

IXSTRn mON8 FOR COOKING. 165 



s, the vinegar needs scalding. If you do not wish to have all your 

 pickles spiced, it is a good plan to keep a stone pot of spiced vinegar by 

 itself, and put in a few of your pickles a short time before they are to be 

 eaten. 



WHEAT BREAD. For six common sized loaves of bread, take three pints 

 of boiling water, and mix it with five or six quarts of flour. When thor- 

 oughly mixed, add three pints of cold water. Stir it till the whole of the 

 dough is of the same temperature. When lukewarm, stir in half a pint of 

 family yeast (if brewer's yeast is used, a less quantity will answer), a ta- 

 blespoonful of salt, knead in flour till stiff enough to mould up, and free 

 from lumps. The more the bread is kneaded, the better it will be. Cover 

 it over with a thick cloth, and if the weather is cold, set it near a fire. To 

 ascertain when it has risen, cut it through the middle with a knife if full 

 of small holes like a sponge, it is sufficiently light for baking. It should 

 be baked as soon as light. If your bread should get sour before you aiv 

 ready to bake it, dissolve two or more teaspoonsf ul of saleratus (according 

 to the acidity of it) in a teacup of milk or water, strain it on to the dough, 

 wrk in well then cut off enough for a loaf of bread, mould it up well, 

 slash it on both sides to prevent its cracking when baked, put it in a but- 

 1 tin pan. The bread should stand ten or twelve minutes in the pan 

 before baking it. If you like your bread baked a good deal, let it stan I 

 in the oven an hour and a half. When the wheat is grown, it makes bet- 

 ter bread to wet the flour entirely with boiling water. It should remain 

 till cool before working in the yeast. Some cooks have an idea that it 

 kills the life of the flour to scald it, but it is a mistaken idea it is sweeter 

 t, and will keep good much longer. Bread made in this way is nearlv 

 hat which is wet with milk. Care must be taken not to put 

 the yeast in when the dough is hot, as it will scald it, and pi-even- 

 rising, M ovens require heating an hoar and a half for bread, A brisk 

 fin- -ho:;ld 1.,- kept up. and the doors of the room should be kept shut if 

 tli.- weather is <-,,M. Pine and asli. mixed together, or birch wood, is the 

 for heating an oven. To ascertain if your oven is of the right tun 

 perature. when cleaned, throw in a little Hour : if it browns in the eoui^r 

 minute, it is sutlieient ly hot ; if it turns Mack directly, wait several 

 minute-, before putting in the tiling that are to l>e baked. If the OV8D 

 imt Lake \\-ell.set in a furnace of live caK 



KKKAD. For four loaves of bread, take three quarts of wheat 

 flour and the same quantity of boiling water; mix them well together. 



it remain till lukewarm, then add a tcacupful of family, or half a 

 cup of distillers it in a warm pla- . When livdit. kin-ad 



