Cookery for every household

Either fine, coarse, or medium whole meal may be used, or a lighter bread will be obtained by using half brown meal and half ordinary household flour. Put the meal into a warm, dry basin, rub in the small piece of butter until free from lumps, and make a well in the centre. Mix the yeast with the salt until smooth and creamy. Make tHe milk and water tepid, pour them on to the yeast and then strain them into the centre of the flour. Make a “ sponge ” — that is, mix a little of the meal into the liquid with the tips of the fingers until of the consistency of batter. Cover the basin, and set it in a warm place until the sponge is covered with air-bubbles. Then work in the rest of the meal, using more warm milk or water if necessary. The dough should be made softer than for white bread, and it will not require so much kneading. Work it up quickly and lightly, and put it at once into greased and floured bread tins. Brown bread is always better if made in small loaves, and the tins should not be more than half filled. Set them in a warm place to rise (about 1 hour), and then bake them in a good oven in the same way as white bread. Note. — A little sugar may be added to the bread if wished. The butter may be omitted, and water only used for the mixing. Probable cost, 6 d. 2649. Hovis Bread 3£ lbs. Hovis flour. 1 qt. warm water. l| oz. German yeast. | 4 tea-sp. castor sugar. Put the flour into a large basin or baking pan, warm it slightly and make a well in the centre. Cream the yeast with the sugar, add a little of the water, and strain into the middle of the flour. Add the rest of the water by degrees until a soft dough or thickish batter is formed, mix well, but do not attempt to mould or knead it. Half fill warmed tins that have been greased and dusted out with Hovis flour, and set them in a warm place until the dough has risen to the top of the tins ; from 20 to 30 minutes should be allowed. Then bake in a steady oven, allowing rather longer than for ordinary bread, and testing it in the usual way. Use no salt in the making of this bread. 2650. Currant Loaf 2 lbs. bread dough. 1 tea-sp. mixed spice. | lb. butter. 2 oz. candied peel. | lb. currants. Make the dough according to Recipe 2646, or it may be bought ready made from the bakers. Put into a warm basin, add to it the butter melted, the currants carefully picked and cleaned, the candied peel finely shred, and the spice. Knead all together until thoroughly mixed. Then half fill a greased and floured cake tin with the dough, cover over and set the loaf in a warm place to rise for about an hour. Bake in a good oven until thoroughly cooked. When nearly ready, glaze the top with a syrup of sugar and water. Time to bake, 1 to 1| hours. 10d. to 1«. Probable cost, 2651. Sultana Bread 1 lb. flour. 1 oz. butter. 1 tea-sp. salt. £ lb. sultanas. .1 pt. warm milk. | oz. yeast. 1 tea-sp. castor sugar.