Miss Parloa's kitchen companion

When this bread is desired for luncheon or dinner, the work should be so timed that the bread will be ready for putting into the oven about an hour and three-quarters before the time for serving. The bread may, of course, be prepared at any time, and heated again when desired for the table ; but it will not be so good as when crisp for the first time. The dough for White Mountain rolls or that for potato bread makes delicious pulled bread. * Federal Loaf. This is a kind of bread of which many people are fond for luncheon or supper. The materials used are : a quart of flour, one table-spoonful of sugar, one of butter, half a teaspoonful of salt, the whites of two eggs, half a cupful of yeast, and a scant cupful and a half of boiled milk ; or water may be substituted for milk, though in that case the quantity of butter must be doubled. Beat the whites of the eggs until light. Add the milk, sugar, and yeast, and pour the liquid upon the sifted flour. Mix well with a spoon ; then turn out upon the moulding-board, and knead for twenty minutes. Return to the mixing-bowl, and after covering, let it rise in a warm place for four hours. It should be a perfect sponge in that time. When the dough has risen, butter a bread-pan, — the kind used for loaves. Make the dough into rolls as long as the pan is wide, and as these rolls are placed in the pan, press them close together. Let them rise in a warm place for an hour. Bake for one hour in a moderately hot oven. On taking from the oven, wrap in a towel for ten minutes ; and on removing from the towel, tear the rolls apart from the top nearly to the bottom. Spread soft butter between the parts, and press them together again. Wrap in the towel until serving-time, which should come soon, as the loaf is to be served warm. It should be placed on the table whole, and each person should break off a roll as the plate is passed. The dough for a federal loaf may be used for common rolls. It gives a delicate roll, whatever the shape. * Parker House Rolls, For a small pan of rolls — enough for four persons — use a quart of flour, less a gill ; a generous half-pint of milk, half a table-spoonful of sugar, a table-spoonful of butter or lard, a level teaspoonful of salt, a quarter of a cupful of yeast or a quarter of a yeast cake. Boil the milk, and let it cool. Sift the flour into a bowl, and rub the butter, sugar, and salt into it. Draw the flour to the sides of the bowl ; pour the cold milk into the well made by drawing the flour away from the centre ; add the yeast ; cover the pan, and let it stand on the kitchen table all night. In the morning mix the rolls with a spoon, and then knead the dough for twenty minutes or half an hour ; return it to the bowl, cover it, and let it rise in a warm place. When the dough has risen to three times its original size, — this will take about three hours, — turn it on to the bread-board, and roll it down to the thickness of half an inch. Lift the dough frequently to let it shrink. When it is rolled to the proper thickness, lift it and let it shrink all it will.