BREADS - WARM AND COLD
TO MAKE BREAD WITH SPOOK YEAST
Spook yeast is a liquid, and what we like about it is that it takes less time and trouble than other kinds of bread. After the yeast is started some should be saved from one baking, to bake with the next time, by sealing it up in a fruit jar. To make it, take 1 cake of yeast foam and soak in 1 cup of warm, unsalted potato beer; add 1 tablespoonful of sugar, and set in a very warm place, just warm enough that it does not scald. Stir now and then, and if it does not foam inside of 5, hours, it is very likely no good, and should be started again with new yeast. In about 24 hours it will be ready to use. Strain out the corn meal, and at noon add 3 cups of potato beer, and 1 teaspoonful of sugar to each cup of beer that is added. Stir off and on, and see that it foams. Let it stand till evening, and just before going to bed, mix up the bread. Take 3 cups of water, or less if less bread is wanted and more for more bread, 1 tablespoonful each of lard and salt, 3 cups of the yeast (seal up the remaining cup and set in the cellar, or some other cool place) and flour enough to make stiff, but not quite as stiff as other bread dough. Put all together and knead well. Let it rise over night. Make into loaves the first thing in the morning, the earlier the better. Let it rise 3 or 4 hours, or until very light, and bake 1 hour. This makes 5 loaves of bread. This kind of bread will stand more rising than other bread. The second time you bake, open 'the jar of yeast, and put in potato beer as before.
Sister Olive M. Heckman, Polo, Ill.
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