Turn on the gas and apply a light to each burner in the
oven, and close the door from eight to ten minutes; the
time will depend upon the supply and pressure of gas, but
generally in this time the oven will be hot enough for most
purposes.
FOR BAKING BREAD.
Heat the oven as described before putting in the bread,
arrange the grid shelves at a sufficient distance to allow the
bread to rise, turn down the gas to about three-quarters,
put the loaves on the grid shelves, aUowing a little space
148
between each, leave them until they have risen and slightly
browned, then turn down the gas very low until the bread is
soaked. The time will depend upon the size of the loaf ; a
21b. loaf will take from 40 to 45 minutes. Sometimes it
will be found necessary to reverse the bread from one shelf
to the other, as the top part of the oven is the hottest
TO BAKE CAKES.
Heat the oven as described, arrange the shelves as near the
centre of the oven as possible, turn the gas down to one-half,
put in the cakes, and when risen and slightly browned, turn the
gas down as lota as possible until they are finished. This is
most important, as many cakes will take several hours to
bake, and as they contain an amount of sugar they are more
likely to bum. For cakes that require three or four hours
baking, the gas may be put out entirely for the last half hour,
and then the oven will be found hot enough to cook them
through.
TO BAKE PASTRY.
For puff pastry it is advisable to bake it alone, not only in
the gas oven, but in any kind of oven. The oven must be
very well heated, the gas on full for 16 minutes. Put in the
pastry, turn down the gas to three-quarters. Puff pastry
must be baked quickly. Patty cases should take about 10 to
16 minutes.
149
TO BAKE FRUIT TARTS.
The oven must be heated as for puff pastry. When the tart
has risen and is slightly browned, reduce the gas to a very
small jet until the fruit is cooked — 25 to 40 minutes, according
to the size of the tart.
TO BAKE MEAT PIES.
The oven must be heated as for puff pastry ; put in the
pie, reduce the gas to three-quarters, and when the pie is
risen and slightly browned, turn down the gas as low as
possible, so that the meat may cook slowly and be rendered
tender. The pie will require baking 1^ to 2 hours, according
to size ; very small pies, of course, will require only 25 to
30 minutes.
%
ORDINARY SHORT AND ROUGH PUFF PASTRY,
CHEAP CAKES, &c.,
May be very well baked over the top of a joint while it is
roasting.
TO ROAST MEAT.
Heat the oven thoroughly, as on page 147 ; arrange the
grid shelf about six inches above the burner, lay on it the
joint, close the door, and allow the gas to remain full on for
ten minutes — this is to cause the albumen of the meat to
coagulate on the outside and prevent the loss of gravy
— then reduce the gas to about one-third, and allow
160
Domestic cookery
1886Page 69
Presented as published in 1886. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Turn on the gas and apply a light to each burner in the oven, and close the door from eight to ten minutes; the time will depend upon the supply and pressure of gas, but generally in this time the oven will be hot enough for most purposes.
FOR BAKING BREAD.
Heat the oven as described before putting in the bread, arrange the grid shelves at a sufficient distance to allow the bread to rise, turn down the gas to about three-quarters, put the loaves on the grid shelves, allowing a little space
between each, leave them until they have risen and slightly browned, then turn down the gas very low until the bread is soaked. The time will depend upon the size of the loaf ; a 21b. loaf will take from 40 to 45 minutes. Sometimes it will be found necessary to reverse the bread from one shelf to the other, as the top part of the oven is the hottest
TO BAKE CAKES.
Heat the oven as described, arrange the shelves as near the centre of the oven as possible, turn the gas down to one-half, put in the cakes, and when risen and slightly browned, turn the gas down as low as possible until they are finished. This is most important, as many cakes will take several hours to bake, and as they contain an amount of sugar they are more likely to bum. For cakes that require three or four hours baking, the gas may be put out entirely for the last half hour, and then the oven will be found hot enough to cook them through.
TO BAKE PASTRY.
For puff pastry it is advisable to bake it alone, not only in the gas oven, but in any kind of oven. The oven must be very well heated, the gas on full for 16 minutes. Put in the pastry, turn down the gas to three-quarters. Puff pastry must be baked quickly. Patty cases should take about 10 to 16 minutes.
TO BAKE FRUIT TARTS.
The oven must be heated as for puff pastry. When the tart has risen and is slightly browned, reduce the gas to a very small jet until the fruit is cooked — 25 to 40 minutes, according to the size of the tart.
TO BAKE MEAT PIES.
The oven must be heated as for puff pastry ; put in the pie, reduce the gas to three-quarters, and when the pie is risen and slightly browned, turn down the gas as low as possible, so that the meat may cook slowly and be rendered tender. The pie will require baking 1^ to 2 hours, according to size ; very small pies, of course, will require only 25 to 30 minutes.
%
ORDINARY SHORT AND ROUGH PUFF PASTRY, CHEAP CAKES, &c.,
May be very well baked over the top of a joint while it is roasting.
TO ROAST MEAT.
Heat the oven thoroughly, as on page 147 ; arrange the grid shelf about six inches above the burner, lay on it the joint, close the door, and allow the gas to remain full on for ten minutes — this is to cause the albumen of the meat to coagulate on the outside and prevent the loss of gravy — then reduce the gas to about one-third, and allow