320 ON THE POTATO. 



Hour and potato-powder, but the bread was heavy, never rose 

 well, soon grew extremely hard, and was too expensive. 



Bread of Potatoes, §c. — For the space of half a centuiy 

 at least, bread has been made in Jamaica from the several 

 sorts of yams, eddoes, and cassada ; the two former by means 

 of leaven, the latter with water, like oat-cakes. 



In Great Britain, where malt is brewed into ale or beer, 

 yeast is preferable to leaven for baking bread. The most 

 mealy potatoes are to be chosen ; when boiled and peeled 

 they are beaten and rolled smooth on a table, with a rolling- 

 pin, then kneaded with an equal quantity of wheat-flour, witli 

 a sufficiency of yeast, water, and salt. This bakers call 

 spunge. The dough is set for a night in a warm place, and 

 by next morning (if the yeast is good), it will have risen, and 

 is ready to be made into loaves, rolls, &c. 



Boiled yams or eddoes being reduced into a dough, are 

 mixed with an equal weight of common flour, a little pre- 

 pared leaven, and a sufficient quantity of salt, all well knead- 

 ed together. After some hours standing to ferment, the 

 dough is divided into rolls or loaves, and baked in the usual 

 manner, in an oven. 



This bread is much lighter and sweeter than flour-bread, 

 and keeps moist for many days. All will depend on knead- 

 ing the dough well, and keeping it long enough in the oven, 

 till it is thoroughly baked. 



Yeast. — This article at times is very scarce in this city. 

 To increase its quantity is an object of importance to the 

 bakers of bread. Several bakers of my acquaintance have 

 taken the hint from mc, and now are no way at a loss for 

 yeast. Potatoes boiled and skimmed are put into a sufficient 

 quantity of water, and boiled over a slow fire, till the whole 

 becomes smooth, and of the consistence of pap. To two 

 English gallons of this an English quart of good yeast is 



