rge refrigerator in a
temperature of 44 degrees and should not be kept longer in the home
than three days in Summer or six days in Winter, and should always be
kept in a cool place until used, if the cook would have success when
using.

Use the best hard, Spring wheat flour obtainable for baking bread, or
any sponge raised with yeast, as this flour contains a greater
quantity of gluten and makes bread of high nutritive value.

Winter wheat maybe used for cake-making and for baking pastry with
excellent results, although costing less than Spring wheat.

Always sift flour before using, when setting sponge for bread. When
mixing sponge use one quart liquid to about three pounds of flour.
"Aunt Sarah" always cut several gashes with a sharp knife on top of
loaves when ready to be placed in oven. She also made several cuts
across the top of loaves with a hot knife when set to rise to allow
gas to escape. If an impression made on a loaf of bread with the
finger remains, the bread is light. If the dent disappears, then the
loaf is not light enough to be placed in the oven; give it more time
to rise. An experienced cook, noted for the excellence and size of her
loaves of bread, said she always inverted a pail over the pan
containing loaves of bread when set to rise, and allowed the bread to
remain covered after being placed in the oven. Loaves will rise to a
greater height if this is done. Remove the covering to allow loaves to
brown a short time before taking them from the oven. "Aunt Sarah"
frequently placed four loaves in her large roasting pan, covered the
pan, when set to rise, and allowed the cover to remain until loaves
were nearly baked. She brushed the top and sides of loaves with melted
butter when set to rise to allow of their being broken apart easily. A
more crusty loaf is secured by placing each loaf singly in
medium-sized bread tins.

Aunt Sarah considered Fleischman's compressed yeast the best
commercial yeast in use, both quick and reliable, but thought better
bread was never made than that made by her mother, as she had been
taught to make it in years past, by the old-fashioned and slower
"sponge method." She was invariably successful in making sweet,
wholesome bread in that manner. She used home-made potato yeast or
"cornmeal yeast cakes," under different names, always with good
results.

Good bread may be made either by the old-fashioned "sponge" method or
"straight." Sponge method consists of a batter