Baking Bread with Ellen Cameron

The following story was written by Ellen Cameron and included in the 1982 edition of Golden Memories. While the 1982 edition of the book are no longer available copies of the more recent 2000 Golden Memories can be purchased at the Golden Museum.

“I thought it strange when my husband, Neil, told me that when he was a boy in Kil-mal-com, Scotland, that nobody baked their own bread. The horse drawn bread wagon made its rounds and was especially welcome on Sunday morning with the hot rolls for breakfast. I imagine his mother had to learn by trial and error when his parents, Neil and sisters arrived at the ranch his two older brother’s had located and where the most convenient trading place was Fort Steele, a good day’s journey there and back by horse and wagon.

I can’t ever remember buying bread at a grocery store. I wonder when they first stocked bakery goods. Was it when wax paper wrapping was introduced? Also, when did we get pre sliced bread? It seems to me it was after World War 11.

We were never steady bakery customers. My mother’s health was never good and after we moved to Cranbrook a family crisis developed when my father was hospitalized for two years following an accident. So, it was not at all times possible for her to have the time or energy for bread making.

However, on a good day when everything went just right she was always happily gratified when she could turn the golden brown loaves and a pan of buns out of the buns before noon. If they had been slow to rise the whole process which had been started the evening before took longer and the loaves were not as light.

If I get a hustle on and start my batch first thing in the morning, l can still meet the same deadline and so can any bread maker who uses the modern quick rising yeast, but in those days the procedure began the evening before with the draining of the supper potato water and thorough mashing of a couple of potatoes which both went into the sponge. Mashed potatoes do give a loaf of bread a certain something, but now I never seem to have as much potato water as possible around; you now cook vegetables with as little water as possible to save the vitamins and minerals. Also, any mashed potatoes I might have already been whipped and seasoned and unsuitable for my purpose.

My mother insisted that bread making was a household art that must be learned, so while supper was being prepared we broke up a hard Royal brand yeast cake and soaked it in slightly sweetened warm water. When the soft Fleischman’s yeast cakes came out Mother would have no truck with them, even though it was rumored that they were much quicker acting, eliminating the overnight procedure. For one thing they were more expensive.

Instead of buying them in packages of dry cakes which kept indefinitely, they had to be bought two at a time, used promptly and kept cold until required. We didn’t even have an icebox and the wondrous Frigidaire had yet to be put on the market.

Well the making of the sponge seemed quite an interesting procedure, just a little chore before we could have our supper. Don’t ask me the exact ingredients or quantities. Such details escaped me after all these years. We had our potato water and more liquid was added, warm water and cooled boiled milk, provided that there would be enough of the later left for the morning ‘s porridge.

Then three or four tablespoons sugar was stirred in, molasses if it was going to be brown bread. I don ‘t remember measuring, just sifting in the flour, just enough to make a batter. Cover your bowl with a clean tea towel, place in the warming oven, eat your supper and forget about it until bedtime.

By this time I was more sleepy than interested, however, adding about four tablespoons of melted drippings (mother saved every smidgen of fat) and a tablespoon of salt was simple enough as was dumping the now bubbling sponge into the huge mixing bowl. As the dough became stiffer your inexperienced arm ached, but never mind, the mixing must be thorough. Only experience told you the right moment to turn the mass out on to the floured bread board. You floured your hands too, before plunging them in for the kneading. Eventually the dough became manageable and it squeaked so much the better. Now to put it to bed.”