"A POTATO PRETZEL."
In the early part of September Mary's Aunt suggested she try to win
the prize offered at the Farmers' Picnic in a near-by town for the
best "Raised Potato Cake." Aunt Sarah's rye bread invariably captured
first prize, and she proposed sending both bread and cake with Sibylla
and Jake, who never missed picnic or fair within a radius of one
hundred miles.
[Illustration: "POTATO PRETZEL"]
Mary set a sponge the evening of the day preceding that of the picnic,
using recipe for "Perfection Potato Cake," which Aunt Sarah considered
her best recipe for raised cakes, as 'twas one used by her mother for
many years.
On the day of the picnic, Mary arose at five o'clock, and while her
Aunt was busily engaged setting sponge for her loaf of rye bread, Mary
kneaded down the "potato cake" sponge, set to rise the previous
evening, now rounded over top of bowl and light as a feather.
She filled a couple of pans with buns, molded from the dough, and set
them to rise. She then, under her Aunt's direction, fashioned the
"Pretzel" as follows: She placed a piece of the raised dough on a
large, well-floured bake board, rolled it over and over with both
hands until a long, narrow roll or strip was formed about the width of
two fingers in thickness and placed this strip carefully on the baking
sheet, which was similar to the one on which Aunt Sarah baked rye
bread; shaped the dough to form a figure eight (8) or pretzel,
allowing about two inches of space on either side of baking sheet to
allow for raising. She then cut a piece of dough into three portions,
rolled each as thick as a finger, braided or plaited the three strips
together and placed carefully on top of the figure eight, or pretzel,
not meeting by a space of about two inches. This braided piece on the
top should not be quite as thick as bottom or first piece of the
pretzel. She then rolled three small pieces of dough into tiny strips
or rolls the size of small lead pencils, wound them round and round
and round into small scrolls, moistened the lower side with water to
cause them to adhere, and placed them on the dividing line between the
two halves of the figure eight. She placed an old china coffee cup
without a handle, buttered on outside, in centre of each half of the
figure eight, which kept the pretzel from spreading over the pan. With
a small, new paint brush she brushed over the top of Pretzel and Buns,
a mixture, consisting of one yolk of egg, an equal quantity of cream
or milk (which should be lukewarm so as not to chill the raised dough)
and one tablespoon of sugar. This causes the cakes, etc., to be a rich
brown when baked, a result to be obtained in no other manner.
When the pretzel was raised and had doubled in size 'twas baked in a
moderately hot oven.
Mary's surprise and delight may easily be imagined when Sibylla, on
her return from the picnic, handed her the prize she had won, a
two-pound box of chocolates, remarking, "Mary, you and Aunt Sarah both
got a prize--her's is in the box what Jake's got."
The box on being opened by Aunt Sarah contained a very pretty,
silver-plated soup ladle, the prize offered for the best loaf of rye
bread.
"Aunt Sarah," inquired Mary one day, "do you think it pays a
housekeeper to bake her own bread?"
[Illustration: THE OLD STORE ON RIDGE ROAD]
"Certainly, it pays, my dear. From a barrel of flour may be baked
three hundred or more one-pound loaves of bread; should you pay five
cents a loaf, the bread which may be made from one barrel of flour if
bought from a bake shop would cost you fifteen dollars. Now, you add
to the cost of a barrel of flour a couple of dollars for yeast, salt,
etc., which altogether would not possibly be more than ten dollars,
and you see the housewife has saved five dollars. It is true it is
extra work for the housewife, but good, wholesome bread is such an
important item, especially in a large family, I should advise the
thrifty housekeeper to bake her own bread and bake less pie and cake,
or eliminate less important duties, to be able to find time to bake
bread. From the bread sponge may be made such a number of good, plain
cakes by the addition of currants or raisins, which are more wholesome
and cheaper than richer cakes."
"I think what you say is true, Aunt Sarah," said Mary.
"Frau Schmidt always bakes her own bread, and she tells me she sets a
sponge or batter for white bread, and by the addition of Graham
flour, cornmeal or oatmeal, always has a variety on her table with a
small expenditure of time and money."
[Illustration: A "BROD CORVEL" OR BREAD BASKET]