Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-10-17
EoOd-PhiIOsOphy- B .cnd

There is no kind of vegetable food more
palatablc, healthy, or nutritious than good
bread made of termented wheat flour And
although it IS not the most common bread
used i'll every country, yet we believe it is
the most highly esteemed by all. Where, or
by whom leavened bread was first discover
ed, is unknown The earliest history in
forms us that the most ancient matrons of
Israel were acquainted with it, but the
name of the good housewife who made the
first fermentcd wheaton loaf has not been
handed down in the olden chronicles. If
her name were known, she certainly would
deserve the first toast at all public dinners,
(and private ones, too) but since this is
unknown, we conjecture the discovery was
made by accidents undoubtedly it never
resulted from reasoning a priori, as no one,
maturity, would suppose, that the termenta-
ton of flour was anything but rotting
process, rendering it not only useless but
positively injurious for human food in any
form.
a certain quantity of flour is put into
vessel and mixed with a certain quantity of
milll-warm water and little yeast, then
kncaded to proper consistency, exposed to
heat of about 65 degrees Fahrenheit for n
few hours, when it rises, as it is termed, and
Is atterward kneaded again with some fresh
is then taken out in the form of loaves. call
ed baked Wheaton bread" This is about
all that is known, generally, of the phi!oso-
ply of bread d-baking.
Chemists differ in opinion regarding the
primary cause of fermentation; but it is
known that leavcn induces this action in
dough, and that alcohol and carbonic acid
are formed thereby, and flour being decom-
posed and passing off in the form of these
substances. This is the reason why some
have decried the use of leavcned bread, be-
cause, they said, it was formed by wasting
some Of the nutriment of the flour" But
as none of the nutritious part of the flour
is driven off in fermentation only carbon
and hydrogen-respiratory substances--be-
ing dispersed, their loss is compensated by
the improved healthful quality and pleasant
taste OF such bread.
Raised bread made of effervescing salts,
such as saleratus, is not SO palatable so
healthy, nor will 1t keep so long, as bread
raised by fermentation. The public has
oftentimes been cajoled by pers ons pretend.
ing to make bread which contained all the
aliment of the flour that passes off as spirit
in termenteG bread. a moments reflection
will convince any person that, weight for
weight, fermentcd bread must contain the
greatest amount of nutrment, because un.
termented bread contains Il greater amount
of respiratory substances-and as conse-
qucnce, less of the nutritious.
One part of the philosophy of bread max
ing-and it is to this feature we wish more
particularly to invite general attentions
the maintaining of the heat constantly above
the boiling point of water. The starch of
flour is insoluble in water az a tenn erature
kelow 2l2 degrees it has to be well boiled
before it becomes soluble, but when moist
ened with water and exposed for short
time in an oven to heat of about 800 de-
grees Fahrenheit, (never below 2l2 deg ees
at least,) its nature is changed it becomes
deXtrine, which is soluble in cold water
The heat of every loaf of bread placed in
an oven must be exposed to 2l2 degrees
Fahrenheit at last, or it will not be proper
ly baked, and cannot be so easily digested,
heavy, imperfectly baked bread is there
fore not only unpalatable, but also unheal-
thy.
The bakers of Paris have worldwide
celebrity for making beautiful fermented
bread. Their skill and science are mostly
displayed in managing the temperature of
their ovens; they employ thermometers to
indicate their heat, and watch them with
unceasing attention; their baking heat is
maintained from 2l2 to 400 degrees Fahren-
heit.
PAaadelAia. Z.