If entire loaves be placed in a gentle oven and heated quite through, without being previously dipped into cold water, according to the old-fashioned plan, they will eat almost like bread newly baked: they should not remain in it long enough to become hard and dry, but they should be made hot throughout. In very damp localities, when large household bakings take place but once in eight or ten days, it is sometimes necessary to use precautions against the attack of mould, though the bread may have been exceedingly well made; and the method recommended above will be the best for 604 MODERN COOKERY. [chap. xxxi. warding it off, and for preserving the bread eatable for several da}rs longer than it would otherwise be. If large loaves be just dipped into cold water and then placed in a quick oven until they are again thoroughly dried, they will resemble new bread altogether. Pastry, cakes, and biscuits, may all be greatly improved when stale, by heating them in a gentle oven. TO KNOW WHEN BREAD IS SUFFICIENTLY BAKED. When the surface is uniformly browned, and it is everywhere Jinn to the touch, and the bottom crust of a loaf is hard, it is generally certain that it is thoroughly baked. To test bread that has been cut (or yeast-cakes), press down the crumb lightly in the centre with the thumb ; when it is elastic and rises again to its place, it is proof that it is perfectly done ; but if the indentation remains, the heat has not sufficiently penetrated the dough to convert it into wholesome eating ON THE PROPER FERMENTATION OF DOUGH. As we have previously said, ' jo large a proportion of yeast, which is very commonly used by persons not well skilled in bread-making, although it produces quickly a light spongy dough, has a very bad effect on bread, which it renders much less easy of digestion than that which is more slowly fermented, and far less sweet and pleasant in flavour : it also prevents its remaining eatable the same length of time, as it speedily becomes dry. It is likewise very disadvantageous to make the dough so lithe that it spreads about in the oven ; and if it be excessively stiff, and its management not thoroughly understood, it will sometimes be heavy, To prevent this, it should be kept quite warm (never heated ), and left a much longer time to rise. It will frequently then prove excellent. It will ferment rather more quickly if, when it gives symptoms of becoming light it is made up into loaves with the least possible kneading, and a slight incision is made round them and across the tops, and they are then placed in a warm air, and kept secure from cold currents passing over them CHAP. XXXII.] FOREIGN AND JEWISH COOKERY, 605 CHAPTER XXXII. FOREIGN AND JEWISH COOKERY. We liad hoped to have been able without exceeding the prescribed limits of the present vol- ume to have added here a somewhat ex- tensive chap- ter on the cookery of other countries, and to have comprised in it a section adapted to the service of the Jewish table; but we have so much enlarged in the pages on the more important subject of “ Bread,” and on other matters which relate to simple English domestic 606 MODERN COOKERY, [chap. XXXII.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

If entire loaves be placed in a gentle oven and heated quite through, without being previously dipped into cold water, according to the old-fashioned plan, they will eat almost like bread newly baked: they should not remain in it long enough to become hard and dry, but they should be made hot throughout. In very damp localities, when large household bakings take place but once in eight or ten days, it is sometimes necessary to use precautions against the attack of mould, though the bread may have been exceedingly well made; and the method recommended above will be the best for [chap. xxxi. warding it off, and for preserving the bread eatable for several days longer than it would otherwise be. If large loaves be just dipped into cold water and then placed in a quick oven until they are again thoroughly dried, they will resemble new bread altogether. Pastry, cakes, and biscuits, may all be greatly improved when stale, by heating them in a gentle oven. TO KNOW WHEN BREAD IS SUFFICIENTLY BAKED. When the surface is uniformly browned, and it is everywhere firm to the touch, and the bottom crust of a loaf is hard, it is generally certain that it is thoroughly baked. To test bread that has been cut (or yeast-cakes), press down the crumb lightly in the centre with the thumb ; when it is elastic and rises again to its place, it is proof that it is perfectly done ; but if the indentation remains, the heat has not sufficiently penetrated the dough to convert it into wholesome eating. ON THE PROPER FERMENTATION OF DOUGH. As we have previously said, 'so large a proportion of yeast, which is very commonly used by persons not well skilled in bread-making, although it produces quickly a light spongy dough, has a very bad effect on bread, which it renders much less easy of digestion than that which is more slowly fermented, and far less sweet and pleasant in flavour : it also prevents its remaining eatable the same length of time, as it speedily becomes dry. It is likewise very disadvantageous to make the dough so lithe that it spreads about in the oven ; and if it be excessively stiff, and its management not thoroughly understood, it will sometimes be heavy, To prevent this, it should be kept quite warm (never heated), and left a much longer time to rise. It will frequently then prove excellent. It will ferment rather more quickly if, when it gives symptoms of becoming light it is made up into loaves with the least possible kneading, and a slight incision is made round them and across the tops, and they are then placed in a warm air, and kept secure from cold currents passing over them FOREIGN AND JEWISH COOKERY, CHAPTER XXXII. FOREIGN AND JEWISH COOKERY. We liad hoped to have been able without exceeding the prescribed limits of the present volume to have added here a somewhat extensive chapter on the cookery of other countries, and to have comprised in it a section adapted to the service of the Jewish table; but we have so much enlarged in the pages on the more important subject of “ Bread,” and on other matters which relate to simple English domestic [chap. XXXII.

Modern cookery, in all its branches