James & Lucretia Garfield's Recipes
MRS. GARFIELD'S WHITE LOAF BREAD
1 c. scalded milk
1 c. hot water
1-1/2 T. lard or unsalted butter
1 yeast cake, crumbled over 1 T. sugar
6-1/2 c. bread flour
1 T. sugar
2-1/2 tsp. salt
Crumble yeast cake over sugar, and let it stand to liquefy. Put lard or butter in large
mixing bowl; add hot water, 1 T. sguar, salt and scalded milk. Cool
to lukewarm (85-degrees). Add yeast mixture and mix well. Sift in half of the
flour, beating well.
Now add remainder of the flour, mixing by hand. When dough begins to
leave sides of bowl, turn out on lightly floured pastry cloth or board.
Cover with a cloth, and let it stand for 10 to 15 minutes.
Knead by folding dough toward you and pressing with heel of hand, giving a
slight turn. Repeat until dough becomes smooth, elastic and satiny. Air
blisters will appear, and the dough will no longer stick to the board. Knead lightly for
about 10 minutes; then shape into large ball.
Grease the large bowl well with lard, and turn ball of dough over in it to cover the
surfact with grease. Cover with a damp cloth and set to raise in an area free from draft. At
a temperature of 75- to 80-degrees, it should rise.
If the room should be cold, place on a rack above warm water. Allow to double in bulk, but
do not let it over-rise or you will have a sour, coarse bread. The rising takes about 2 hours.
Now punch the dough down with a floured fist. Work edges to the center, turn bottom to the
top. Turn out on board and divide into 4 equal portions. Shape by turning edges under, and leave on
board covered with a cloth for another 10 minutes.
Take 2 heavy loaf pans (5x9-iknch); shape the twin loaves by folding
edges under, and shape into a rectangle. Place 2 shapes of dough into
each pan.
Preheat oven to 450-degrees. A gain cover loaves with damp cloth, and
let rise in warm place until not quite double in bulk. Bke for 10
minutes; then reduce heat to 350-degree and bake for 30 minutes longer.
When it is done, bread should shrink from sides of pan. Before
removeing from oven, brush crust lightly with melted butter. Close
oven door and in a few minutes remove from oven. Let stand for a
few minutes and turn out on a rack in a warm place away from drafts.
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