Although many recipes included in this section may seem, at first glance, to be unsuitable for breakfast on account of the length of time taken for rising, there are ways in which the time can be considerably shortened.

A competent authority says that any mixture for rolls or muffins can be made ready for its second rising at night, and kept over night in any place where the dough will not freeze, or where the temperature is not so high as to cause too rapid rising and consequent souring of the dough.

Moreover, rolls or muffins may be baked in the afternoon until done thoroughly, but not brown, wrapped in a cloth, and put away in a cool place. In the morning, they need only to be rubbed with melted butter and set into a hot oven for a very few moments. They will come out crisp and flaky, and free from all objections on the score of indigestibility. Bread twice baked is always much more digestible than fresh bread.

Brioche, the most delicious of all hot breads, needs to stand in the refrigerator over night, and the second process is a quick one when the paste is once made. The paste will keep a week or more in a very cold place, and be the better for it. It is a French dough, for which many complicated recipes are given, but the following will be found satisfactory, and not difficult after one or two trials.

BRIOCHE PASTE

One cake of compressed yeast, a pinch of salt, one and one fourth cupfuls of butter, four cupfuls of flour, one tablespoonful of sugar, two tablespoonfuls of warm water, and seven eggs. Dissolve the yeast in the water, adding a little more water if necessary, and rubbing the yeast cake with a spoon until thoroughly dissolved. Stir in enough sifted flour to make a stiff dough, rolling and patting with the hands until thoroughly mixed. Drop this ball of paste into a kettle of warm water and let stand in a moderate temperature until it has a little more than doubled in bulk. (Some recipes for Brioche say that the ball of paste should be light enough to float.) Put the remainder of the four cupfuls of flour into a mixing bowl, add the sugar, salt, and butter, softened but not melted, and four of the eggs, unbeaten. With the hand mix carefully to a paste, beat smooth, and add the rest of the eggs, unbeaten, one at a time. Take the ball of paste, when light, out of the warm water with a skimmer, and, still using the hand, incorporate it carefully with the egg mixture, folding the two together as lightly as possible. Let rise, in a moderate temperature, until double in bulk. Then turn the paste on a floured board and pat and fold with the hands until smooth in texture and inclined to stay in shape. Let rise once more until very light, then put into the refrigerator and let stand over night.

BRIOCHE ROLLS

Roll a large lump of Brioche dough into a thin sheet on a floured board or pastry slab, working lightly and quickly, spread with softened butter, and fold so that the paste will be in three layers. Cut in strips an inch wide and twist, working from the ends, and arrange in circles on a baking-sheet, the ends of the strips pointing inward. The rolls should be very close together in the pan. Beat the yolk of an egg, dilute it with as much milk, and brush the rolls with the mixture. Let them rise a few minutes, then bake about half an hour in a moderate oven. A little sugar and water may be spread over the tops if desired.

BRIOCHE BUNS

Shape the chilled paste into small balls, and put a bit of citron or a few raisins on the top of each one. Let rise a few moments and bake half an hour in a moderate oven.

BRIOCHE BREAKFAST CAKE

Butter a round cake-tin which has a tube in the centre, fill it half full of chilled Brioche paste, and let rise till the pan is two thirds full. Bake in a moderate oven and turn out. It should be torn apart with the fingers—not cut.

BATH BUNS

Dissolve a cake of yeast in two cupfuls of warm water. Add enough flour to make a moderately stiff sponge, let rise about two hours. Cream together one half cupful each of butter and sugar, add one cupful of lukewarm milk, a pinch of salt, and two eggs, well beaten. Mix with the sponge, let rise an hour longer, then knead, shape into buns, arrange close together in a baking-pan, and let rise till very light. Bake in a moderate oven.

ENGLISH BATH BUNS

Dissolve half a cake of compressed yeast in one cupful of milk, and add two cupfuls of flour, or enough to make a sponge. Let rise until light, then add two thirds of a cupful of melted butter and four eggs, well beaten. Knead and let rise again for about an hour. Make into balls the size of a small apple and press into each one some currants and bits of candied peel. Let rise ten or fifteen minutes in a warm place, sprinkle with sugar, and bake.

HOT CROSS BUNS

Rub one half cupful of butter into eight cupfuls of sifted flour, then add half a cake of compressed yeast dissolved in three cupfuls of scalded milk. Let rise two hours. Work into the sponge one cupful of sugar, one cupful of cleaned currants, and half a nutmeg grated. Knead, shape into buns, arrange in pans, score deeply with a cross, brush with butter, and let rise fifteen minutes. Bake forty-five minutes in a brisk oven. This is the genuine English recipe, and the buns are good at any time, but the cross is made only on Good Friday, or for Easter.

RISEN MUSH MUFFINS

One cupful of hominy, cerealine, corn-meal mush, oatmeal, rice, or other left-over cooked cereal, one teaspoonful of butter, one tablespoonful of sugar, one pinch of salt, one fourth of a cake of yeast (compressed) dissolved in one cupful of scalded milk, and two cupfuls of sifted flour. Mix thoroughly and let rise over night. In the morning, beat well and fill well-buttered muffin-pans half full. Let rise until double in bulk, then bake half an hour.

FINGER ROLLS

Mix one cupful of scalded milk with one tablespoonful of butter. When cool, add a teaspoonful of sugar, a pinch of salt, and one half cake of yeast dissolved in half a cupful of warm water. Add enough flour to make a soft dough—about three cupfuls. Mix thoroughly, knead for fifteen minutes, and set to rise in a warm place for three or four hours. When light, knead again, shape into balls, and roll into cylinders on a floured board, pointing the ends. Arrange in a shallow pan, and let rise until double in size—about an hour—glaze with beaten egg, and bake fifteen minutes in a hot oven.

SOUTHERN ROLLS

Six cupfuls of flour, two eggs, one cake of compressed yeast, one cupful of milk, two tablespoonfuls of lard, melted, and a teaspoonful of salt. Mix as other sponges, let rise five hours, knead, shape into rolls, let rise two hours longer, and bake about twenty minutes.

FRENCH ROLLS

Eight cupfuls of flour, four eggs, four teaspoonfuls of sugar, one tablespoonful of butter, one cake of compressed yeast dissolved in two cupfuls of milk. Mix like other sponges, let rise until light, knead, shape, let rise the second time, and bake in a moderate oven.

KENTUCKY ROLLS

Four cupfuls of flour, one tablespoonful of sugar, one teaspoonful of salt, two eggs, half a cupful of lard, and half a cake of compressed yeast. Mix the lard, sugar, and flour, then stir in the other ingredients, the yeast being dissolved in a little water, and add enough milk or warm water to make a thin batter. Let rise in a warm place, then add enough flour to make a stiff dough, and let rise again. When light, knead, shape, and put to rise for a third time. Bake in a quick oven.

ALABAMA ROLLS

Rub two hot baked potatoes through a colander. Stir in one cupful of melted butter, two eggs well beaten, half a cake of compressed yeast, dissolved, and mixed with one cupful of sifted flour. Work with the hand into a smooth sponge, and let rise three hours. Then work into the sponge two cupfuls of sifted flour and let rise five hours longer. Knead, make into roll shape, set to rise two hours more, and bake.

CORN ROLLS

To four cupfuls of well-salted hot corn-meal mush add one cupful of mixed butter and lard and half a cupful of sugar. When cool, add one cake of compressed yeast dissolved in a little warm water, and set to rise in a warm place. When light, work in enough sifted flour to make a stiff dough, knead thoroughly, and let rise again. Late at night, knead again and set in a cool place over night. In the morning, roll and cut out like biscuit. Spread half of each circle with softened butter and roll the other half over it. Let rise a few moments and bake. If the weather is very warm, add a teaspoonful of soda, dissolved in a little warm water, to the sponge.

PARKER HOUSE ROLLS

Dissolve one cake of compressed yeast in one cupful of lukewarm water, and add enough flour to make a thin batter. Put this sponge in a warm place to rise. Add one tablespoonful of lard, one tablespoonful of butter, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, and one teaspoonful of salt to two cupfuls of milk, and bring to the boil. Take from the fire and let cool. When the sponge is light stir in the milk, and add enough sifted flour to make a dough, usually about eight cupfuls, though the thickening qualities of various brands of flour vary greatly. Knead for fifteen or twenty minutes, then set to rise until very light. Shape, place in a baking-pan, let rise once more, and when light bake in a quick oven.

WHOLE WHEAT ROLLS

One teaspoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of sugar, one tablespoonful of butter, one cake of compressed yeast, one cupful of scalded milk, and three cupfuls of whole wheat flour. Add the salt, sugar, and butter to the scalded milk. Dissolve the yeast in two tablespoonfuls of warm water and add to the milk when it has cooled. Add half of the flour and beat hard for ten minutes, then work in the rest of the flour. Set it to rise for two hours. Roll out into a sheet an inch thick and cut into small rolls. Place close together in a well-buttered baking-pan, and let rise from fifteen to thirty minutes. Bake fifteen or twenty minutes in a quick oven. Brush with an egg-white beaten with a little milk if a glossy surface is desired. This should be done about ten minutes before taking out of the oven.

SWEDISH ROLLS

Use any plain roll mixture. When shaping for the last rising, roll the dough very thin, spread with softened butter, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and add a few cleaned currants, bits of citron, and stoned raisins. Roll the dough like jelly cake, cut in half-inch slices from the ends, arrange flat in a well-buttered pan, let rise until double in bulk, and bake as usual.

PARIS ROLLS

Four cupfuls of milk, one half cake of compressed yeast, six cupfuls of flour, and the yolks of two eggs, well beaten. Mix thoroughly and set the sponge to rise. When it is very light, work into it two tablespoonfuls of melted butter, one whole egg, well beaten, one teaspoonful of salt, and half a teaspoonful of baking soda dissolved in hot water, one tablespoonful of white sugar, and enough sifted flour to make a soft dough. Let rise five hours. Roll out, shape into balls, score each one deeply crosswise with a sharp knife, and arrange close together in a well-buttered baking-pan. Let rise for an hour or more and bake about half an hour. This recipe makes a large number of rolls. They may be taken from the oven when beginning to turn brown and wrapped in a cloth. Five minutes in a hot oven, if brushed first with melted butter, will render them crisp, flaky, and very digestible.

RUSK

Two cupfuls of flour, two cupfuls of sugar, one cupful of melted lard, half a cake of compressed yeast, dissolved in a little warm water, and three cupfuls of lukewarm water. Make into a batter, let rise all day in a warm place. At night work into the sponge six cupfuls of sifted flour and two eggs, well beaten. Let rise over night in a moderately cool place. In the morning, shape the dough into rolls, let rise a few minutes in a warm place, and bake. The dough should be soft. These rolls may be sprinkled with sugar and spice.

GEORGIA RUSK

One cupful of milk, scalded and cooled, one tablespoonful of sugar, one teaspoonful of salt, one quarter of a cake of compressed yeast, dissolved in the milk, and two cupfuls of sifted flour. Set the sponge, and, when light, work into it half a cupful of melted butter, half a cupful of sugar, and one well-beaten egg. When very light, shape into small pointed rolls and let rise again. Brush with milk and egg and sprinkle with sugar just before baking.

SOUTHERN SALLY LUNN

Four cupfuls of flour, three eggs, one teaspoonful of butter, one cake of compressed yeast, and two cupfuls of milk. Beat the yolks of the eggs until very light. Stir in the butter, flour, and milk, the yeast being dissolved in the milk. Beat the whites to a stiff froth and add last. Set to rise, and when light bake in well-buttered muffin-tins.

SOUTHERN SALLY LUNN—II

Four cupfuls of flour, one teaspoonful of salt, two cupfuls of milk, one half cupful of sugar, and one cake of compressed yeast, dissolved in the milk. Make a batter and let rise in a warm place about three hours. Then work into it gradually five eggs, beaten separately, and one half cupful of melted butter. Add flour enough to make a stiff batter, fill buttered muffin-tins two thirds full, let rise, and bake.

SOUTHERN SALLY LUNN—III

Three cupfuls of flour, three eggs, one cake of compressed yeast dissolved in two cupfuls of milk, one half cupful of melted butter, and one tablespoonful of sugar. Beat well together into a stiff batter and let rise five or six hours. Then add a little warm water in which half a teaspoonful of baking soda has been dissolved, and pour the batter into a well-buttered cake-pan having a tube in the centre. Bake about three quarters of an hour and serve hot. It should be torn apart, not cut.

ZWIEBACK

One cake of compressed yeast dissolved in one cupful of scalded milk, a pinch of salt, and enough sifted flour to make a soft dough. Let rise until very light, then stir in one fourth of a cupful of melted butter, one fourth of a cupful of sugar, and one unbeaten egg. Mix thoroughly, and sift in enough more flour to make a smooth, elastic dough. Shape into a loaf and let rise until very light. A Russian-iron bread-pan holding one loaf is best for Zwieback. Let it rise once more until very light, then bake in a quick oven. Glaze with sugar dissolved in milk just before taking from the oven. When the loaf is cold, cut in half-inch slices and place in an open oven until golden-brown, dry, and crisp.