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General Directions for Making Bread

In the composition of good bread, there are three important requisites: Good flour, good yeast, and strength to knead it well. Flour should be white and dry, crumbling easily again after it is pressed in the hand. A very good method of ascertaining the quality of yeast will be to add a little flour to a very small quantity, setting it in a warm place. If in the course of ten or fifteen minutes it rises, it will do to use.

When you make bread, first set the sponge with warm milk or water, keeping it in a warm place until quite light. Then mould this sponge, by adding flour into one large loaf, kneading it well. Set this to rise again, and then when sufficiently light mould it into smaller loaves, let it rise again, then bake. Care should be taken not to get the dough too stiff with flour; it should be as soft as it can be to knead well. To make bread or biscuits a nice colour, wet the dough over top with water just before putting into the oven. Flour should always be sifted.