GOOD FAMILY BREAD

The English bread-book · Eliza Acton · 1857

Source: The English bread-book
Yield: 10.0 persons
Status: success · extracted 11 days ago
Not a recipe: No

Ingredients (9)

three pecks of the best flour ↝ Flour, 00 [Cereal Grains and Pasta]
half to a whole teacupful of salt ↝ Salt, table, iodized [Spices and Herbs]
short half pint of good brewer's yeast ↝ Yeast [Not included in a food category]
two or three quarts of warm milk and water, taken from nine quarts, which will be required to make the three pecks of flour into dough ↝ Milk, NFS [Milk, reduced fat]
four quarts of the liquid
salt, four to six ounces ↝ Salt, table, iodized [Spices and Herbs]
solid yeast, short half pint ↝ Yeast [Not included in a food category]
milk and water, nine quarts ↝ Milk, NFS [Milk, reduced fat]
dredging a little flour occasionally on the board to prevent their sticking to it ↝ Flour, 00 [Cereal Grains and Pasta]

Instructions (7)

With three pecks of the best flour, mix from half to a whole teacupful of salt, according to the taste of the eaters; some persons liking a full proportion of it, and others objecting to more than will very slightly flavour the bread.
Next, dilute gradually and smoothly a short half pint of good brewer's yeast,—which has been mingled with plenty of water, and left for at least twenty-four hours—with two or three quarts of warm milk and water, taken from nine quarts, which will be required to make the three pecks of flour into dough.
If the quality of the yeast should be doubtful, it will be better to set a sponge with it, by the directions at the beginning of this chapter, with about four quarts of the liquid; otherwise it may at once be kneaded up with the whole quantity, and left from an hour and a half to two hours to rise.
Knead it thoroughly a second time, when it appears perfectly light; and let it remain for another hour, when it will probably be ready for the oven.
Turn it then on to a paste-board or dresser, divide it into the number of loaves required, make them up quickly and lightly, dredging a little flour occasionally on the board to prevent their sticking to it, and despatch them quickly to the oven.
It is always well to cut them slightly across the tops, as well as round the middle, to assist their rising.
When it is necessary, the “Receipt for a quite inexperienced learner” should be attentively studied, and the minute instructions given in it will be well understood before any baking on a large scale is undertaken.

Original Text

GOOD FAMILY BREAD.
(Sufficient for a week's consumption for ten persons.)
With three pecks of the best flour, mix from half to a whole teacupful of salt, according to the taste of the eaters; some persons liking a full proportion of it, and others objecting to more than will very slightly flavour the bread. Next, dilute gradually and smoothly a short half pint of good brewer's yeast,—which has been mingled with plenty of water, and left for at least twenty-four hours—with two or three quarts of warm milk and water, taken from nine quarts, which will be required to make the three pecks of flour into dough. If the quality of the yeast should be doubtful, it will be better to set a sponge with it, by the directions at the beginning of this chapter, with about four quarts of the liquid; otherwise it may at once be kneaded up with the whole quantity, and left from an hour and a half to two hours to rise. Knead it thoroughly a second time, when it appears perfectly light; and let it remain for another hour, when it will probably be ready for the oven. Turn it then on to a paste-board or dresser, divide it into the number of loaves required, make them up quickly and lightly, dredging a little flour occasionally on the board to prevent their sticking to it, and despatch them quickly to the oven. It is always well to cut them slightly across the tops, as well as round the middle, to assist their rising. When it is necessary, the “Receipt for a quite inexperienced learner” should be attentively studied, and the minute instructions given in it will be well understood before any baking on a large scale is undertaken.
Flour, three pecks; salt, four to six ounces, or half to a whole teacupful; solid yeast, short half pint; milk and water, nine quarts. Left to rise the first time from one hour and a half to two hours; the second time about one hour, or until perfectly light. Loaves baked in brick oven one hour and a half; longer if very large.

Notes

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