"FRAU SCHMIDTS" GOOD WHITE BREAD (SPONGE METHOD)

To one quart of potato water, drained from potatoes which were boiled
for mid-day dinner, she added about 1/2 cup of finely-mashed hot
potatoes and stood aside. About four o'clock in the afternoon she
placed one pint of lukewarm potato water and mashed potatoes in a bowl
with 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and 1/2 a dissolved Fleischman's
yeast cake, beat all well together, covered with a cloth and stood in
a warm place until light and foamy. About nine o'clock i the evening
she added the reserved pint of (lukewarm) potato water and 1/2
tablespoonful of salt to the yeast sponge, with enough warmed,
well-dried flour to stiffen, and kneaded it until dough was
fine-grained. She also cut through the dough frequently with a sharp
knife. When the dough was elastic and would not adhere to
molding-board or hands, she placed it in a bowl, brushed melted lard
or butter over top to prevent a crust forming, covered warmly with a
cloth and allowed it to stand until morning. Frau Schmidt always rose
particularly early on bake day, for fear the sponge might fall or
become sour, if allowed to stand too long. She molded the dough into
four small loaves, placed it in pans to rise until it doubled its
original bulk. When light she baked it one hour. Bread made according
to these directions was fine-grained, sweet and wholesome. She always
cut several gashes across top of loaf with a sharp knife when loaves
were set to rise, to allow gas to escape.