“Times” Yeast. (Lledr Cadog, 1858.)
To be used when you cannot get brewer's yeast.
The advantage of this yeast is, that you make it for yourself without requiring any other yeast to start it; you must have patience in making it. It should keep good some weeks; then make a fresh supply, get rid of any of the old.
It only makes tin loaves, but the bread should honeycomb, and makes excellent toast.
The vessel it is made in should be a wide earthenware milk bowl, capable of holding about 6 qts., and the mixture is to be kept about a new-milk warm during the entire time of making—namely, from Monday morning till Thursday evening—and this is done by letting it stand at a proper distance from the kitchen fire.
On Monday morning, then, begin by boiling 2 ozs. of the best hops, choose yellow hops, not green—which are bitter—in 4 qts. of water for ½ hour, stirring occasionally, then strain it and let it cool to “new-milk warm,” then put in a small handful of salt and ¼ lb. of brown sugar. Beat up 1 lb. of the best wheat flour with some of the liquor, and then mix all well together. Set the bowl by the fire, covered over with a flat dish, where it may stand till Wednesday morning, being occasionally stirred.
On Wednesday morning add 3 lbs. of potatoes, merely boiled and mashed whilst hot with nothing added to them, cooled down to the same temperature as the contents of the bowl (about “new-milk-warm”). It is shortly after this addition that fermentation may be expected to commence; and as it proceeds the mixture must be frequently stirred. It very soon assumes the appearance of the finest brown-coloured brewer's yeast, rising to a crown.
By Thursday evening its powers will be completely established, and it may then be strained, and put into bottles, stirring it to the last moment. Do not cork the bottles for some days, until the yeast has done working—and when you do cork them, it must be loosely; never cork them tightly.
It is now ready for use. When yeast is weak, and more is then required to raise the bread than when this yeast is 6 or 8 weeks old. Shake the bottle well up always, before using its contents, and keep it in a cool place. It should keep above two months at least, and is best and strongest the latter part of the time.
The dough should be left in the pan all night to rise before the kitchen fire, and when made into loaves and put into the tins it will again require 2 or 3 hours to rise before going into the oven.
The bread takes a considerably longer time to rise in the sponge, and again after being made into dough, than if made with ordinary yeast.
(This recipe is signed “D. S. Y.,” who adds, “I make all my bread from rough wheat meal, which is the most wholesome of all. I use seltzer water bottles, filling two-thirds full only of yeast, and when bottled, I put them at once in a cool place.”)