To Make a Loaf of Good Bread
A historical recipe from La cuisine creole, by Lafcadio Hearn (1885).
A historical recipe
La cuisine creole: a collection of culinary recipes from leading chefs and noted Creole housewives, who have made New Orleans famous for its cuisine, by Lafcadio Hearn (1885). Project Gutenberg eBook #75027.
From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards.
Also printed in: La cuisine creole (1885).
United States
Known as an American recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.
Ingredients 3 ingredients
- a pint of water
- a spoonful of lard
- two Irish potatoes
Cook safely
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.
Method
Chef Wood
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- One large spoonful of hop yeast, or a yeast cake;
- put this to a pint of water, mash to this two Irish potatoes, and stir all together.
- Sift in flour until you have a stiff batter, and set it to rise.
- When it is very light, stir in a spoonful of lard, and enough flour to enable you to mould it into a loaf.
- When moulded, grease the top, and set it to rise again.
- If really light, you can now bake it;
- but if not, work it down again, and mould it over and let it rise again.
- This is made plain and definite, for nothing is more discouraging for a young housekeeper than to feel that she really tried, and yet could not make good bread.
- This is in such small quantities that a young person could try it, without feeling that she was wasting much, if she does not succeed the first time.
- Any one who tries this simple recipe will have the pleasure of presenting a nice loaf of bread to her family.
Plating
Cookware for this recipe
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Wooden spoon
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Sieve