hour or until doubled in bulk. Then knead down and form into
a shapely loaf, place in a pan, brush melted butter over lop (this
improves crust), and when raised, doubled in bulk (in about one hour),
place in a moderately hot oven and bake from 40 to 45 minutes. Raisins
may be added to this loaf, if liked. Mary preferred this oatmeal loaf
to graham bread.

The sponge or batter from which this oatmeal-loaf was made had been
prepared in the following manner:

To 1-1/2 cups of luke-warm potato water was added 1 teaspoonful of
sugar, 1 cake of yeast; when dissolved, add 1-1/2 cups of white bread
flour. Beat all together well, stand closely-covered in a warm place
until the following morning. From one cup of this sponge was made one
oatmeal loaf, and to the other cup of sponge white flour was added for
a loaf of white bread or rolls.

AUNT SARAH'S WHITE BREAD (SPONGE METHOD)

Prepare the following "Yeast Sponge" at noon, the day preceding that
on which you bake bread: Place in a bowl (after the mid-day meal) 1
quart of potato water (containing no salt), in which potatoes were
boiled; also two medium-sized, finely-mashed potatoes, 1 tablespoonful
of sugar and, when luke warm, add 1 cup of good home-made or baker's
yeast. Mix all well together; then divide this mixture and pour each
half into each of two 1-quart glass fruit jars. Place covers tightly
on jars and shake each jar well, to mix yeast and potato-water
thoroughly. Stand yeast in a warm place near the kitchen range over
night. Jars should be _covered only_ with a napkin. The sponge should
become light and foamy. In the morning use this freshly-prepared yeast
to set sponge for bread.

When preparing to set bread, place in a large bowl 1 pint of potato
water, 1 tablespoonful of sugar, 1 pint of the yeast sponge, 1/2
teaspoonful of salt, and use about 3 pounds of sifted flour,
well-dried and warmed. Knead from 15 to 20 minutes, until a stiff
dough is formed. The dough should be fine-grained and elastic and not
stick to bake board. Place dough in the bowl to rise; this should lake
about four hours. When well-risen and light knead down and set to rise
again, about 1-1/2 hours. When light, mold into three large, shapely
loaves; place in pans and allow to stand one hour. When loaves have
doubled in bulk, are very light and show signs of cracking, invert a
pan over top of loaves (if that was not done when loaves were put in
pans), and place in a rather hot oven to bake