Tea Cakes

Ingredients

• 1 oz. yeast
• 1 teaspoonful sugar
• 1 teaspoonful flour
• ij pint lukewarm milk
• J lb. flour
• 1 teaspoonful sugar
• 2 teaspoonful salt
• 2 oz. butter
• 1 egg

Method

1. 1

   Test the yeast with sugar, flour and a little of the lukewarm milk.

2. 2

   Mix the flour, sugar and salt, and rub in the butter.

3. 3

   Make a hole in the centre of the flour, pour in the yeast and beaten egg.

4. 4

   Sprinkle with a little flour from the edge, but do not mix or beat.

5. 5

   Cover with a thick, clean cloth, and set to rise where the air is warm for about 1 hour.

6. 6

   Then mix with a wooden spoon, adding the rest of the lukewarm milk, and beating till the mixture is quite smooth and free from lumps.

7. 7

   It may not be necessary to add quite all the milk.

8. 8

   The mixture must be soft and batter-like, but stiff enough to be shaped by hand.

9. 9

   Put on a floured board, divide into 8 cakes, placing them on a warm, greased baking tin.

10. 10

    Set to rise again for about 30 minutes.

11. 11

    Brush with beaten egg, and bake in a quick oven 12 to 15 minutes, keeping the oven door shut for the first 10 minutes.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Liverpool School of Cookery recipe book (1900) by E. E. Mann, page 32. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

1 oz. yeast. 1 teaspoonful sugar. 1 teaspoonful flour. 3 small teaspoonfuls salt. About 1 h pints lukewarm water. 3 lb. flour. Mailiod : Test the yeast with sugar, flour and a little of the lukewarm water. Mix the flour and salt, make a hole in the centre, pour in the yeast, stir with a wooden spoon as if making a batter, adding the lukewarm water by degrees. When the water is all used, continue stirring till no more flour can be mixed in by the spoon, then lay the spoon aside and knead. Clear the sides of the bowl as soon as possible, and knead till the fingers do not stick. Turn the smooth side uppermost, cut across the top twice, cover the bowl with a thick warm cloth, and set where the air is warm till the dough has risen to about twice its original size — 1 to 2 hours. Divide into loaves, kneading very lightly, put into warmed, greased tins, or form into cottage loaves, etc., and set to rise in a warm place. The tins should be rather more than half filled, and the dough rise till level with the top before baking. Bake in a hot oven, keeping the door shut for at least the first 15 or 20 minutes for small loaves, longer for large ones. When a brown crust has been formed, the heat must be gradually reduced and the bread finished in a moderate oven. This quantity divided into 4 loaves will take about ^ hour to cook. BREAD AND CAKES, ETC. 79 Milk Bread.— To each 1 lb. of flour add 1 oz. butter, and use lukewarm milk instead of water for mixing. This bread is usually made into small loaves. When brown flour is used, rather less liquid is re- quired. Dinner Rolls. 1 lb. flour. 1 teaspoonful salt. 2 oz. butter. 1 oz. castor sugar. 1 oz. yeast. About J pint lukewarm milk. Method : Rub the butter into the flour, add the salt and sugar. Make into a soft dough with the yeast and milk, and put to rise for 1 hour. Then knead again, and divide the dough into about 16 pieces. Form into rolls, set to rise on a warmed, floured tin for about 15 minutes. Brush over with egg, and bake about 15 minutes. Tea Cakes. \ oz. yeast. 1 teaspoonful sugar. 1 teaspoonful flour, ij pint lukewarm milk. J lb. flour. 1 teaspoonful sugar. 2 teaspoonful salt. 2 oz. butter. 1 egg

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.