14
THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN
A good housekeeper sees that that her bread box is well cleaned, scald
ed and aired once every week during cool weather, and even oftener
during the summer months. Bits of moldy crusts left in the box from
former bakings will soon spoil the taste of new bread placed in the box.
I consider the best bread box to be that made from tin, as it can be
more easily cleaned and kept clean from all odors. The secret of good
bread making lies in careful and constant attention.
Now cover with a thick cloth and set in a warm place to rise. Care
must be taken to see that the dough does not become too hot for that
will kill the yeast germs before the rising process is completed. A tem
perature of about 75 degrees gives the proper amount of heat. After
the dough has stood long enough to thoroughly rise it is then ready to
be moulded into rolls and loaves.
If sufficiently raised the dough will be very light in weight and just
double in bulk and should be kneaded only enough to redistribute the
air bubbles and break up the larger ones. No flour should be worked
in at this stage. If it is inclined to stick to the hands the fingers should
be dipped into melted butter or lard.
Some housekeepers knead the dough down once or twice, letting it
rise again before moulding, and with some yeast this may be necessary
to get the best results, but with the yeast we have used in this bread it
is not necessary, as once rising will prove very satisfactory if the first
process of making it up has been thoroughly done.
In moulding the dough must be handled as lightly and quickly as
possible. The rolls may be of any desired shape or size, but it is very
necessary that the piece of dough pinched off for making each roll be
of uniform size in order to rise and bake exactly alike. Small shapes
are to be preferred to large ones as more thorough baking is insured; as
they are moulded they are set in a tin which has been well buttered.
The spaces between them depend upon the kind of rolls desired; for
crusty buns they should not touch; but if rolls with top crust only are
wanted they should then be set rather close together.