"Upon removing bread from the oven, take it
out of the pans and tilt it against something upon
the table, leaving as much of the surface exposed
to the air as possible. Turn it after a few minutes,
lest it sweat and soften where it rests. Cover it
with nothing so long as it is too hot to be molested
by flies ; and, as it cools, if necessary, throw over
it a very light bread-cloth. When quite cold, put
it into a bread-box, which should be of tin, or
wood lined with zinc, — in a square form, and with
a convenient cover. Da not keep bread in the
cellar or other damp place, nor in a closet where
there is the odor of preserves or pickles. Taken
care of in this way, bread will keep perfectly for
several days, and I think is better the second or
third day after baking than the day it is baked.
Never allow loaves of bread to be cut while warm ;
for such use, bake in rolls or French twists, and
be very careful to have the bread-box emptied of
all stale pieces or crumbs, and perfectly clean and
dry when the new bread is put away. But this
will suffice for our lesson to-day."
STILL DiVBBLING IN DOUGH. 31
CHAPTER III.
STILL DABBLING IN DOUGH.
"To-day, Alice, we will make rolls and Gra-
ham bread. Let us begin with Graham bread.
Having set the ferment last night, we noAV divide
it, pouring a portion into a separate bowl, into
which we stir Graham flour, adding more or less
sugar, according to taste, and a little salt. Add
flour, in small quantities at a time✪ Graham Bread, and allow the
sponge to rise during the intervals. When too
stifi" to stir readily, work well with the hand until
the dough seems very elastic and clinging. Add,
at this working, all the flour required. When
stifi* enough, the dough will w^ork free from the
sides of the bowl ; but Graham bread should be
made less stiff* than white bread. Leave it in the
bowl to rise ; and, when light, knead it upon the
board only enough to shape into loaves, and
then put it in pans to rise.
" It is well to gash all loaves of bread with a
sharp knife, after they are in the pan. This in-
cision should be an inch deep, and extend nearly
the length of the loaf. This prevents binding,
and allows the loaf, in rising, more freedom to
32 COOiaNG AND CASTLE-BUILDING.
shape itself gracefully. Put into warm pans, well
covered, in a warm room, these Graham loaves
will rise in twenty or thirty minutes ; possibly fif-
teen. Graham bread does not require quite so
hot an oven as white bread, but should bake a
longer time.
" For rolls we have here a quart or three pints
of ferment, into which we stir flour, the same as
for bread✪ Graham Bread. In every case be careful to have the
flour warm, so that the fermentation may not be
checked. Should you, at any time, find the fer-
ment or sponge has received a chill, and is slow
in its action, add the necessary warmth, not by
placing it over a hot range, or close to the stove,
where the heat will be extreme at some points,
but by putting the bowl containing the sponge in
a pan of warm water, and stirring it until the
whole mass of dough becomes of an even temper-
ature. When this roll-sponge is thick enough to
be worked by the hand, add to it an ounce of but-
ter, or lard, for each pint of ferment. If you desire
to have rolls light and spongy, work them at least
half an hour in the bowl, adding flour very grad-
ually.
Page 11 · 3 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1880. 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
"Upon removing bread from the oven, take it out of the pans and tilt it against something upon the table, leaving as much of the surface exposed to the air as possible. Turn it after a few minutes, lest it sweat and soften where it rests. Cover it with nothing so long as it is too hot to be molested by flies ; and, as it cools, if necessary, throw over it a very light bread-cloth. When quite cold, put it into a bread-box, which should be of tin, or wood lined with zinc, — in a square form, and with a convenient cover. Da not keep bread in the cellar or other damp place, nor in a closet where there is the odor of preserves or pickles. Taken care of in this way, bread will keep perfectly for several days, and I think is better the second or third day after baking than the day it is baked. Never allow loaves of bread to be cut while warm ; for such use, bake in rolls or French twists, and be very careful to have the bread-box emptied of all stale pieces or crumbs, and perfectly clean and dry when the new bread is put away. But this will suffice for our lesson to-day."
CHAPTER III.
"To-day, Alice, we will make rolls and Graham bread. Let us begin with Graham bread. Having set the ferment last night, we now divide it, pouring a portion into a separate bowl, into which we stir Graham flour, adding more or less sugar, according to taste, and a little salt. Add flour, in small quantities at a time, and allow the sponge to rise during the intervals. When too stiff to stir readily, work well with the hand until the dough seems very elastic and clinging. Add, at this working, all the flour required. When stiff enough, the dough will work free from the sides of the bowl ; but Graham bread should be made less stiff than white bread. Leave it in the bowl to rise ; and, when light, knead it upon the board only enough to shape into loaves, and then put it in pans to rise.
" It is well to gash all loaves of bread with a sharp knife, after they are in the pan. This incision should be an inch deep, and extend nearly the length of the loaf. This prevents binding, and allows the loaf, in rising, more freedom to
shape itself gracefully. Put into warm pans, well covered, in a warm room, these Graham loaves will rise in twenty or thirty minutes ; possibly fifteen. Graham bread does not require quite so hot an oven as white bread, but should bake a longer time.
" For rolls we have here a quart or three pints of ferment, into which we stir flour, the same as for bread. In every case be careful to have the flour warm, so that the fermentation may not be checked. Should you, at any time, find the ferment or sponge has received a chill, and is slow in its action, add the necessary warmth, not by placing it over a hot range, or close to the stove, where the heat will be extreme at some points, but by putting the bowl containing the sponge in a pan of warm water, and stirring it until the whole mass of dough becomes of an even temperature. When this roll-sponge is thick enough to be worked by the hand, add to it an ounce of butter, or lard, for each pint of ferment. If you desire to have rolls light and spongy, work them at least half an hour in the bowl, adding flour very gradually.
Records on this page
Graham BreadGraham BreadRolls