Bread Recipe

Home-made bread is one thing that everybody likes, and while it takes

time and patience, it is not really hard to make. One little girl I knew

took pride in making all the bread for a family of four, and it was

fine, too. The recipe here given will make three large loaves, so if you

prefer, you can use only half at first, until sure that you have learned

to do it properly. Take three quarts of sifted flour, one even iron

kitchen spoonful of salt, a rounded one of sugar, and one, also rounded,

of lard melted in one cup of warm water--not hot. Dissolve one fresh

compressed yeast cake in one cup of warm water, and add that, with two

more cups of warm water. Mix this all well together, using your big

spoon. When as smooth as you can get it that way, turn out on a floured

board, and knead for fifteen or twenty minutes. Then set it away where

it will not get chilled, and leave it to rise for from four to six

hours, when it will be about double its original size. Then turn out on

your bread board again, cut it in three parts, roll into nice smooth

loaves, without more kneading, put in buttered bread tins, leave again

in a warm place for about two hours, then bake in a moderate oven until

a pretty brown. When done, go lightly over the hard crust with a small

white cloth dipped in cold water, roll in a fresh tea towel and allow to

cool before cutting. If you wish, you can start your bread and give the

first kneading at night, then cover and leave until morning.