Bread and Rolls
Breadwas first made without leaven, heavy and solid. Then yeast was discovered, and yeast-risen bread came into use throughout the civilized world. Finally baking powder was devised, the most healthful, economical, and convenient of all leavening or lightening agents.
Yeast is a living plant. Mixed with the dough it causes fermentation and destruction of a part of the flour, and this produces carbonic-acid gas. The bubbles of this gas become entangled in the dough, swelling it up and making it spongy. In this process, however, a part of the most nutritious elements of the flour (estimated at ten per cent.) is destroyed in producing the leavening gas; there is always danger of sour dough, and there is a delay of many hours for the sponge to rise.
Perfect bread is that in which wheat is transposed into an available food without loss of any of its valuable properties.
Royal Baking Powder is now largely used inplace of yeast to leaven bread. It does precisely the same work—that is, swells up the dough and makes it porous and spongy. But the process is not destructive: the baking powder by itself produces the leavening gas. No part of the flour is decomposed or destroyed. Moreover, there is no mixing or kneading with the hands, no setting of sponge overnight, as the loaf is mixed and ready for the oven at once. Bread thus made cannot sour, but will retain its moisture and freshness, and may be eaten while hot or fresh without distress even by persons of delicate digestion.
The ease with which Royal Baking Powder bread is made, its cleanliness and healthfulness, have caused it to supersede yeast bread with many of the best pastry cooks.
In making this bread the materials and utensils should be brought together before the mixing of the dough is begun. The fire must be looked to so as to secure a steady, moderate heat. Remember to mix the flour and Royal Baking Powder together before sifting, and sift thoroughly before wetting.
Royal Baking Powder Bread.—1 quart flour, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon sugar, 2 heaping teaspoons Royal Baking Powder,*½ medium-sized cold boiled potato, and water. Sift together thoroughly flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder; rub in the potato; add sufficient water to mix smoothly and rapidly into a stiff dough, about the consistency of cake batter: about a pint of water to a quart of flour will be required—more or less according to the brand and quality of the flour used. Do not make a stiff dough as in yeast bread. Put the dough into a greased pan 4½ by 8 inches, and 4 inches deep, filling about half full. The loaf will rise to fill the pan when baked. Bake in very hot oven about 45 minutes, placing paper over first 15 minutes’ baking, to prevent crusting too soon on top. Bake immediately after mixing.
*Perfect success can be had only with the Royal Baking Powder.
*Perfect success can be had only with the Royal Baking Powder.
Household Bread.—Sift twice together 1 quart of flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 heaping teaspoons Royal Baking Powder. Make a well in the center; add gradually sufficient cold liquid—water, milk, or equal quantities of each—to mix to a stiff batter or soft dough; this will require about 1 pint of liquid. Turn at once into a greased loaf-pan (fig. XII), smooth the top with a knife dipped in melted butter, and bake immediately in a moderate oven about 1 hour. When done take from the pan, moisten with the hand dipped in cold water, wrap in bread-cloth till cold.
Graham Unfermented Bread.—1½ pints Graham flour, ½ pint flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1¼ pints milk, or equal parts milk and water. Sift together Graham flour, flour, sugar, salt, and powder; add the milk, or milk and water; mix rapidly into soft dough, which put into greased tin (fig. XII). Bake in rather hot oven about 40 minutes. Protect loaf with paper first 15 minutes.
Brown Bread.—1 pint Indian corn meal, 1 pint rye flour, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 tablespoon butter or lard, ¾ pint milk. Sift together corn meal, rye flour, sugar, salt, and powder. Rub in the shortening; add the milk, and mix the whole into a batter. Put into greased tin (fig. XII), and bake about 40 minutes in rather hot oven. Protect at first with paper.
Brown Bread, 2.—Mix together 3 cups Graham flour, 1 cup wheat flour, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon salt; rub in 1 tablespoon butter or other shortening. Beat 3 eggs; add 1 cup milk and 1 tablespoon molasses; stir into dry mixture. Add more milk if needed to make a drop batter. Put into a greased loaf-pan (fig. XII), smooth with knife dipped in cold water. Bake about 1 hour in moderate oven.
Boston Brown Bread.—½ pint flour, 1 pint Indian corn meal, ½ pint rye flour, 2 potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, ½ pint water. Sift flour, corn meal, rye flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder together thoroughly. Peel, wash, and boil well 2 mealy potatoes, rub them through a sieve, diluting with water. When this is quite cold use it to mix flour, etc., into a batter. Pour into well-greased mold (fig. VI) having a cover. Place it in saucepan half full of boiling water, where the loaf will simmer 1 hour, without water getting into it. Remove it, then take off cover, finish by baking in fairly hot oven about 30 minutes.
Boston Brown Bread, 2.—1 cup corn meal, 2 heaping cups rye meal, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon soda, 1 teaspoon Royal Baking Powder, 1 cup molasses. Mix dry ingredients; add molasses and 1 pint warm water; beat smooth. Pour at once into greased mold (fig. VI) with cover, steam or boil 3 hours. Uncover, set in oven 10 minutes.
Boston Brown Bread, 3.—2 cups yellow Indian corn meal, 1 cup rye meal, 1 cup flour, 2 cups milk, 1 cup molasses, ½ teaspoon salt, 3 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder. Mix well together, pour into greased brown-bread mold, steam 4 hours. Dry off 10 minutes in moderate oven.
Norwegian Bread (for Dyspeptics).—1 pint barley meal, ½ pint Graham flour, ½ pint flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 pint milk. Sift together barley meal, Graham flour, flour, salt, and powder; mix into firm batter with the milk; pour into greased tin (fig. XII), bake in moderate oven about 40 minutes. Cover with paper 20 minutes.
Oatmeal Bread.—½ pint oatmeal, 1½ pints flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 3 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, ¾ pint milk. Boil oatmeal in 1½ pints salted water 1 hour; add milk; set aside until cold. Then place in bowl, sift together flour, salt, and powder, and add. Mix smoothly and deftly. Bake in greased tin (fig. XII) about 45 minutes, protected with paper 20 minutes.
Peculiars.—1 pint flour, sifted with 1 teaspoon Royal Baking Powder and a little salt; add 1 egg; mix with 1 pint sweet milk, beat well to a batter, and bake quickly in buttered gem-pans already hot.
Pennsylvania Brown Bread.—Mix well together 1 quart Graham flour, 1 pint Indian corn meal, 2 scant teaspoons salt, 2 scant teaspoons Royal Baking Powder. Dissolve 1 scant teaspoon soda in 1 teaspoon boiling water; mix with 1 cup molasses. To the dry ingredients add 1 quart cold water, then the molasses. Beat 1 minute, pour into 2 well-greased molds, steam or boil 4 hours. Dry off on pan in moderate oven 10 minutes.
Graham Lunch Bread.—1½ pints Graham flour, ½ pint flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, ¾ pint milk. Sift together Graham flour, flour, sugar, salt, and powder; add the milk; mix into smooth dough that can be easily handled. Flour the board, turn out dough, give it a quick, vigorous additional kneading to complete its smoothness; then divide into four large pieces, which form into long loaves, lay them just touching in a square shallow cake-pan (fig. XIII), wash them over with milk. Bake in rather hot oven 30 minutes. When removing from oven rub them over with a little butter on a clean piece of linen.
Corn Bread (New Orleans).—1½ pints Indian corn meal, ½ pint flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 heaping teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 tablespoon butter or lard, 1¼ pints milk, 2 eggs. Sift together corn meal, flour, sugar, salt, and powder; rub in the shortening, add eggs (beaten) and the milk; mix into a moderately stiff batter; pour from bowl into shallow cake-pan (fig. XIII). Bake in rather hot oven 30 minutes.
St. Charles Corn Bread.—Beat 2 eggs, add 1 pint milk, 1 pint Indian corn meal, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Royal Baking Powder. Beat hard 2 minutes, pour into greased pan (fig. XIII), bake about 30 minutes in hot oven.
Loaf Corn Bread.—Scald 1 pint milk; dissolve in it 1 tablespoon butter, ½ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt. While on fire sift in sufficient Indian corn meal to make a thick mush, cook 5 minutes, and set away till cold; add 3 beaten eggs, 2 cups flour mixed with 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, and turn into greased loaf-pan. Bake about 2 hours in moderate oven, and serve hot.
Nonpareil Corn Bread.—2 heaping cups Indian corn meal, 1 cup flour, 2½ cups milk, 1 tablespoon lard, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon salt. Beat 2 eggs, whites and yolks separately. Sift together dry ingredients, melt lard. Mix all together, beat hard 1 minute, turn into greased shallow pan, and bake about ½ hour in hot oven.
Spider Corn Bread.—Beat 2 eggs with 2 tablespoons sugar. Add 1 pint milk, 1 teaspoon salt, 1⅓ cup Indian corn meal, ⅓ cup flour, 1 teaspoon Royal Baking Powder. In a spider melt 2 tablespoons butter; turn so as to grease sides. Pour in batter, add 1 cup milk, but do not stir. Bake about 30 minutes in hot oven. When done it should have a streak of custard through the middle.
Rice and Indian Bread.—Beat 3 eggs very light; add 1 pint milk, 2 cups white Indian corn meal, 1 cup cold boiled rice, 2 tablespoons melted butter, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, ½ cup more milk. Beat hard, bake in shallow greased pan in hot oven.
Delicate Graham Bread (for Invalids).—1 pint Graham flour, 1 pint flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 of salt, 2 of Royal Baking Powder. Sift all well together, rejecting coarse bran left in sieve; add 1½ pints milk. Mix quickly into smooth, soft dough. Bake in 2 small greased tins (fig. XII) 25 minutes. Protect with paper 10 minutes.
Entire Wheat Bread.—1 quart entire wheat flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder. Sift all well together; add sufficient liquid (water, milk, or equal quantities of each) to mix to a very thick batter or soft dough. Turn at once into a greased loaf-pan (fig. XII), smooth with knife dipped in cold water, and bake about 1 hour in moderate oven.
Rye Bread.—1 pint rye flour, ½ pint Indian corn meal, ½ pint wheat flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 tablespoon butter or lard, ¾ pint milk. Sift together rye flour, corn meal, flour, sugar, salt, and powder; rub in the shortening; add milk. Mix into smooth batter. Pour into well-greased tin (fig. XII), bake in moderate oven about 45 minutes. Protect loaf with paper first 20 minutes.
Mush Bread.—1 pint milk cooked in a double boiler, with sufficient Indian corn meal to make a thick mush. Cook 1 hour; add 1 tablespoon butter; stir, let cool; add 3 eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately, 1 cup flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Royal Baking Powder. Turn into shallow greased pan, bake 40 minutes in moderate oven.
Rice Bread.—1 cup cold boiled rice, 1 cup white Indian corn meal, 1 cup wheat flour, 1 teaspoon Royal Baking Powder, 2 eggs, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 cup milk. Mix the dry ingredients; add beaten eggs mixed with milk and the melted butter. Pour into shallow greased pans. Bake 30 minutes in a moderate oven.
Hominy Bread.—Mix together 1 pint soft-boiled hominy, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 4 beaten eggs, 2 cups milk. Mix together 1 cup flour, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder; add to batter, with more flour if needed to mix to a drop batter. Beat hard, bake in a shallow pan in very hot oven.
Graham Rolls.—1 pint Graham flour, 1 pint wheat flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 tablespoon butter or lard, ¾ pint milk. Sift together Graham flour, flour, salt, and powder; rub in the shortening; add milk, and mix the whole into smooth dough that can be handled—nottoosoft; flour board, turn it out, and form into rolls shape and size of large fingers. Lay them on baking-sheet (fig. XIV) so that they will not touch. Wash their surfaces with soft brush (fig. XI) dipped in milk to glaze them. Bake in hot oven from 10 to 12 minutes.
Breakfast Rolls.—1½ pints flour, ½ pint Indian corn meal (white), 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 tablespoon butter or lard, ¾ pint milk. Sift togetherflour, corn meal, salt, and powder; rub in shortening; add the milk, mix smoothly into rather firmer dough than usual. Flour the board, turn out the dough, give it 1 or 2 turns to complete its smoothness. Divide it, thus prepared, into pieces size of an egg; again divide these in half, which roll out under the hand until they are long and half the size of one’s little finger. Lay on greased baking-tin (fig. XIV) so that they do not touch, wash them over with milk. Bake inhot oven7 or 8 minutes.
Lunch Rolls.—1 quart flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 tablespoon butter or lard, 1 pint milk. Sift together flour, salt, and powder; rub in the shortening; add milk, mix to a smooth dough to be easily handled. Flour the board, turn out dough, give 1 or 2 quick kneadings to give it smoothness. Roll out little over ½ inch thick, cut out with round cutter about 2½ inches in diameter; lay them on greased baking-tin (fig. XIV), just touching (in rows evenly), wash over with milk, bake in fairly hot oven 25 minutes. Wash them over again with milk when taken from oven.
Twist Rolls.—Prepare dough as for lunch rolls. Cut in pieces size of egg. Roll each with hands into plain roll tapering at ends and 5 inches long. Lay 3 together; begin in middle and braid to end; turn over and braid opposite end. Mold and twist all the pieces of dough in the same way. Lay well apart on flat greased pans. Brush with milk, bake golden brown in very hot oven.
Dinner Rolls.—Prepare dough as for lunch rolls, but slightly stiffer. Knead and roll out quite thin. Cut in strips 3 inches wide. Roll strips up very tight; they should not be too thick. Lay well apart on greased flat pans, brush with milk, and bake in very hot oven.
French Rolls.—Make dough as for lunch rolls. Knead on board. Divide into pieces size of an egg. Form each into a short, thick, tapering roll. Put together by twos, side by side, pinching ends together a little. Place on flat greased pans. Brush with milk. Bake in very hot oven.
Parker House Rolls.—Prepare firm dough as for dinner rolls. Knead and roll out ½ inch thick. Cut into 3-inch circles. Press pencil down across middle of each; rub edges with soft butter. Double each, lay 1 inch apart on flat greased pans. Brush with milk, and bake in hot oven.
Fruit Rolls.—Mix together 1 quart flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder; rub in 2 tablespoons butter. Cut fine ¼ pound citron, seed and halve ¼ pound raisins. Mix fruit evenly with dry ingredients, make to a firm dough with milk. Knead on board for a moment, divide into pieces size of egg, make into long rolls, lay 1 inch apart on flat greased pans, brush with milk. Bake in a very hot oven.