SMALL BREAKFAST LOAVES OR ROLLS.
(Cold made.)
As bread made in the usual way, when prepared
over-night for early baking on the morrow, is liable
to ferment too much in very sultry weather, I re-
commend the following method, which I have
many times had tried with entire success, as very
convenient, and as producing at the same time
bread of excellent quality. Mix with two pounds
of fine wheaten flour a saltspoonful of salt, and
put into a basin half as much finely powdered
sugar, with a teaspoonful only of solid yeast, which
has been procured at least one day before, and
stirred up with plenty of spring water, as already
directed in another part of this volume. Mix
these well with nearly three quarters of a pint of
new milk, and proceed to make the flour into a
firm and smooth dough: add, in doing this, a little
more milk if required. Flour a thick cloth lightly,
roll the bread closely in it, turn the ends under,
lay it into a pan, and throw another cloth, once or
twice folded, on it. Place it on a table away from
a thorough draught of air, and leave it until the
morning. Before lighting the fire, knead it down,
should it appear very light, as it ought to be, and
either leave it until the oven is nearly hot enough
to bake it, or make it up at once into small loaves
or rolls, and let them remain upon a tin until it is
ready for them. Our bread made in this way has
been excellent, both in colour and in flavour.
Baked in a brick oven it would probably be better
still. We had it made about ten o’clock in the
evening, and baked between eight and nine the
next morning in an iron oven, moderately heated.
The rolls, which were not small, remained in it in
three quarters of an hour. They were perfectly
light, and tasted almost like cake.
Fine wheaten flour, two pounds; one saltspoon-
ful of salt, and half as much pounded sugar;
solid brewer’s yeast, one teaspoonful; new
milk (or equal parts of milk and water) three
quarters of a pint; a little in addition, if
required, to make up the paste quite firmly.
To remain all night; kneaded down in the
morning, and moulded into rolls or small
loaves: to prove about one hour. Baked
from twenty to thirty minutes if small, longer
if large, in iron stove-oven.
Observation.—By solid brewer’s, or beer yeast,
is meant at all times here, yeast which has been
washed or purified by having been mixed with
plenty of water and then allowed to subside until
the water could be poured clear from it.