and is particularly good toasted.
3 eggs beaten light, 2 cups of milk, 1 large tablespoon of melted butter, 1 teaspoon of salt, ¹⁄₂ compressed yeast cake dissolved in lukewarm water. Stir all together in a stiff dough, mix well and put in buttered pans, cover and set to rise. When light put in muffin pans to bake in a moderate oven.
¹⁄₂ cup of milk scalded and cooled then add ¹⁄₂ cup of luke warm water with 1 compressed yeast cake dissolved in lukewarm water, 1 tablespoon of lard or butter melted, ¹⁄₂ teaspoon of salt, beat thoroughly together and make in a stiff dough, add more flour if necessary and put in a warm place to rise about 2 hours. Then mould out in biscuits, place in pan to get light, then bake in hot oven 10 minutes to a light brown.
1¹⁄₄ cups of milk scalded and cooled, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 egg beaten light, 2 tablespoons of lard or butter, 1 compressed yeast cake, ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt. Beat all together with 4 cups of flour or more to make a stiff dough, cover and set in warm place to rise when light knead the dough, roll out and cut with biscuit cutter and fold them over with melted butter spread light over before you fold. Then set them to rise again and bake 10 minutes in a hot oven.
Take 1 pint of flour, sifted, add ¹⁄₂ teaspoon of salt, 2 heaping teaspoons of baking powder, 1 large tablespoon lard and butter, mix this all together before adding your milk, then gradually add enough milk to make a stiff dough. Then roll out and cut in biscuits with a cutter, prick with a fork and place in a hot oven to bake 10 minutes.
Sift a quart of flour, add 1 tablespoon of lard, ¹⁄₂ teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of soda, stir this in 1 cup of buttermilk. Stir the dry ingredients all together, then add the cup of buttermilk and mix to a soft dough, roll thin, cut into small biscuits and bake in a hot oven to a light brown.
1qt. of sifted flour, ¹⁄₂ teacup of lard, 1 teacup of sweet milk, 1 teaspoon of salt, mix all dry ingredients together thoroughly before adding milk, add the milk gradually and knead the dough until firm and glossy. Then beat with a flat iron for 20 minutes or until the dough will spring large elastic, then cut out in small biscuits, prick the top with a fork and bake for 30 minutes. This is the southern beaten biscuit.
Mix about 7 or 8 o’clock in the morning 1 cup of milk scalded and 1 large tablespoon of butter. Let it cool and add 2 scant tablespoons of sugar, ¹⁄₂ teaspoon of salt, 1 yeast cake dissolved in a little warm water, stir all together with flour enough to make stiff dough. When it is light, knead out and cut out with biscuit cutter, brush over with melted butter, fold over and put them in a baking pan, let them rise more, then put them in a hot oven to bake about ¹⁄₂hr.
In using all griddles, the heat should be greatest when the batter is first poured on, this browns them quickly, then reduce the heat and cook more slowly as undone griddle cake is a failure.
Sift into a large mixing bowl 1 quart of flour, 3 teaspoons of baking powder and a scant teaspoon of salt. Beat until very light, 2 eggs, add 1 teaspoon of molasses and a pint of milk, mix well and very gradually blend the liquid into the flour. Beat the batter until it is full of air bubbles, add 1 tablespoon of melted butter, beat again and pour into a pitcher. Bake immediately on a heated griddle. The cakes must be served as fast as they are baked as even the lightest cakes will spoil if allowed to stand and steam in the oven. If the batter seems too thick add a little more milk as the thickening quality of the flour and the size of the egg may vary.
For these are required a pint of graham flour and ¹⁄₂ pint each of yellow cornmeal and flour with these mix ¹⁄₂ teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar, 2 heaping teaspoons of baking powder and after they are thoroughly stirred together, mix to a batter with ¹⁄₂ pint each of milk and water and 1 egg well beaten. The griddle must be very hot to bake these cakes brown. Serve with cream and grated maple sugar.
1 cup of cornmeal, 1 cup wheat flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 scant teaspoon salt, ¹⁄₂ tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 egg, 1 cup of milk. Mix to a batter and bake on a hot griddle.
1 cup of yellow corn meal, 1 cup of sifted flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 scant teaspoon of salt, 2 eggs, well beaten, 1 tablespoon of melted butter, 2 teaspoons of baking powder. Mix in the order given beating the eggs in the milk and mix this with the other ingredients well blended add baking powder last. Bake in a shallow pan for 20 to 30 minutes.
Put into a stone jar with a rather narrow neck 1 teaspoon of salt, 3³⁄₄ cups of buckwheat flour and 1 teaspoon of molasses. Then slowly mix in 1 quart of water from which the chill has been taken and ¹⁄₂ cake of compressed yeast that has been dissolved in 2 tablespoons of tepid water. Beat the batter until smooth and very light, cover the top of the jar with saucer and stand in a warm place over night about 65 Degrees. In the morning dissolve ¹⁄₂ teaspoon of baking soda in 2 tablespoons of hot water, stir this into the buckwheat batter, beat thoroughly and bake immediately on a hot griddle. A cup of this batter may be saved and added to the cakes of tomorrow instead of using fresh yeast and may be continued for a number of mornings.