German Yeast (And Bread made with German Yeast)

Instructions

1. Know the material first: German yeast has very generally superseded English beer-yeast in London and other places conveniently placed for receiving quickly and regularly the supplies imported from abroad; but it speedily becomes putrid in sultry weather and does not in any season remain good long after its arrival, so it is unsuited for transmission to remote parts of the country.
2. Use it only while it is perfectly sweet. Bread made with it then is extremely light and good, and it answers remarkably well for light cakes and biscuits.
3. Proportions: allow an ounce of German yeast to a quartern of flour -- that is, half a gallon, or three pounds and a half -- with the addition of some salt and nearly a quart of milk, or milk and water.
4. Moisten and blend the yeast very gradually and perfectly with the warm liquid, until the whole is rendered smooth as cream. Unless this is done the dough will not be of the uniform texture it ought to be, but will be full of large hollow spaces, which are never seen in well-made bread.
5. Mix the mass up firmly and knead it well at once, then leave it to rise for about an hour.
6. Knead it thoroughly again, and again leave it to rise, from three-quarters of an hour to an hour.
7. Divide it, work it up lightly into loaves, put them into round slightly buttered earthen pans, and send them immediately to the oven.
8. Alternative: a leaven may first be laid with the yeast and part of the liquid if preferred, as directed for bread made with beer-yeast; but the result will be equally good if the whole be kneaded up at once, provided it be made quite firm.
9. Footnote (her own vouching): these are the proportions used and the exact manner of making this bread, which she had had followed for more than twelve months, with entire success.