Good Morning, Dear Domestic Mothers, Keepers at Home, and Tenders of the Fire,
This morning I am making a Winter Spice Bread. I just made up the recipe as I went along.
I put a cup of the Ladies Cordial in it. And I put in fresh ground nutmeg and cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom. Also I put in a tsp of black pepper. I made it pretty sweet using a cup of sugar for 2 cups of liquid. For the liquid I used a cup of water and a cup of the Cordial. For each cup of liquid in bread, you will end up with one loaf of bread. Also I put in some corn oil and 2 eggs. Eggs are cheap right now so I will be very generous with eggs in my baking and cooking.
Then, after ya get all of this stuff mixed up, you just add enough flour to mix it all up. You will end up using about 6 cups of flour. And you can add whatever kind of flour you like. I will add some cornmeal and some oatmeal to my bread when I mix it up again. I just put in about a fourth cup of oatmeal and corn meal. The cornmeal makes the bread look more yellow and the oatmeal gives it a bit of texture.
Now today I am just making this bread with a big blue crock bowl and a spoon. I didn't want to take it out of the bowl and so I have kneaded it in the bowl. If my bread dough doesn't want to do as I want it, then I will knead it on the tabletop. But if it is kneading up like I like it, then I will just knead it in the bowl. It's simple to clean up as everything is in the bowl and no flour on the table. I read once of a man on a wagon train that made his biscuits right in the flour sack. Just added liquid and bakin' powder and mixed it up in the sack.
But, anyway, if you are having trouble getting your bread kneaded, try this. Just knead your bread until it is all together and not sticky. Then just forget it and put a towel over it. Let it sit for about a half hour. Then knead it again... it will be more cooperative. If your bread is made of mostly white flour, then the bread should feel like a baby's behind when it is done being kneaded. It should feel soft and smooth.
Always test your yeast in a bowl to make sure it is good. Make sure your bowl of water is pretty warm. Put the yeast in and add some sugar. If the yeast isn't bubbling up in about 10 minutes, then it isn't any good. I always test my yeast as I don't want to waste my flour and all, if the yeast ain't gonna rise.
And also it is very easy to make crackers. If your bread doesn't rise and you have tried everything, then just make your dough into crackers. All you do is take your bread dough and roll it out with your rollin' pin. Then cut the dough in big squares. Lay them on your buttered cookie sheet. Prick holes in them so they will lay flat when they bake. I would bake these in about a 350° temp. I used to make these and add seasoning salt and garlic. They can be stored in a dry container and will stay good for at least a few weeks. All of the old time mothers used to make crackers. It was just part of being a housewife. They are just like a flat bread, I guess.
Also, ya know, dear Housewives, yeast is a living thing. Some days your bread won't rise like it should or will be doughy in the middle. That's not always your fault. Yeast is alive and will react to the weather or even to the spiritual temperature of the household. A lot of women love to knead bread when they are mad. They think it gets rid of their pressures. But I would never make bread unless I am right with my home and family. I think making the family loaf of bread takes a lot of lovin' and Joy. I think yeast reacts to Joy.
And ya know? Bread dough sometimes just won't knead up and get smooth like you hoped. So when this happens to 'em, I make bread rolls. Just make the dough into round balls and let 'em rise. Roll dough is usually a softer dough. So just make rolls instead of bread. Your bread dough should be a harder, stiffer dough.
Happy Baking.
Warm Happy Kitchens
Mothers who have busy, warm kitchens and happy hearts can make good bread. Your yeast is alive and loves to be warm and active. I think old houses seem to make good bread. I think it is because of all of the other yeasts in the house. Yeast is in the air and a housewife can learn to harness and use whatever yeast she needs. You can ferment fruit to make a wine yeast and then just keep using that to make wine. Or like a sour dough starter is harvesting yeast for bread and rolls. I know this house is loaded with yeast of all kinds. The old time mothers knew all of this and used what she had to make her food.
But I usually tell a young mom that if she can't make a good family bread, it was because she didn't love it enough. A happy kitchen with steaming soup simmering on the stove and the coffee pot perkin' is a joyful place to make bread. Your bread won't rise in a cold kitchen and if is too hot, it will die.
The old time mothers used to sing in their kitchens. An old friend of mine used to say that her Mom always sang a certain song when she made bread. When she got done with all of the verses, then she knew the bread had been kneaded enough. My friend thought as a child that the song was a part of the recipe. So when she grew up and was a young bride in her own kitchen, she thought she had to sing the same song, so she did.
In the old days, when the family needed to be cheered up, Mother seemed to be the inspiration to get them up and going. Mother would announce, "Well, you all are hungry I will fix supper." Maybe the afternoon was quiet and not much goin' on. But as Mother would get up to put her apron on, things would begin to move about again. She would scurry the children about to pick up their games and get ready for supper. She would tell the boys to bring in the wood for her cook stove and some for the fireplace. Mama would tell the girls to help peel potatoes. And pretty soon, the family would smell Mama's biscuits and fried meat on the stove. Last of all, before the family sat down to supper, Mother would stir the gravy. As she stirred, she would tell the girls to set the table and slice the bread. Light the lamp on the table and call Papa in for supper. Mealtime was an event -- a time to fellowship with the family.
After supper, Mother would set out a sponge, a starter for bread making for the next day. After the supper dishes were done and the girls dried them and put them away, the table was cleared and Mother got out her mending. Papa read the evening paper and the children played games and did homework. The winter kitchen was the warmest place in the house and the family stayed in there and kept warm.
