Then place the dough upon the moulding-
board and knead it well, adding flour only as is
necessary to prevent it from sticking to the board
and hands. The appearance of blisters upon the
dough is an indication that it is well worked.
Havinir washed and warmed the bowl, and greased
STILL DABBLING IN DOUGH. 33
it with sweet lard or butter, return the dough to
it, and let it rise. When light, loosen the dough
from the edge of the bowl and it will come out
clean. If the greasing is omitted, the dough ad-
heres, and must be scraped from the bowl and
then rubbed from the fingers by means of flour.
This covers the moulding-board with little hard
w^•lds, unfit to be worked into bread at this
stage.
" Bring the dough quickly, with a few pressures,
into a compact roll, and lay it aside. Cut from it
a piece the size of a small loaf, and divide this
into eight or ten parts ; mould each in a round
shape ; and then, by rolling quickly back and
forth under your hands, bring it into a long roll-
form. Give the ends an extra roll, which points
them slightly. Place at one end of the bread-pan,
and proceed in like manner to fill the pan with
rolls. It is well to flour the sides of the rolls
where they touch each other, as that will keep
them from running together ; and, when baked,
they are easily separated. Cover, and when very
light, bake the same as twist. They are nice re-
heated. To ascertain if they are done, test them
the same as bread ; and if you are still in doubt,
separate one from its fellows and press the finger
against the soft part. If it retain the impression
of the finger, it is not done. When baked suffi-
ciently, all bread, when the finger is pressed
34 COOKING AND CASTLE-BUILDING.
against it, will rebound as soon as the pressure is
withdrawn.
" When you wish to astonish your friends with
a marvel of delicate lightness in rolls, add to the
dough, when worked nearly enough to go on the
moulding-board, the whites of three or four eggs,
beaten to a stiif froth, and an additional half-ounce
of butter for each egg✪ Rolls. The butter should be
worked in first ; the eggs later, and a little at a
time, alternating with flour. If eaten the same
day they are baked, these rolls are more delicate,
being lighter, more spongy, and whiter, than
without the egg ; but they are also richer, and do
not keep so well. In making egg-rolls, work
them almost entirely in the bowl, for they must
remain too soft to l)e long worked on the board.
The bread we have already baked is the kind pre-
ferred by most people, being light, spongy, and
sweet. For eating when fresh, for making into
milk toast, bread puddings, or griddle-cakes, and
for crumbs with which to scallop or fry oysters,
perhaps it is better for the spongy quality ; but to
a lover of bread and butter, pure and simple,
bread made in the same manner, without potato,
is best. It is light, but firmer and more compact
in texture, and has a crisp sweetness excelling the
other. In dry toast it is far better, having none
of that husky emptiness which is a characteristic
of dry toast made from spongy bread. Good
STILL DABBLING IN DOUGH. 35
Page 12 · 1 recipe record 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
Then place the dough upon the mouldingboard and knead it well, adding flour only as is necessary to prevent it from sticking to the board and hands. The appearance of blisters upon the dough is an indication that it is well worked. Having washed and warmed the bowl, and greased it with sweet lard or butter, return the dough to it, and let it rise. When light, loosen the dough from the edge of the bowl and it will come out clean. If the greasing is omitted, the dough adheres, and must be scraped from the bowl and then rubbed from the fingers by means of flour. This covers the moulding-board with little hard welds, unfit to be worked into bread at this stage.
" Bring the dough quickly, with a few pressures, into a compact roll, and lay it aside. Cut from it a piece the size of a small loaf, and divide this into eight or ten parts ; mould each in a round shape ; and then, by rolling quickly back and forth under your hands, bring it into a long rollform. Give the ends an extra roll, which points them slightly. Place at one end of the bread-pan, and proceed in like manner to fill the pan with rolls. It is well to flour the sides of the rolls where they touch each other, as that will keep them from running together ; and, when baked, they are easily separated. Cover, and when very light, bake the same as twist. They are nice reheated. To ascertain if they are done, test them the same as bread ; and if you are still in doubt, separate one from its fellows and press the finger against the soft part. If it retain the impression of the finger, it is not done. When baked sufficiently, all bread, when the finger is pressed
against it, will rebound as soon as the pressure is withdrawn.
" When you wish to astonish your friends with a marvel of delicate lightness in rolls, add to the dough, when worked nearly enough to go on the moulding-board, the whites of three or four eggs, beaten to a stiff froth, and an additional half-ounce of butter for each egg. The butter should be worked in first ; the eggs later, and a little at a time, alternating with flour. If eaten the same day they are baked, these rolls are more delicate, being lighter, more spongy, and whiter, than without the egg ; but they are also richer, and do not keep so well. In making egg-rolls, work them almost entirely in the bowl, for they must remain too soft to be long worked on the board. The bread we have already baked is the kind preferred by most people, being light, spongy, and sweet. For eating when fresh, for making into milk toast, bread puddings, or griddle-cakes, and for crumbs with which to scallop or fry oysters, perhaps it is better for the spongy quality ; but to a lover of bread and butter, pure and simple, bread made in the same manner, without potato, is best. It is light, but firmer and more compact in texture, and has a crisp sweetness excelling the other. In dry toast it is far better, having none of that husky emptiness which is a characteristic of dry toast made from spongy bread. Good
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Rolls