1951 WORKBASKET: ONE LOAF OF BREAD

Steps:

• 1. Soften the yeast in 2 tablespoon of the water, adding the sugar. Scald the milk, pour over the fat to melt it and add the remaining water to cool it. Measure about 1 1/2 cups of flour, add the salt, and sift into a bowl. Stir into this the lukewarm liquid and the yeast mixture and beat hard, adding enough flour to make it possible to handle the dough.
• 2. Turn it out on a floured board and knead it, knead for exactly eight minutes (by the clock), working into the dough as much more flour as it will take up-sift a bit on the dough and on the board under it, and continue kneading with the "heel" of the hands. The exact amount of flour varies with the type of flour, but ease of handling and not sticking to the board will tell you when you have enough.
• 3. Grease a clean bowl generously, drop the ball of dough in, then turn it over and cover all with a cloth and let it rise. If you want to make out the loaf just any time it is ready, choose a warm place for this process. If you prefer to have it ready for baking after other tasks are out of the way, this rising can be delayed by placing the bowl in a cooler place. In a warm temperature, after about an hour or hour and a half, the dough will be double in bulk.
• 4. At this stage, punch it down and let rise again until double, which will require about half the time. This last rising may be omitted, but it produces a finer loaf.
• 5. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured board, stretch into oblong shape, and let it stand about five minutes before shaping into a loaf.
• 6. Fold into thirds, legthwise, stretch and fold into thirds again, into the length of your bread pan. Roll, jelly-roll fashion, and place into greased bread pan, the lapped edge underneath. Tuck into a warm corner, covered with a cloth, slightly damp. The loaf is permitted to double in size, then popped into a 400 degree oven and baked about 35 minutes uncovered until a golden brown. Bread that is done shrinks from pan and responds to tapping with a hollow sound.
• 7. The loaf should then be cooled on a rack or across the edges of the pan to give a nice crisp crust. For a soft crust, brush immediately with melted butter or fat. COMMON FAULTS IN BREAD MAKING Using too much flour can result in tough bread. Sub-standard ingredients can spoil and entire batch. Letting dough rise too long may cause a coarse crumb or souring. Insufficient raising will turn ot a soggy or heavy loaf. Not baking long enough or too much liquid may have the same effect. Not kneading enough (until dough is elastic) or too low and oven makes a coarse bread. Too high temperature may cause the top crust to crack.