d-Book." By Eliza Acton.
London: Longman.] and will be found very useful to our readers:--

1693. The first thing required for making wholesome bread is the utmost
cleanliness; the next is the soundness and sweetness of all the
ingredients used for it; and, in addition to these, there must be
attention and care through the whole process.

1694. An almost certain way of spoiling dough is to leave it half-made,
and to allow it to become cold before it is finished. The other most
common causes of failure are using yeast which is no longer sweet, or
which has been frozen, or has had hot liquid poured over it.

1695. Too small a proportion of yeast, or insufficient time allowed for
the dough to rise, will cause the bread to be heavy.

1696. Heavy bread will also most likely be the result of making the
dough very hard, and letting it become quite, cold, particularly in
winter.

1697. If either the sponge or the dough be permitted to overwork itself,
that is to say, if the mixing and kneading be neglected when it has
reached the proper point for either, sour bread will probably be the
consequence in warm weather, and bad bread in any. The goodness will
also be endangered by placing it so near a fire as to make any part of
it hot, instead of maintaining the gentle and equal degree of heat
required for its due fermentation.

1698. MILK OR BUTTER.--Milk which is not perfectly sweet will not only
injure the flavour of the bread, but, in sultry weather, will often
cause it to be quite uneatable; yet either of them, if fresh and good,
will materially improve its quality.

1699. To keep bread sweet and fresh, as soon as it is cold it should be
put into a clean earthen pan, with a cover to it: this pan should be
placed at a little distance from the ground, to allow a current of air
to pass underneath. Some persons prefer keeping bread on clean wooden
shelves, without being covered, that the crust may not soften. Stale
bread may be freshened by warming it through in a gentle oven. Stale
pastry, cakes, &c., may also be improved by this method.

1700. The utensils required for making bread, on a moderate scale, are a
kneading-trough or pan, sufficiently large that the dough may be kneaded
freely without throwing the flour over the edges, and also to allow for
its rising; a hair sieve for straining yeast, and one or two strong
spoons.

1701. Yeast must always be good of its kind, and in a fitting state to
produce ready and prop