How To Bake Bread

Arrange the oven as for roasting; meat. If too hot at first, the loaves will burn on the outside and be doughyinside. At the end of fifteen minutes the bread should have risen up and begun to brown. Turn the pans occasionally, so that it will bake evenly, and watch it closely to avoid burning. If the top is in danger of burning, lay a thick paper over it, or set a pan of cold water in the oven. Turn the pans often. If the loaves are small they will bake in one hour. When done, the sides of the loaves will shrink from the pans. Take out of the pans at once, and if pale on the bottom, put instantly back in the oven.

Take care to keep the heat steady while baking. Put on plenty of coal to last till the baking is done, before the bread goes into the oven; never put it on while baking, as it will check the heat, and make heavy streaks in the bread. For small loaves a hotter oven is required than for large ones.

Bread Made With A "Sponge."

4 quarts flour. "Sponge." A little salt.

1/4 teaspoonful soda, dissolved.

1/2 cupful lard.

Warm milk, or water.

For four medium-sized loaves use the whole of the "sponge" made according to directions. At seven o'clock at night in summer, and at ten in winter, put four quarts of flour in your bread-pan. Make a hole in the middle and pour in the sponge. Stir into it a part of the flour and let it rise till morning, when it should be light. Then put in the salt, soda and lard, stirring them in with enough warm milk, or water, to enable you to knead it. Knead thoroughly, and set to rise. When light, knead again for ten or fifteen minutes. If you repeat this, it improves the bread. Then put into pans, set to rise again, and when light, bake as above.

This will make four large loaves.

Bread Made With Potatoes

3 medium-sized potatoes. 2 teaspoonfuls salt.

2 1/2 cupfuls flour.

1 corn meal yeast-cake.

Boil the potatoes about one o'clock p. m., and mash while hot, saving the water in which they were boiled. Add the salt and flour. When well mixed, stir in enough of the potato water to make a pretty thick batter. If too thin it will not rise. Let it cool, and when it is lukewarm (not cold) add the yeast-cake, dissolved in half a cupful of lukewarm water.

(N. B. One yeast-cake will be sufficient in summer, but in winter use one and a half. If the yeast-cakes are not fresh use more in each case.)

Beat all together hard, and set to rise (covered) for about five hours in a warm place. By night it will be light and spongy; then stir in enough flour to make a soft dough. Beat well again till it ceases to stick to the spoon, and leave it to rise over night. In the morning knead in the pan. Do not get it stiff. Let it rise again for four or five hours. When light, mix in half a teaspoonful of soda (dissolved in one tablespoonful hot water). Then knead on the board, and make into loaves. Let them rise about one hour till light. Then bake as above.

Makes five large loaves.

N. B. In warm weather do not set the first rising or "sponge" till four o'clock p. m. Then the second rising will not begin till nine or ten o'clock, and the bread will not be likely to sour over night.