Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1855-03-13
For the Snr.


Messrs. Editors VIII you allow me
short space in your columns, in which to offer
few remarks upon bread makinge
In these days of ''hard times and exorbi-
tant priced provisions, whatever may be said
upon 50 important an item in our daily living
as Bread especially if it tend to increase its
quantity or improve its quality-to render it
more plentiful or more nutritious, must be
both interesting and important.
The grand desiieratum in bread making is
that the article should be street. and Hght.-
And in the outset let me state, what must all
along be borne in mind that the generating
of carbonic acid gas, in the paste, is the grand
object, since that, and that alone, makes light
bread.
1 shall speak here particularly of wheaton
bread, although the remarks, with little vari-
alton, will apply to all other kinds of bread
being as accommodating as the almanac ma
ker's calendar pages, which, with little vari-
alton, will apply to all placer.
All grains contain more or less starch, which
is, however, most abundant in wheat
Starch is compound of oxygen, hydro
gen, and carbon. During the process of fer
mentaton, by whatever means melted, more
or less of this starch is decomposed, resulting
in the formation, among other things, of car
bonic acid gas and sugar, which former in
fuses itself throughout the pasty mass, thus
causing its lightness, its entire escape, to
which it constantly tends, being prevented by
the tenacious nature of the gluten, in the
paste.
If the lermenting process be too long con-
tlnued, the sugar is farther changed into an
acid. thus producing sour bread, unless recti-
fed by the addition of an alkaline saleratus,
or It's like. This latter change produces an
e L L.
Objectionable article in diet And ever r-oqd
maker will bear me witness, that Ia ,J.~.se
moment in the fermenting process, before the
generating of the acid commences. is very
difficult to determine. Indeed, many, pur
haps the majority of bread makers, are not
precise on this point, thinking the alkali a
harmless ingredient, and knowing their bread
is lighter for first souring slightly and then
sweetening by saleratus. This last is true,
because more carbonc acid gas is tnereby
generated but is it more wholesome, espe-
cially as the souring is always attended by the
formation of the alcoholic principle, which
may invariably be detected in this sort of
bread, when warm.
Now, fermentation is the commencement
of put etaction, of decay. This manifests it.
self by the disagreeable, unwholesome odiun
given out at certain stages in the fermenting
process. Baking [ am aware, checks the pu-
trefactive tendency; but is it well to take in
to the system, substances in which such de-
cay has commenced? Besides, for every par
ticle of starch thus decomposed, the bread
pays, in just so much loss of nutritive prop.
erty-so that upon this principle, the lighter
the bread, the less nutritive it becomes as
supporter of life. Thus very much Of the
actual value of grain is lost, by being con-
,,,ta al &, - l.. 49,.
unfermented breads are far preferable, and are
they also more wholesomei II so, preference
will certainly be given them.
When the bread paste Is not fermentel, it
is made light by the addition of any acid and
alkali, which will generate carbonic acid gas,
thus producing this invariable Aghteaer arti.
fcially, if may so say at lea,t, not at the
expense Of the flour or menl TO be cooked.
Now comes the all important question, what
acid and alkali are best for this purpose p
Several will produce the desired gas, but
which are most wholesome for dietary pur-
poses
Cream Of tartar and Saleratus are much In
use, in this department Of cookery. Cream
Of tartar is tartaric acid and potash, and sal
eratus is carbonic acid and potash. Mixed 10
gether they decompose each other, and the
tartaric acid absorbs tho potash from the sal
eratus, thus setting free the desired amount
Of carbonic acid gas. But. in addition, the
bread is loaded with tartrate of potash, which
is very Objectionable in that place. Many use
pure tartaric acid instead OF cream Of tartar,
which former is certainly the better, since so
large surplus Of potash is thereby prevented,
and much less of the pure acid is required,
than Of the cream Of tartar.
Besides, analysis shows that but small