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Sweet Bread with Fruit

Scald one pint of milk, add one tablespoonful of sugar and one-half teaspoonful of salt, and when lukewarm, one cake of compressed yeast dissolved in a little warm water. Stir in sufficient sifted flour to make a drop batter and beat 'until smooth. Cover and set aside until light and spongy. Cream together one-half of a cupful of butter and threequarters of a cupful of sugar, add gradually four beaten eggs and beat until light. Stir this into the light sponge, beat for a moment and set away to rise again. When light, add one pound of seeded raisins, well floured and sufficient flour to make a soft dough. Knead just enough to work it well together, return to the bowl and set aside once more. When well risen, take out on the board, knead for a moment or two until the air bubbles are well broken up and even in size, divide into two loaves, mold and place in well greased pans. When the bread begins to rise well, bake in a moderate oven for about fifty or sixty minutes.

DATE BREAD AND RAISINS, OR AS OUR BOYS CALL IT, "PIE BREAD."

Scald one cupful and a half of milk, add one teaspoonful of sugar and let stand until lukewarm; then add onehalf of a teaspoonful of salt, one-third of a compressed yeast cake dissolved in a little warm water and sufficient entire wheat flour to make a drop batter. Beat it until smooth, then cover and set aside in a warm place. As, entire or whole wheat flour (it is the same thing under different names), responds more quickly to the action of yeast, it is best to start it early in the morning rather than over night, that you may be able to take it at the proper stage of fermentation. To hasten this, especially in cold weather, you may place the bowl in a pan of warm water, covering the top to keep it evenly warm. When it is so light that the bubbles come to the surface, add one cupful of stoned dates cut in pieces and sift in sufficient flour to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out on a floured board and knead until it is soft and velvety. When the dough seems perfectly smooth and soft, return it to the bowl, cover and set aside to rise as before. Let it stand until it has quite doubled in size, then turn out again on the board and knead until all the large air bubbles seem to be broken up. Now mold into shape, place in a greased pan, brush over the top with cold water and let stand until the dough seems to have increased in size about one-third. Again wet the top with water and ✓ place in a moderate oven. It will take from fifty minutes to an hour to bake. To test, turn it gently over in the pan and tap on the bottom; if done it will give a slight ringing sound, which is soon recognized.

Raisin bread is made in the same way, using seeded or Sultana raisins.