Light Bread, Baking in a Stove, &c

A historical recipe from Domestic Cookery, Useful Receipts, and Hints to Young Housekeepers, by Lea, Elizabeth E. (Elizabeth Ellicott).

No ratings yet

A historical recipe

Domestic Cookery, Useful Receipts, and Hints to Young Housekeepers, by Lea, Elizabeth E. (Elizabeth Ellicott). Project Gutenberg eBook #9101.

From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards.

Ingredients 1 ingredient

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

Oven and hot trays. Use dry oven gloves for trays and dishes: a hot tray looks just like a cold one. Open the oven door away from your face and let the first rush of heat out.
Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.

For two loaves of bread, thicken a quart of water with flour, till it will just pour easily;
put in a table-spoonful of salt and half a tea-cup of yeast;
this should be done in the evening.
If the weather is cold, set it where it will be warm all night;
but, if warm, it will rise on a table in the kitchen.
(If it should not be light in the morning, and the water settles on the top, stir in a little more yeast, and set it in a pan of hot water for a few minutes;) knead in flour till it is nearly as stiff as pie crust, and let it rise again.
Have your baking pans greased, and when it is light, mould out the bread, and put it in them;
set it by the fire, covered with a cloth, till it begins to crack on the top--when it is light enough to bake.
To bake in a stove requires care to turn it frequently;
if it browns too fast at first, leave the door open a little while;
a thick loaf will bake in an hour, and a small one in less time.
In trying the heat of a stove, drop a few drops of water on the top, if it boils gently it is in good order, and the heat should be kept at this point.