Combined excerpts from booklets published 1916 and 1920:
This book contains reliable recipes for making, with Fleischmann’s Yeast, all sorts of delicious and wholesome breads, rolls, raised cakes and sparkling drinks. Fleischmann’s Yeast is both pure and complete; not requiring the addition of either potatoes or scalded flour, and produces the most wholesome and nutritious, as well as the most economical bread.
Many housekeepers, especially young housekeepers, seem to think that it requires a certain knack to bake, but, if a few simple rules are carefully followed, success will be certain. Every recipe herein given has been tried and found perfect.
Bread is th most wholesome and economical food. As stated by Dr. Wiley, "There's more energy in a pound of bread than in a pound of meat."
THE YEAST
In baking Bread, the most important point to consider is the yeast. This should be both pure and complete.
Fleischmann’s Yeast is the one processing both these virtues. You can depend not only upon its goodness but it needs nothing added to it. You do not have to bother with either potatoes or scalded flour to render it effective.
Yeast is a plant that requires warmth, air and moisture for its growth. An excess of either heat or cold kills it. For these reasons all liquids should be lukewarm and the flour also should be warmed in cold weather.
When time counts in the preparation of any of these Breads, use additional yeast: you will save precious minutes in the “hurrying” of a meal, and also add to the quality of the Bread. For sweet doughs, more yeast should be used than here indicated, as sugar tends to make dough dense and hard to raise.
Keep your yeast with care. Whenever possible, keep yeast in ice box, placing it where it will be dry as well as cold. Where ice is not obtainable and yeast cannot be procured fresh for each baking, it can be kept in good condition for a week or ten days by keeping in a cellar or other cool place. In order to keep an unused portion it should be rewrapped in the tinfoil.
Though Fleischmann’s Yeast may discolor at times, this in no way impairs its quality. So long as it is firm it is good to use. When it becomes too soft to handle, do not use it.
THE MIXING
Measure the liquid into a bowl and add the sugar. Sugar assists the fermentation. Next crumble in the required quantity of yeast. Allow to stand six or eight minutes, add the shortening and sift in slowly about one-half of the flour, or enough to form a smooth, light batter. Beat this thoroughly, so that the yeast may be well distributed, adding balance of flour.
The salt may be dissolved separately in a little water before being added, or it may be used dry as described in the recipes. The latter method is simpler, but has no other advantage.
THE KNEADING
The dough must not be chilled, therefore, knead quickly and lightly until it is smooth and elastic and does not stick to the fingers or to the board. In kneading, the dough should be pushed with the palms of the hands, fingers curved to prevent dough from flattening out too much. With every push it should be turned one-quarter way round and folded over. To be sure that all parts of the dough are kneaded, cut half through the center, turn inside out and knead again.
The beating of the batter and the kneading of the dough add air, which is necessary for the develop¬ment of the yeast.
THE RISING
After kneading, place dough in greased bowl and set in a warm place, free from draft. Cover bowl to prevent crust forming on dough which would cause a streak in the bread. Let dough rise until double in bulk.
THE MOULDING
Next, mould dough into loaves about half size of bread pans, handling as little as possible and using no flour. Put each loaf in a well greased pan and let rise again in warm place, free from draft, till double in size. To test if loaf is ready for oven, flour the finger and make an impression in loaf. If impression disappears, give loaf a little more time, if it remains bread will rise no more and should go in oven.
THE BAKING
Place in a quick oven where the loaf should brown in from fifteen to twenty minutes. Then reduce the heat and finish the baking more slowly. Bread is done when it leaves the sides of the pan.
An ordinary sized loaf will bake in from forty to fifty minutes. A large loaf should bake one hour. Biscuits and rolls require a hotter oven than bread and should be baked in fifteen or twenty minutes.
ACCURATE MEASUREMENTS
Careful measurements are necessary in order to obtain good results. The cup in which the flour is measured should be used for measuring the other ingredients. A standard cup contains one-half pint. 16 table-spoons = 1 cup, 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon.
All measurements should be level. A cupful of liquid means as much as the cup will hold. Dry ingredients should be leveled off with a knife.
Accurate measurements mean good results.
GENERAL HINTS
After the loaf is baked, remove from pan and let it stand out of a draft until cold.
Sponges should not be permitted to get too light. They are ready when bubbles gather on surface and break occasionally.
Use only the best of flour—it is the most economical. In cold weather warm it slightly.
Lard, butter, fat, oil, Crisco or other prepared shortening may be used.
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