STIRRED BREAD

Frau Schmidt thought bread more easily digested and wholesome if ingredients of a loaf be stirred together instead of kneaded.  This is the method she taught Mary.  She poured into a bowl 3 cups of luke-warm water, added 1 cake of Fleischman’s yeast, dissolved in a little of the water; sifted in gradually about 8-1/2 cups of flour, added 1 tablespoonful of sugar, 1/2 teaspoonful of salt, mixed all well together with a spoon until a stiff dough was formed, which she molded into two shapely loaves, handling as little as possible; placed in bread pans, allowed to stand several hours to raise, and when light baked.  Mary said, “This bread may be more wholesome than old-fashioned bread, which has been kneaded, but I prefer Aunt Sarah’s bread, well-kneaded, fine-grained and sweet,” but, she continued, “I will make an exception in favor of Aunt Sarah’s ‘Stirred Oatmeal’ bread, which, I think, fine.”

POTATO BISCUITS

At 6 o’clock in the morning place in a bowl 1 cup of finely-mashed (boiled) potatoes (the cup of left-over mashed potatoes may be used as a matter of economy).  Add 1 cup of potato water (the water drained from boiled potatoes), in which 1/2 cake of Fleischman’s yeast had been dissolved, add 1 cup of flour and 1 teaspoon of sugar.  Stand in a warm place to raise, from 1 to 1-1/4 hours.  At the expiration of that time add to the foamy sponge 1 large tablespoonful of butter or lard, 1 egg and 1/2 teaspoonful of salt, beaten together before adding.  Add about 2 cups of flour, beat thoroughly and allow to raise another hour; then roll out the dough about 1 inch in thickness and cut into small biscuits, dip each one in melted butter and place on pans, a short distance apart, stand about one hour to raise, when bake in a rather hot oven.  These Potato Biscuits are particularly nice when freshly baked, and resemble somewhat biscuits made from baking powder.  From this recipe was made two dozen biscuits.

AUNT SARAH’S POTATO YEAST

9 medium-sized potatoes. 5 tablespoons sugar. 2 tablespoons salt. 1 quart water.

Grate the raw potatoes quickly, so they will not discolor, pour over the grated potato the quart of boiling water, add salt and sugar, cook several minutes until the consistency of boiled starch, let cool, and when lukewarm add 1 cup of good yeast.  Stir all together in a crock, cover and let stand in a warm place three or four hours, when it is foamy and rises to top of crock, stir down several times, then fill glass fruit jars, cover and stand away in a cool place until needed.

This yeast will keep about ten days.  Use one cup to about three pounds of flour, or one quart of liquid, when setting sponge for bread.  Save one cup of this yeast to start fresh yeast with.

PERFECTION POTATO CAKES