Well, I'm sure that all of us have experienced our rolls or bread getting hard. I found this great little tidbit in "Cooking for Profit" by Jessup Whitehead ©1893 I've also included a recipe for "Flannel Rolls" or as the recipe calls them, German Puffs, Flannel Rolls, Muffins or Popovers. I've included the story, especially for those writing during this time event in Pacific Areas.
To Warm Over Rolls.
Take rolls left over from the previous meal, place in a pan and cover with a wet cloth, half a cotton flour sack or piece of old table cloth dipped in water will do. Set in the oven and by the time the cloth is dry the rolls will "be as good as if fresh baKed—for such as are not critical judges of fresh bread.
German Puffs, Flannel Rolls, Muffins or Popovers.
It makes a great difference whether any dish or product of skill is the present fashion or not. We have all heard of somebody's popovers and come across remarks in the farmers' papers about somebody else's popovers that wouldn't pop, without wanting any in ours particularly. So when I saw that Mary Jane, at Cedar Point Cottage, on Nipantuck Island had a stove-full of very fine ones ready for supper I admired them, and told her they were splendid and she ought to be proud that she could make them {as indeed shj was) without yet caring to get the receipt for my books; having so many good yeast-raised fancy breads already; and, besides, I had heard Mrs. Tingee condemn popovers on account of their using up her eggs too last and not being very good eating anyhow.
"But that isn't what we call 'em," said Mary Janes, "them's flannel rolls."
"They are popovers, Mary Jane," I persisted; "did you never hear of popovers, and popovers that wouldn't pop?"
"The baker at the Nipantuck House called 'em flannel rolls," said she, "and I guess he knew and he brought me the receipt before he went away." She h;avcd a little sigh and turned away as if there was nothing more to be said on that question.
Afterwards, upon the very voluminous breakfast and supper bills of fare of a very large summer hotel I found printed "Kaaterskill Flannel Rolls,"and in thinking over what they might be, naturally reverted to that stove-full of "flannel rolls on Nipantuck Island, and learning almost immediately that the Grand Pacific was serving them as "muffins," the Palmer House as "German puffs" and the Matteson as "flannel rolls," I began to feel like a collector of coins, who has heard of a date that is not in his collection, or like one of those Dutch tulip fanciers when they heard of a new color, and started out to catch up with the procession. I soon overtook my friend the steward of the Matteson who, for the good of the public handed me this:
take
2 eggs.
2 cups milk—a pint.
2 cups flour—10 ounces.
Salt, a small teaspoon.
Break the eggs into a bowl; beat them light and keep adding the milk to them gradually while your are beating. That takes about five minutes. Add the salt. When all the milk is in put in the flour, all at once, and beat it smooth, like cream. Butter the inside of six coffee cups, divide the batter into them and bake in a moderate oven about half an hour.
It is to be observed there is no powder nor raising of any kind in them and no butter, yet they rise high above the tops of the cups and are hollow inside when done. They are not perfect if made with skimmed milk. When they collapse in the cups and come out tough and heavy it is owing to the baking, the stove being not hot enough on the bottom, or, possibly not having been thoroughly beaten. I have made large batches and baked some for early breakfast and beaten the same batter again and baked it two hours later and found the last to be as good as the first.
Cost, 6 cents. But the cups are not the best for a number, holding too much. There are deep gem pans shaped like small tumblers that suit better to bake in. These are a pleasing kind of bread to make, their remarkable lightness making them always something of a marvel.
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