Blue Ribbon cook book

Home-made Yeast—Pare 4 good-sized potatoes, and let them lie in cold water for a half hour. Put 1 quart of boiling water in a sauce pan. Now grate the potatoes quickly and stir them into the boiling water; stir over the fire for 5 minutes, then take from the fire, add 4% cup of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of salt, turn into a stone jar or bowl, and let stand until lukewarm; then add 1 cupful of good yeast, or 1 cake of compressed yeast, cover and ferment 3 or 4 hours; stir it down every time it comes to the top of the vessel; then put it into a jar or large bottle, or something you can cover tightly, and stand it in a place where it will keep very cold, but not freeze. It will keep 2 weeks. Save 1 cupful of this yeast to start with next time. Overnight Bread with Potato Sponge—Peel and boil 4 medium-sized potatoes in 1 quart of water. When done, mash and pour both potatoes and water boiling hot over about 1 pint of flour, stirring well. Do this at dinner time. When cool add 1 yeast cake for 4 loaves of bread, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 of sugar, and flour sufficient to make a moderately stiff batter. Keep in a warm place, and in the evening add flour enough to knead. Do this thoroughly, cover well, keep warm, and in the morning knead down and let it rise again. When sufficiently light, make into loaves, and let rise. Bake in a hot oven from 3/4 to 1 hour. 64 Blue Ribbon Cook Book Soft Whole Wheat Bread—Scald 1 pint of milk, add 14 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon salt; after it has cooled add 1 yeast cake dissolved in 14 cup of lukewarm water, and 414 cups wheat—whole wheat or Graham flour. Mix well with a broad knife or spoon; cover and set it to rise for about 3 hours, or until it doubles its bulk; then cut it down, turn it into buttered pans, having pans one-half full, let it rise again, and bake about 50 minutes. Whole or entire wheat bread is mixed soft, or only stiff enough to handle with spoon or knife. Entire wheat bread is more crumbly than white flour bread. 14 cup of molasses may be used instead of the sugar. Raisins also may be added. Graham Bread—1 cup of milk, scalded and cooled, 1 cup of boiling water, cooled, 44 cup molasses or brown sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cake compressed yeast, 4 cups Graham flour, 1 cup white flour. Dissolve yeast, butter, salt and sugar in lukewarm liquid. Add flour gradually to make a dough; knead thoroughly, cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or urtil double in bulk. Then shape into loaves, place in greased pans, cover, and let rise again until light. Bake in a slower oven than for white bread. Bran Bread— Made like white bread, using 7 cups white flour and 5 cups bran instead of all white flour. 14 cup molasses may be used instead of the sugar. Oatmeal Bread—1 cup rolled oats, 2 cups boiling water, 1 tablespoon butter, 114 teaspoons salt, 34 yeast cake mixed with 14 cup lukewarm water, ¥ cup molasses, 5 cups flour. Mix rolled oats, boiling water, butter and salt. Let stand until lukewarm. Porridge left from breakfast may be used. Add yeast and molasses and stir well. Add flour, knead, let rise. Shape into loaves, fill greased tins half full, cover, and let rise about 1 hour. Bake 45 minutes in a hot oven. Oatmeal bread is best when cut the day after baking. Use a very sharp knife. 14 cup chopped walnuts may be added if desired. Date Bread—1 cup milk, 14 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 cake of compressed yeast, 1 cup of chopped dates, 3 cups flour, 1 egg.