Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/54

 every woman, be she ever so wealthy, has some time or other to do her own cooking and housework, or else to teach her servants how to do it, it is essentially necessary all should have a practical knowledge of bread-making, if of nothing else, for it very often happens that, though a girl may be able to cook fairly well, she is totally ignorant of yeast and bread-making. By simple I do not mean what is usually called “plain cooking,” and which, according to the general servant of the present day, means roasting, boiling, and frying. “I can do plain cooking,” is quite a common phrase with a general servant, when you ask her can she cook; and, in most cases, the mistress very soon discovers that the girl’s knowledge is, indeed of the plainest. By simple cookery, I mean inexpensive dishes, quickly made, wholesome, toothsome, and suitable for men, women, and children. Frequently the most tempting dishes, and those which most attract the eye, are very simple. One sees and tastes a delicious pudding at a friend’s table; it looks complicated, but tastes so well that you beg the recipe, and try it. In some instances you succeed, but in many more you fail, and simply through some very slight error in the mixing of materials, or possibly a drop too much or too little flavouring. It is wonderful how small a matter will spoil a delicious dainty.

Bread-making is really of the utmost importance, and yet, as I said before, so few young women can make a good loaf. I would suggest to fathers who have several daughters, that they offer a prize for the best loaf; or do as a friend of my own did—give £1 to each one who made bread for the household for one week. Of course they must make the yeast as well. One would think bread-making very simple, yet I have met ladies who could not make a good batch, try as they would, and simple as it is. Nearly every one has a different way of making it. Many years ago, more than I care to count, indeed, I was staying on a station with five other young ladies. The servant left quite suddenly, so, of course, we all volunteered to help with the house-work. I had the cooking to do, being the only one who would undertake that department. When I set my first batch of bread, all the other girls prophesied that it would be a failure, as it was made differently from their way. For the sake of curiosity each of the others made a batch of bread. No two set about the work in the same way, and yet all the bread was beautiful. The old fashion used to be to knead the dough for a great length of time. That is done away with, except by a very few, who still stick to all the old fashions. I think—indeed, have proved—that bread, like pastry, cannot be got out of hand too quickly. The more you work it the closer it must become; and the quicker it is all done with and put into the oven,