Woman's Institute Library of Cookery Volume I Part 23

80. Corn Bread.--Corn meal is sometimes combined with wheat flour to make corn bread. Such a combination decreases the cost of bread at times when corn meal is cheap. Bread of this kind is high in food value, because corn meal contains a large proportion of fat, which is more or less lacking in white flour. The following recipe is given for the short process, but it may be used for the long process by merely decreasing the quant.i.ty of yeast.

CORN BREAD (Sufficient for Two Loaves)

1 yeast cake 2 c. lukewarm liquid 2 tsp. salt 1 Tb. sugar 2 Tb. fat 4-1/2 c. white flour 2 c. corn meal 1 c. white flour additional for kneading

Put the yeast to soak in 1/4 cupful of warm water and let it dissolve.

Heat the liquid and cool it to lukewarm, and then add to it the salt, the sugar, the dissolved yeast, and the melted fat. Make a sponge with some of the flour and let it rise until it doubles in bulk. Then make a dough with the corn meal and the remaining flour. Knead the dough, let it rise again, and form it into loaves. Let these rise in the greased pans until they double in bulk; then bake about 45 minutes.

81. Rice Bread.--Very often variety is given to bread by the addition of rice, which imparts an unusual flavour to bread and effects a saving of wheat flour. Oatmeal and other cereals may be used in the same way as rice, and bread containing any of these moist cereals will remain moist longer than bread in which they are not used.

RICE BREAD (Sufficient for Three Loaves)

1/2 c. uncooked rice 1-1/2 c. water 1 Tb. salt 1 Tb. sugar 1 Tb. fat 1/2 yeast cake 1 c. lukewarm liquid 6 c. white flour 1 c. white flour additional for kneading

Steam the rice in a double boiler in 1 and a half cupfuls of water until it is soft and dry. Add the salt, sugar, and fat, and allow all to become lukewarm. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm liquid, and add it to the rice. Put all in the mixing bowl, stir in 2 cupfuls of flour, and allow the mixture to become very light. Add the remainder of the flour and knead lightly. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in bulk and knead to reduce the quant.i.ty. Place in greased pans. When the loaves have risen sufficiently, bake for about 50 minutes.

82. SALT-RISING BREAD.--Recipes for bread would be incomplete if mention were not made of salt-rising bread. Such bread differs from ordinary bread in that the gas that causes the rising is due to the action of bacteria. Salt-rising bread is not universally popular, yet many persons are fond of it. Its taste is very agreeable, and, as a rule, its texture is excellent; however, it always has an unpleasant odour. The method given in the accompanying recipe for salt-rising bread differs in no way from the usual method of making it. It is very necessary that the first mixture of corn meal, salt, sugar, and milk be kept at a uniformly warm temperature in order to induce bacteria to grow. Any failure to make such bread successfully will probably be due to the violation of this precaution rather than to any other cause.

SALT-RISING BREAD (Sufficient for Two Loaves)

1 c. fresh milk 1/4 c. corn meal 1 tsp. salt 2 tsp. sugar 2 c. lukewarm water 7 c. white flour 1/2 c. white flour additional for kneading

Scald the milk and pour it over the corn meal, salt, and sugar. Allow this mixture to stand in a warm place for several hours or overnight, when it should be light. To this batter add the warm water and enough flour to make a drop batter. Allow this to stand in a warm place until it is light; and then add the remainder of the flour so as to make a dough, and knead. Allow this to rise, shape it into loaves, put it in pans, let it rise again, and bake.

RECIPES FOR ROLLS, BUNS, AND BISCUITS

83. While the preceding recipes call for bread in the form of loaves, it should be understood that bread may be made up in other forms, such as rolls, buns, and biscuits. These forms of bread may be made from any of the bread recipes by adding to the mixture shortening, sugar, eggs, fruit, nuts, spices, flavoring, or anything else desirable. Since these things in any quant.i.ty r.e.t.a.r.d the rising of the sponge or dough, they should be added after it has risen at least once. Rolls, buns, and biscuits may be made in various shapes, as is shown in Fig. 18. To shape them, the dough may be rolled thin and then cut with cutters, or the pieces used for them may be pinched or cut from the dough and shaped with the hands. After they are shaped, they should be allowed to rise until they double in bulk. To give them a glazed appearance, the surface of each may be brushed before baking with milk, with white of egg and water, or with sugar and water. b.u.t.ter is also desirable for this purpose, as it produces a crust that is more tender and less likely to be tough. Rolls, buns, or biscuits may be baked in an oven that has a higher temperature than that required for bread in the form of loaves, as is indicated in Fig. 4, and only 15 to 20 minutes is needed for baking them. If such forms of bread are desired with a crust covering the entire surface, they must be placed far enough apart so that the edges will not touch when they are baking.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 18]

So that experience may be had in the preparation of rolls, buns, and biscuits there are given here several recipes that can be worked out to advantage, especially after proficiency in bread making has been attained.

84. Parker House Rolls.--Of the various kinds of rolls, perhaps none meets with greater favor than the so-called Parker House rolls, one of which is shown at _a_, Fig. 19. Such rolls may be used in almost any kind of meal, and since they are brushed with b.u.t.ter before they are baked, they may be served without b.u.t.ter, if desired, in a meal that includes gravy or fat meat.

PARKER HOUSE ROLLS (Sufficient for 3 Dozen Rolls)

1 cake compressed yeast 1 pt. lukewarm milk 4 Tb. fat 2 Tb. sugar 1 tsp. salt 3 pt. white flour 1 c. white flour additional for kneading

Dissolve the yeast in some of the lukewarm milk. Pour the remainder of the warm milk over the fat, sugar, salt, and dissolved yeast, all of which should first be put in a mixing bowl. Stir into these ingredients half of the flour, and beat until smooth. Cover this sponge and let it rise until it is light. Add the remainder of the flour, and knead until the dough is smooth and does not stick to the board. Place the dough in a greased bowl, and let it rise again until it doubles in bulk. Roll the dough on a molding board until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Then cut the rolled dough with a round cutter; brush each piece with soft b.u.t.ter; mark it through the center, as at _b_, Fig. 19, with the dull edge of a kitchen knife; and fold it over, as at _c_. Place the pieces of dough thus prepared in shallow pans, about 1 inch apart, and let them rise until they are light, when each roll will appear like that shown at _d_.

Then bake them in a hot oven for about 15 minutes. [Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 19]

85. Dinner Rolls.--As their name implies, dinner rolls are an especially desirable kind of roll to serve with a dinner. They should be made small enough to be dainty, and as an even, brown crust all over the rolls is desirable they should be placed far enough apart in the pans to prevent them from touching one another, as shown in Fig. 20 (_a_). If they are placed as in (_b_), that is, close together, only part of the crust will be brown. When made according to the accompanying recipe, dinner rolls are very palatable.

DINNER ROLLS (Sufficient for 1-1/2 Dozen Rolls)

1 cake compressed yeast 1 c. lukewarm milk 2 Tb. sugar 2 Tb. fat 1 tsp. salt 3 c. white flour 1 egg white 1/2 c. white flour additional for kneading

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 20]

Dissolve the yeast in some of the lukewarm milk. Put the sugar, fat, salt, and dissolved yeast in the mixing bowl, and pour the remainder of the milk over these ingredients. Stir half of the flour into this mixture and allow the sponge to rise. When it is light, add the egg white, which should first be beaten, and the remainder of the flour, and then knead the dough. Let the dough rise until it doubles in bulk. Roll out the dough until it is 1/2 inch thick, and then cut out the rolls with a small round cutter. Place these in a shallow pan and let them rise until they are light. Then glaze each one with the white of egg to which is added a little water and bake them in a hot oven for about 15 minutes.

86. LUNCHEON ROLLS.--If rolls smaller than dinner rolls are desired, luncheon rolls will undoubtedly be just what is wanted. Since these are very small, they become thoroughly baked and are therefore likely to be even more digestible than bread or biscuit dough baked in a loaf. For rolls of this kind, the following recipe will prove satisfactory:

LUNCHEON ROLLS (Sufficient for 2 Dozen Rolls)

1 cake compressed yeast 1-1/4 c. lukewarm milk 2 Tb. sugar 2 Tb. fat 1 tsp. salt 4 c. white flour 1 egg white 1/2 c. white flour additional for kneading

Combine the ingredients in the manner directed for making dinner rolls.

Shape the dough into biscuits the size of a small walnut, place them in a shallow pan, s.p.a.cing them a short distance apart, and let them rise until they are light. Next, brush the tops of them with melted b.u.t.ter, and then bake them in a hot oven for about 15 minutes.

87. WHOLE-WHEAT ROLLS.--Rolls made of whole-wheat flour are not so common as those made of white flour, and for this reason they appeal to the appet.i.te more than ordinary rolls. Whole-wheat rolls have the same advantage as bread made of whole-wheat flour, and if they are well baked they have a crust that adds to their palatableness.

WHOLE-WHEAT ROLLS (Sufficient for 3 Dozen Rolls)

1 pt. lukewarm milk 1 cake compressed yeast 1 tsp. salt 3 Tb. sugar 4 Tb. fat 2 c. white flour 4 c. whole-wheat flour 1/2 c. white flour additional for kneading

Set a sponge with the lukewarm milk, in which are put the yeast cake, salt, sugar, fat, and white flour. Allow this to become very light, and then add the whole-wheat flour. Knead this dough and allow it to double in bulk. Then shape it into rolls, allow them to rise, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

88. GRAHAM NUT BUNS.--Buns made of graham flour and containing nuts are not only especially delightful in flavour, but highly nutritious.

Because they are high in food value, they may be served with a light meal, such as lunch or supper, to add nutrition to it. The recipe here given will result in excellent buns if it is followed closely.

GRAHAM NUT BUNS (Sufficient for 3 Dozen Buns)

1 cake compressed yeast 2 c. lukewarm milk 4 Tb. brown sugar 2 tsp. salt 2 Tb. fat 2-1/2 c. white flour 1 egg 1 c. chopped nuts 3-1/2 c. graham flour 1 c. white flour additional for kneading

Dissolve the yeast in a little of the lukewarm milk. Place the sugar, salt, fat, and dissolved yeast in the mixing bowl and add the remainder of the warm milk. Stir in the white flour and let the sponge thus formed rise. Then add the egg, which should first be beaten, the nuts, and the graham flour. Knead the dough and shape it into buns. Let these rise and then bake them in a hot oven for about 15 minutes.

89. NUT OR FRUIT BUNS.--Nuts or fruit added to buns made of white flour provide more mineral salts and bulk, substances in which white flour is lacking. Buns containing either of these ingredients, therefore, are especially valuable in the diet. Besides increasing the food value of the buns, nuts and fruit improve the flavour and make a very palatable form of bun. Buns of this kind are made as follows:

NUT OR FRUIT BUNS (Sufficient for 2 Dozen Buns)

4 Tb. sugar 1 Tb. fat 1 tsp. salt 1 cake compressed yeast 1 c. lukewarm milk 3 c. white flour 3/4 c. chopped nuts or raisins 1 c. white flour additional for kneading

Add the sugar, fat, and salt to the yeast dissolved in a little of the milk. Then stir in the remainder of the milk and half of the flour.

Allow this sponge to rise until it is very light, and then add the remainder of the flour and the nuts or the raisins. Knead at once and form into buns. Let these rise until they are light. Then moisten them with milk and sprinkle sugar over them before placing them in the oven.

Bake for about 15 minutes.

90. SWEET BUNS.--Persons who prefer a sweet bun will find buns like those shown in Fig. 21 and made according to the following recipe very much to their taste. The sweetening, eggs, and lemon extract used in this recipe give to the white buns a delightful flavour and help to lend variety to the usual kind of bun.

SWEET BUNS (Sufficient for 1-1/3 Dozen Buns)

1 cake compressed yeast 1 c. lukewarm scalded milk 1/4 c. sugar 2 Tb. fat 1 tsp.

1 tsp. salt 3-1/2 c. white flour 2 eggs 1 tsp. lemon extract 1 c. white flour additional for kneading

Dissolve the yeast in a small amount of the lukewarm milk and add it to the sugar, fat, salt, and remaining milk in the mixing bowl. Stir into this mixture half of the flour, beat well, and let the sponge rise until it is light. Add the eggs, which should first be beaten, the lemon extract, and the remaining flour. Knead until the dough is smooth. Let the dough rise again and then shape it into rolls. Allow these to rise, and then bake them in a hot oven for about 15 minutes.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 21]