The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-19 00:00:00

BREAD-BAKING BY MACHINERY.

While machinery has been most successfully and
usefully applied to the accomplishment of a variety,
of mechanical operations, many of them of a com-
plicated character—as, for example, sewing, reap-
ing, and washing—it is not a little singular that,
until very recently, no mechanical contrivance had
been invented whereby, in the process of bread
making, the operation of mixing the flour and the
water together might be effected. The circumstance
is explained partly by the constraining force of
custom—what had answered the purpose for so many
generations, it was thought, would still do well
enough—and partly by the fact that the operation
required to be performed was of so simple a charac-
ter as scarcely to excite the interest and attention
of inventors. Nevertheless, simple as the process
of bread making appears, machinery was impera-
tively demanded for its unobjectionable perform-
ance, both on the score of health and cleanliness.
As at present performed, and as has been the case
for ages past, bread is made entirely by the hands
and naked arms. The process of mixing is an ex-
ceedingly laborious one; during it the men perspire
freely; add to this that they are often deficient in i
cleaniness ; that they may be, and sometimes are,
affected with skin diseases; that the labour is not
only severe and exhausting, but prolonged through
the hours of the night ; and that, as the result of
all, the incorporation of the flour and water is but
imperfectly accomplished. These circumstances
being called to mind, few will be disposed to ques-
tion the desirability of the application of efficient
machinery to the process of bread making. That
which has been so long a desideratum is now an
accomplished result. Of the complete success of
Stevens' machine for the making of bread, at-
tested as it is by a mass of evidence, not a doubt
can be entertained. In the interest of the public
health, therefore, we direct the attention of the
medical profession to this invention, which is
one of which we have always felt greatly inte-
rested. It is to be commended on the score of
healthfulness ; it is an especial boon to the
journeymen bakers, by lightening their labour,
and by shortening the hours of work; but it
possesses other advantages in which the public at
large are deeply concerned. Machine-made is bet-
ter than hand-made breach It is better because it
is cleaner and purer, and because also the water and
the flour are more intimately and uniformly incor-
porated ; and, therefore, it may be fairly presumed
that the bread itself is more digestible. The bak-
ing trade is especially interested in the machine ;
for by its means each sack of flour is made to yield
on an average not less than 12 lbs. of bread addi-
tional. This increased yield results partly from an
actual saving of flour, some of which is lost in the
old process of mixing, but is parly due to the more
uniform distribution of the water added through-
out the flour, and which is necessary to the
making of good bread. When the flour and water
are mixed by hand, some of the former escapes the
action of the water altogether, little dry and hard
masses being often found in the hand-made bread;
and it need scarcely be stated that this unmoistened
and unfermented flour is not so digestible as that
which has imbibed the amount of liquid natural to
it, and necessary in fermentation. This additional
yield is therefore merely the legitimate result of
the more perfect action of the machine, the bread
being at the same time better, and, from being more
digestible, being also probably more nutritive. By
using the machine, therefore, bakers would not
merely enhance their profits, but would have a
purer and better article. But the public, and par-
ticularly the poor, have a great interest in this
increased yield. Let the reader fancy what these
12 lbs. of bread, or three quartern loaves additional
signify on the entire consumption of the metro-
polis. They amount to between 3 and 4 per cent.
[on the whole quantity consumed. On every ground
therefore—on that of its efficient action—on the
score of health, cleanliness, and economy—the in-
vention of Mr. Stevens is entitled to the most
favourable notice. As the " Patent Bread Machi-
nery Company" purposes not only to supply the
machine, but also the bread made by it, the profes-
-1 sion and the public will soon have an opportunity
of judging in the matter for themselves. The
invention is doubtless destined to work a
revolution in the baking trade, and is one
which will ultimately prove of great benefit
to the bakers themselves. We look forward
with interest to the publication of Mr. Tremen-
heere's report on the condition of the journeymen
bakers and of the London bakeries, We believe
this document will not fail to confirm what we have
written long since on this very important subject.
—.Lancet.

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