arm soft water to enable you to work the whole into a firm,
compact dough, and after having kneaded this with your fists until it
becomes stiff and comparatively tough, shake a little flour over it, and
again cover it in with a blanket to keep it warm, in order to assist its
fermentation. If properly managed, the fermentation will be accomplished
in rather less than half an hour. Meanwhile that the bread is being thus
far prepared, you will have heated your oven to a satisfactory degree of
heat, with a sufficient quantity of dry, small wood faggots; and when
all the wood is burnt, sweep out the oven clean and free from all ashes.
Divide your dough into four-pound loaves, knead them into round shapes,
making a hole at the top with your thumb, and immediately put them out
of hand into the oven to bake, closing the oven-door upon them. In about
two hours' time they will be thoroughly baked, and are then to be taken
out of the oven, and allowed to become quite cold before they are put
away in the cupboard.

No. 132. YORKSHIRE PIE-CLATES FOR TEA.

Ingredients, one pound of flour, two ounces of grocer's currants, three
gills of milk, and a pinch of baking-powder. Mix the above ingredients
together in a pan into a firm, smooth, compact paste. Divide this into
eight equal parts, roll each into a ball with the hand previously dipped
in flour, then roll them out with a rolling-pin, with a little flour
shaken on the table to prevent the paste from sticking, to the size of a
tea-saucer, and bake the pie-clates upon a griddle-iron fixed over a
clear fire to the upper bar of the grate. In about two or three minutes'
time they will be done on the underside; they must then be turned over
that they may be also baked on the other side, then taken off the
griddle-iron, placed on a plate, and a little butter spread upon each as
they are done out of hand.

No. 133. HARD BISCUITS.

Ingredients, one pound of flour, half a pint of hot milk, a tea-spoonful
of salt, a pinch of baking-powder; bake them a quarter of an hour. Mix
the above ingredients into a firm paste, well kneaded until it becomes
quite tough; then let the paste rest covered over with a cloth for half
an hour, after which it is to be divided into eight equal parts, rolled
out to the size of tea-saucers, placed upon baking-tins, pricked all
over with a fork, and baked in a brisk oven for about fifteen minutes.

No. 134. GINGERBREAD NUTS.

Ingredients, one pound of flou