Health, or, How to Live

BREAD. UNLEAVENED BREAD

GEMS. — Into cold water stir Graham flour sufficient to make a batter about the same consistency as that used for ordinary griddle cakes. Bake in a hot oven, in the cast-iron bread pans. The pans should be heated before putting in the batter. HHTL 32.1

NOTE. — This makes delicious bread. No definite rule as to the proportions of flour and water can be given, owing to the difference in the absorbing proportion of various kinds of flour. If too thin, the cakes will be hollow; if too thick, not so light. A little experience will enable any person to approximate the right proportions with sufficient exactness. The flour should be stirred into the water very slowly, in the same manner as in making mush. If hard water is used, they are apt to be slightly tough. A small quantity of sweet milk will remedy this defect. HHTL 32.2

GRAHAM BISCUIT. — Pour boiling water on Graham flour, stirring rapidly till all the flour is wet. Too much stirring makes it tough. It should be about as thick as can be stirred easily with a strong iron spoon. Place the dough, with plenty of flour, upon the moulding board, form it into a roll, and slice with a knife into cakes three-fourths of an inch thick, and bake in a hot oven. HHTL 32.3

GRAHAM BISCUIT. — (Another form.) Stir into cold water Graham flour enough for a rather soft dough; knead it five minutes, roll three-fourths of an inch thick, and cut into cakes with a common biscuit cutter. Bake from twenty to thirty minutes in a hot oven. HHTL 32.4

WHEAT MEAL CRISPS. — Make a very stiff dough of Graham flour and cold water; knead thoroughly, roll very thin, and bake from ten to twenty minutes in a hot oven. HHTL 32.5

STEAMED BREAD. — Make mush as for the table — Graham, hominy, or corn-meal mush — as preferred. When cool, to one quart add one pint of hot, boiled potatoes mashed through a colander, half a cup of molasses, one tea-cup of boiling milk, and equal parts of Indian meal and Graham or rye flour sufficient to make a rather soft dough. Place it in a deep basin or pan; smooth it evenly over the top; cover it tightly and steam four hours. HHTL 32.6

RYE AND INDIAN BREAD. — Take one part rye meal, or coarse wheat meal, and two parts of Indian; pour boiling water, or sweet milk, over the Indian, and stir it till the whole is sufficiently wet to work in the meal without adding any more water, and then, when about milk warm, work in the meal. Should the dough be too stiff, add as much warm, but not hot, water as may be necessary; bake in a round iron dish from three to five hours. This bread, when new, or a day or two old, may be sliced and toasted; it is very sweet and wholesome. The crust is apt to fall off; this may be wet in water and put in a stone jar with some moderately tart apples, peeled and sliced, nicely covering the apples with the crust; then add a little water, and cover the dish with a tightly fitting cover; set it on the stove till the apples are cooked, and then take the crust off into the plates; sweeten the apples to suit the taste, and spread it over the crust. This is an excellent dish, if care has been taken to prevent burning the crust. HHTL 33.1

CORN BREAD. — One pint of corn meal, one quart of milk; boil the milk and scald the meal thoroughly; beat up three eggs; thin your dough to a batter with cold milk; add a piece of butter half as large as an egg; put in your eggs, with a little salt, pour in shallow pans, and bake brown. HHTL 33.2

CORN CAKE. — Pour one quart boiling water on one quart corn meal, and stir quickly. Wet the hands, and form the dough into small round cakes one-half of an inch thick. Bake in a hot oven. The addition of a few raspberries, huckleberries, or any sub-acid fruit, is a decided improvement. Sweet apples, chopped fine, are also excellent. HHTL 33.3

CORN MEAL GEMS. — Stir slowly into one quart of new milk, corn meal sufficient to make a thin batter. Bake in a hot oven in the bread pans. HHTL 33.4

SNOW CAKE. — Take one part of Indian meal and two parts of dry snow; or if the snow be moist, use equal parts of meal and snow; add little sugar; mix well in a cold room. Fill the pans rounding full, and bake immediately in a very hot oven. This makes an excellent cake. HHTL 33.5

RUSK. — Bread and crackers which are too old for the table, may be used for this. Dry them thoroughly in an oven; when dry, break in a mortar and grind coarsely in a hand or coffee mill. It can be eaten when soaked in milk or warm water, and is relished by almost every one. This is a standard article for the table. HHTL 34.1

FINE FLOUR GEMS. — Gems made of fine flour in the same manner as of Graham, the batter being rather stiffer, however, say about like ordinary bread sponge, and baked in the bread pans, are as light, and far sweeter, than any soda biscuit, and by all who have tasted them, are pronounced excellent. HHTL 34.2

PUFFS. — One pint of sweet milk, three eggs, twelve heaping tablespoonfuls of fine flour. Beat the eggs thoroughly, make a smooth paste of the flour and part of the milk, add the eggs and the remainder of the milk, and bake in the bread pans in a quick oven. HHTL 34.3