Catherine Owen's new cook book ..

is so important, and so many fail, I will give my own method from beginning to end ; not that there are not numberless good recipes, but simply because they frequently need adapting to circumstances, and altering a recipe is one of the things a tyro fears to do. I make a sponge over night, using a dried yeast-cake soaked in a pint of warm water, to which I add a spoonful of salt, and, if the weather is warm, as much soda as will lie on a dime ; make this into a stiff batter with flour— it may take a quart or less, flour varies so much, to give a rule is impossible ; but if, after standing, the sponge has a watery appearance, make it thicker by sprinkling in more flour, beat hard a few minutes, and coyer with a cloth — in winter keep a piece of thick flannel for the purpose, as a chill is fatal to your sponge— and set in a warm place free from draughts. The next morning, when the sponge is quite lightthat is to say, at least twice the bulk it was, and like a honeycomb — take two quarts of flour, more or less, as you require, but I recommend at first a small baking, and this will make three small loaves ; in winter, flour should be dried and warmed ; put it in your mixing bowl, and turn the sponge into a hole in the center. Have ready some water, rather more than lukewarm, but not liot. Add it gradually, stirring your flour into the sponge at the same time. The great fault in making bread is getting the dough too stiff ; it should be as soft as possible, without being at all sticky or wet. Now knead it with both hands from all sides into the center ; keep this motion, occasionally dipping your hands into the flour if the dough sticks, but do not add more flour unless the paste sticks very much ; if you have the right consistency it will be a smooth mass, very soft to the 14 Culture and Cooking. touch, yet not sticky, but this may not be attained at a first mixing without adding flour by degrees. When you have kneaded the dough until it leaves the bowl all round, set it in a warm place to rise. When it is well risen, feels very soft and warm to the touch, and is twice its bulk, knead it once more thoroughly, then put it in tins either floured, and the flour not adhering shaken out, or buttered, putting in each a piece of dough half the size you intend your loaf to be. Now everything depends on your oven. Many people bake their bread slowly, leaving it in the oven a long time, and this causes a thick, hard crust. When baked in the modern iron oven, quick baking is necessary. Let the oven be quite hot, then put a little ball of paste in, and if it browns palely in seven to ten minutes it is about right ; if it burns, it is too hot ; open the damper ten minutes. Your bread, after it is in the tins, will rise much more quickly than the first time. Let it get light, but not too light — twice its bulk is a good rule ; but if it is light before your oven is ready, and thus in danger of getting too porous, work it down with your hand, it will not harm it, although it is better so to manage that the oven waits for the bread rather than the bread for the oven.