The farm cook & rule book

Then pour the yeast into a quart of sifted cornmeal. Add sufficient meal to make a dough stiff enough for kneading. Knead well, roll 1 inch thick, cut in squares, place on a cloth. Cover with another cloth and set aside to dry in a room where there is no danger of freezing. Turn frequently until these yeast cakes are thoroughly dry. Buttermilk Yeast Scald 2 cupfuls of buttermilk, add 1/2 cupful of sugar, 2 tablespoonfuls of salt and stir in sufficient flour to thicken. When cool add 1 yeast cake which has been dissolved in 1/4 cupful of lukewarm water. Stir in cornmeal to make a stiff dough, shape into cakes with the hands and dry in a moderately warm room. Potato Yeast 4 medium-sized potatoes 4 tablespoonfuls sugar 4 cupfuls boiling water 2 teaspoonfuls salt 1 cake dry yeast Grate the pared potatoes into the boiling water and boil until the starch is cooked, stirring constantly. Stir in the sugar and salt while the mixture is hot, cool to lukewarm, then add the yeast cake which has been broken up and soaked in a little lukewarm water. Put into a clean jar and allow to ferment 24 hours, then set in a cool, dark place. This will keep 2 weeks, and the last cupful may be used in place of a dry yeast cake in making a new supply. White Bread (Straight Dough Method) 4 cupfuls liquid 4 teaspoonfuls salt 3 tablespoonfuls sugar % to 1 cupful potato yeast or 2 tablespoonfuls shortening 1 cake compressed yeast 14 to 16 cupfuls flour Mix the sugar, shortening and salt in a large mixing bowl or a bread mixer and add the liquid. Milk, whey, potato water or water may be used. Milk is always scalded before being added to the other ingredients. Cool the mixture, stirring occasionally. When lukewarm, add the yeast. If potato yeast is used, shake it thoroughly before adding and use 31/2 cupfuls of liquid instead of 4 cupfuls. When compressed yeast is used, it is softened by being soaked in 14 cupful of lukewarm water. If one is in a hurry, the amount of compressed yeast may be increased to 1% or 2 cakes. After the yeast is added, stir in the flour gradually, beating thoroughly after every addition. Add flour until the dough can be lifted in a mass on a spoon, leaving the bowl or bread mixer free from dough. Turn on a floured board, if a bread mixer is not used, and knead lightly, keeping a small amount of flour on the board, until the dough is smooth, elastic to touch and stiff enough that it will not stick to a clean board or to the hands. It takes about 10 minutes to knead bread by hand and from 3 to 4 minutes in a bread mixer. After kneading the dough, place it in a clean bowl or leave it in the bread mixer, cover to prevent the formation of a crust on top and let rise until double in bulk. Set in a place of uniform temperature and away from drafts. When light, knead on the unfloured board or in the bread mixer long enough to distribute the gas bubbles evenly. This takes only a few minutes. Shape into 4 loaves and place in oiled pans, pressing well into the corners. Let rise again until double in bulk and bake in a hot oven, decreasing the heat somewhat after the first 15 minutes of baking. White Bread (Sponge Method) 4 cupfuls liquid % cupful potato yeast or