Fill a bread steamer about half full of water, and lay the dry bread on
it, and set it on the fire, where it will steam the bread from half to
three-quarters of an hour; then wrap the bread in a towel, and let it
remain till dry. In this way, bread that is old and dry may be made
moist and good. Where a steamer cannot be procured, soak the bread in
cold water till it has absorbed sufficient water to be moist
inside--then put it in a bake pan, without any cover, and heat it very
hot. If broken pieces of bread are put in the oven, five or six hours
after baking, and rusked, they will keep good a long time. Sour heavy
bread, treated in this manner, will make very decent cakes and puddings,
provided there is enough saleratus used in making them to correct the
acidity of the bread. Rich cake, that has wine or brandy in it, will
remain good in cold weather several months, if it is kept in a cool, dry
place. The day in which it is to be eaten, put it in a cake pan, and set
it in a bake pan that has half a pint of water in it--set on the
bake-pan cover, and let the cake bake till it is heated very hot. Let it
get cold before cutting it.