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 mixed from liquid yeast (usually home-made potato yeast is used) and a small part of the flour required for making the bread.  This batter was usually set to rise at night and mixed up in the centre of a quantity of flour, in an old-fashioned wooden dough tray.  The following morning enough flour was kneaded in to form a dough, and when well-raised and light, this dough was formed into loaves and placed in pans for the final rising.  The more easily and more quickly made “straight” dough, when using Fleischman’s compressed yeast, is mixed in the morning and all the ingredients necessary are added at one time.  It is then set to rise and, when the dough has doubled in bulk, it is kneaded down and when risen to once and half its size, shaped into loaves, placed in pans to rise and, when risen to top of pans, bake.

Better bread may be made from flour not freshly milled.  Flour should be kept in a dry place; it improves with moderate age.  Stand flour in a warm place to dry out several hours before using if you would have good bread.