Recipe Manuscript

Loaf Bread

Name: Loaf Bread
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT1H30M
Yield: 40
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1.4 kg bread flour (about 3 quarts); 5 g salt (1 teaspoon); 13 g sugar (1 tablespoon); 15 g lard (1 tablespoon; substitute unsalted butter or vegetable shortening if needed); 15 ml hot water for dissolving lard; 180 ml whole milk (3/4 cup); 21 g fresh yeast or 7 g instant dry yeast (small yeast cake); 15 ml lukewarm water for dissolving yeast

1903

From the treasured pages of Cooking in old Créole days. La cuisine créole à l'usage des petits ménages

Written by Célestine Eustis

Early Modern Kitchen (1900 - 1930)American Beginner Intermediate Breakfast Snack Lunch Dinner

Original Recipe • 1903

Original Manuscript(circa Early Modern Kitchen, 1900 - 1930)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Loaf Bread

"Three quarts of flour (for four loaves), one teaspoonful salt, one tablespoonful sugar and one tablespoonful of lard, dissolved in hot water, three-fourths cupful of milk and small yeast cake soaked half hour in tablespoonful of tepid water. Stir all together with knife until knife stands up in the sponge. Let rise over night. Knead out and put in pans not quite half full, that it may rise to the edge in about an hour. Bake in oven of moderate heat about an hour and a half."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe employs period-typical, conversational instructions, assuming the cook possesses working knowledge of yeast sponges, kneading, and judging dough texture. Quantities use imperial measures and household terms such as 'teaspoonful' and 'cupful,' reflecting the everyday tools in use at the time. Spelling and wording like 'tepid' for lukewarm and 'lard, dissolved in hot water' are a nod to kitchen norms of the era, long before mechanical mixers or standardized baker’s percentages were mainstream.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cooking in old Créole days. La cuisine créole à l'usage des petits ménages - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cooking in old Créole days. La cuisine créole à l'usage des petits ménages (1903)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Célestine Eustis

Era

1903

Publisher

R.H. Russell

Background

Take a delicious journey back in time with this charming bilingual collection of Creole and American recipes, crafted for cozy households. Célestine Eustis blends French flair with Southern soul, guiding both the novice and seasoned gourmand through the distinct flavors and delightful traditions of old Creole kitchens.

Kindly made available by

Internet Archive

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

Originating from Célestine Eustis's 'Cooking in old Créole days' (1903), this recipe is rooted in the vibrant Creole tradition of Louisiana, where French, Spanish, African, and Caribbean influences shaped culinary practices. Bread-baking was an essential daily task, with each household maintaining its own style and method. The instructions reflect both careful European tradition and local adaptation, using readily available lard and milk to enrich a basic white loaf. The recipe bridges American home baking and Old World technique, documenting the domestic habits of turn-of-the-century Creole kitchens.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Back in 1903, cooks made this bread by hand, stirring the initial dough with a sturdy table knife—today, a wooden spoon or dough whisk is more common. The dough was likely mixed in large earthenware or tin bowls, proofed overnight in cool pantries under cloths, and baked in heavy cast-iron or brick ovens fueled by wood or coal. Loaf pans were typically metal or stoneware, greased with lard or butter to prevent sticking.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 30 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

3 quarts bread flour (about 3 pounds)
1 teaspoon salt (0.18 ounce)
1 tablespoon sugar (0.46 ounce)
1 tablespoon lard (0.53 ounce; substitute unsalted butter or vegetable shortening if needed)
1 tablespoon hot water for dissolving lard (0.5 fluid ounce)
3/4 cup whole milk (6 fluid ounces)
0.75 ounce fresh yeast or 0.25 ounce instant dry yeast (small yeast cake)
1 tablespoon lukewarm water for dissolving yeast (0.5 fluid ounce)

Instructions

To prepare this classic loaf bread in a modern kitchen, begin by combining approximately 3 quarts (about 3 pounds) of bread flour with 1 teaspoon (0.18 ounce) of salt and 1 tablespoon (0.46 ounce) of sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Melt 1 tablespoon (0.53 ounce) of lard—substitute with unsalted butter or vegetable shortening if lard is unavailable—in a small amount of hot water, then mix this into the dry ingredients.
Warm 3/4 cup (6 fluid ounces) of whole milk and add to the mixture.
Dissolve a small cube of fresh yeast (about 0.75 ounce, or use 0.25 ounce instant dry yeast) in 1 tablespoon (0.5 fluid ounce) of lukewarm water for 30 minutes.
Add the yeast mixture to the bowl and stir all ingredients together with a sturdy knife or spatula until the dough becomes shaggy and the knife stands upright in the dough (the 'sponge').
Cover the bowl with a cloth and let the dough rise overnight at cool room temperature.
The next morning, knead the dough briefly and divide into four even portions.
Place each piece into a greased loaf pan, filling them just under halfway.
Allow to rise until the dough nearly reaches the top of the pans, for about an hour.
Bake in a preheated oven at a moderate 350°F (180°C) for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.

Estimated Calories

220 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing this bread takes about 20 minutes, plus resting the dough overnight. The actual baking time is around 1 hour and 30 minutes. Each loaf has about 220 calories per slice, based on dividing each loaf into 10 slices, making a total of 40 servings.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.