Home › Household Recipes › Gems, Fritters, etc
Gems, Fritters, etc
The pans for what are called gems, should always be hot, and be well buttered before the gems are put in. Bake quickly. In making fritters, use haste, but beat the batter thoroughly, and cook at once. Pancakes should also be well beaten, and if eggs are used, these should be beaten separately, and added the last thing. [17] 1 Sponge. To make sponge, sift the flour, and in the middle of it pour the yeast, mix thoroughly, adding lukewarm water, from time to time, as needed, so the whole will be like thick batter. Pour this slowly on flour. If made at night, work the first thing in the morning, using flour enough to make the dough of the proper consistency. Some persons mould once and bake, and others work the dough the second time. When risen, put in the oven at once, and bake an hour for ordinary sized loaves. III. Yeast and Yeast-making.
Dried WITHIN the last few years, grocers in cities and principal towns keep compressed yeast, in its natural and moist state. This is made from the superfluous yeast of breweries and distilleries, and also, by brewing, directly, as an article of commerce. yeast or yeast-cakes are also universally sold. They are not always good. The working principle of all yeast is a plant-a microscopic fungus-and to the ordinary observer, yeast is simply a thick, creamy froth, which causes bread to rise, and beer and other liquids to ferment. If the fermentation goes too far, the bread or liquid becomes sour. The next stage is mold. The purer the yeast, the less liable are substances to run into acid fermentation and mold. The recipes which we give will fully provide for all that is necessary for household purposes.
Hop Yeast and Yeast-Cakes. To a handful of good hops, add a quart of water; boil until reduced one-half; strain, wipe out the vessel, return the liquid, and set over the fire again. While the hops are boiling, mix enough flour with a little cold water to make it as thick as stiff starch. When it begins to boil after returning it to the vessel, stir in the dissolved flour. Let it boil a few minutes, then set it to cool. When cool enough stir in some good yeast or a dissolved yeast-cake, and a tablespoonful or a little more of sugar. Pour into a jug, cork, and let it work. It is best to set it in something suitable, in case it should work and run over before you are aware, and you lose a good deal. After it works, cork tight, and keep in a cool place. To make the cakes, sift into a pan one-third of flour and two-thirds of meal, as fine as you can, that there may be as little meal as possible in your bread; pour in the yeast, and work well into a stiff 'dough. Make off into cakes the size of a small teacup, and about three-quarters of an inch thick; dry in the shade. From this start you may have perpetual yeast by taking off a piece of dough after it has risen for bread, and working it with your hands in water enough to make a thick batter, and then sifting in meal enough to make the cakes as before stated; or a piece of the risen dough will raise another batter of dough the same as the yeast.
Hop Yeast, No. 2.- One and one-half pounds of grated raw potato, one quart of boiling water in which a handful of hops have been boiled, one teacup of white sugar, one-half teacup of salt. When almost cold put a little good yeast to start it, say about half a pint. One pint of this yeast makes four good-sized loaves of excellent bread.