1 quart warm water.
6 tablespoonfuls baker’s yeast.
2 tablespoonfuls lard.
2 tablespoonfuls white sugar.
1 teaspoonful soda.
Flour to make a soft batter.
Melt the lard in the warm water, add the sugar, then the flour by
degrees, stirring in smoothly. A quart and a pint of flour will usually
be sufficient if the quality is good. Next comes the yeast, lastly the
soda. Beat up hard for several minutes, and set to rise as above.
Bread mixed with potato-sponge is more nutritious, keeps fresh longer,
and is sweeter than that made with the plainer sponge, But there
are certain seasons of the year when good _old_ potatoes cannot be
procured, and new ones will not do for this purpose.
The potato-sponge is safer, because surer for beginners in the
important art of bread-making. After using it for fifteen years, I
regard it as almost infallible—given the conditions of good flour,
yeast, kneading, and baking.