The complete cook book

BOSTON BROWN BREAD. One-half cup of white corn meal (scalded), one cup of sour milk, one cup of New Orleans molasses, one quart of brown flour, one teaspoonful of salt and one teaspoonf ul of soda (scalded). Bake in large tins in a slow oven two hours. COMPRESSED YEAST BREAD. When it is possible to obtain fresh compressed yeast, also called German yeast, an excellent bread can be made in about two hours and a half ; the rapidity of the leavening or "raising" the dough is advantageous, because less of the nutritive elements of the flour are lost than by following the long process. For two loaves of bread, use three pounds of flour, about a quart of water, two teaspoonfuls of salt, and an ounce of fresh compressed yeast ; dissolve the yeast in a pint of lukewarm water; stir into it sufficient flour to make a thick batter ; cover the bowl containing the batter or sponge with a folded towel, and set it in a warm place to rise ; if properly covered and heated, it will rise to a light foam in half an hour ; then stir into it the salt dissolved in a little warm water, add the rest of the flour, and sufficient lukewarm water to make a dough stiff enough to knead ; knead it five minutes, divide it into two loaves, put them in floured baking pans, cover them with a folded towel, and set them in a warm place to rise twice their height; then bake them as directed in the preceding recipe. In raising the sponge, be sure that the heat is not sufficient to "scald" or harden it, as that will prevent fermentation ; therefore do not place it where the hand cannot be held with comfort ; keep it covered from draughts. If when it is light it has become at all soured, as it sometimes will in Slimmer, stir into it, before adding the balance of the flour, a saltspoonful of baking soda dissolved in a very little water. The dough made for home-made bread can be baked as raised biscuit by kneading in with it a little sugar and melted butter. To test the heat of the oven, follow the method of Jules Gouffe, the celebrated chef of the Paris Jockey Club: The 196 The Complete Cook Book. "moderate oven" temperature is that degree of heat which will turn ordinary writing paper dark yellow or buff, that is, the color of kindling wood ; put a sheet of paper in the oven, and close the door; if the paper blazes, the oven is too hot; arrange the dampers to lower the heat for ten minutes, then again test it with more paper; it may be necessary to try the temperature several times, but the time thus used is well spent. LIGHT BEEAD— INVARIABLY GOOD. Take nine pint cups of flour, one pint cup of good yeast made from hops, two pint cups of warm water and a pint cupful of warm milk. Make into a sponge, let this rise; when risen, knead it with all your strength, work more flour into it, and let it rise again. When it is light, you must bake it in loaves. MILK BREAD— WITH SPONGE. Pour one pint of scalded milk on one tablespoonful each of butter and sugar, and one teaspoonful of salt; when lukewarm, add half a cup of yeast if mixed in the morning or one-quarter of a cup mixed at night. Stir in three cups of flour, and beat well. Let it rise over night, or, if mixed in the morning, about three hours. Then add from two to three cups of flour, or enough to knead it, and knead half an hour. Let it rise in the bowl, and again after being shaped into loaves or rolls, and bake as usual. Whole wheat or rye bread or gems can be made from this sponge the same as in the preceding rule. HOW TO PREPARE THE DOUGH FOR FRENCH BREAD.