5G The Bulletin. 



rolls or loaves when the mass has doubled its bulk, and not let it wait until 

 so much gas has formed that we have a coarse, porous bread, or until the 

 dough has been stretched to its limit and the gas breaks through and leaves 

 us with a fallen, sour mass, fit only for the garbage pail. 



A thorough kneading is necessary, first, to distribute the little yeast plant 

 evenly through the dough ; second, to inclose air in the dough, which is neces- 

 sary for the forming of the gas ; and, third, to make the gluten in the flour 

 more elastic. 



Let us take a cake of Fleischmann's yeast, crumble into a cup of milk which 

 has been scalded and then cooled to blood heat, add to this a tablespoon of 

 sugar as food for our little yeast plant, and watch the effect. In 10 minutes 

 the yeast will rise to the top of the cup, if it be fresh. The little plants feed 

 upon the sugar, generate the gas bubbles, and the yeast is borne to the top. 

 This is always a test for fresh, live yeast. We will add to this yeast and 

 milk two tablespoonfuls of melted lard (not hot), and to make our bread 

 lighter we will put in half a cup of mashed Irish potatoes — more food for 

 the j-east plants, you see (starch, which is going to be converted into sugar). 

 Mix the potatoes with "4 cup of lukewarm water and pour with the yeast mix- 

 ture into a bowl. 



Sift one level quart of flour and add half of it to the yeast mixture, beating 

 with light stroke to incorporate air in your dough. Add to this one unbeaten 

 egg, and gradually sift in the remainder of the flour to which you have added 

 the salt. Salt retards the growth of our yeast plant, though it is necessary 

 for seasoning, so we add it as late as possible. When the batter has become 

 too thick to beat, turn out on your pastry board and knead thoroughly, draw- 

 ing out the dough and folding over to inclose as much air as possible. Cut 

 your mass of dough halfway through with a knife, and turn inside out to 

 make sure every part is well kneaded. 



Grease an earthenware crock, something higher than it is broad, and put in 

 it the dough. Place cloth and plate over the top to exclude the air. You 

 wish to inclose air in your dough, but that is all the use you have for the air 

 in bread-making. A draft is fatal to rising dough, and to have it blow across 

 unprotected loaves makes a hard crust, which is most undesirable. 



Set this dough to rise in a protected place, therefore, free from drafts, and 

 have an even temperature of from 77 to 95 degrees. The corner shelf in a 

 kitchen with the doors and windows shut would be a good place. 



This dough should double its bulk in from 2yo to 3 hours, if you have an 

 even temperature. However, should conditions be unfavorable, wait until 

 your dough is twice as bulky as it was when you placed it in the jar. It is 

 then ready for the second kneading. 



Look as you empty the dough on your pastry board at the hundreds of little 

 strings into which it has been stretched by the gas bubbles. The more thor- 

 ough the kneading has been, the finer the strings, which will later harden by 

 baking into the fine-grained bread-crumb. 



Knead the dough the second time very lightly, .just a pat or two to get it 

 into shape. Roll out with your rolling pin aboiit half an inch thick, and cut 

 into circles with a half-pound yeast powder box. We are going to make 

 "pocketbook rolls." as they have a great deal of crust and are quickly baked. 

 Grease one side of circle, fold in the middle, grease top of the flap and place 

 in a shallow greased biscuit pan which has been slightly warmed. Cover with 

 a cloth and put in warm place free from drafts. Let rise until light, usually 

 from 1 to I'l. hours. If conditions are not favorable, let stand until bulk is 

 doubled. 



The oven should be hot. Sift Hour on oveu floor, and if it browns quickly 

 but does not burn, the oven is right. These rolls bake in about 10 minutes 

 and are both delicioiis and wholesome hot. 



Never wrap warm liread in a cloth or put it in a covered box. Wait until 

 thoroughly cold before putting away. It will have a nuisty. disagreeable 

 odor otherwise. 



