The Portland daily press., 1868-06-25
Terms $500 per AMMAN, in adrance.

great consumption Of this article) because
we breathe bracing atmosphere and live in
heath-giving climate But then that is no
reason why we should abuse our stomachs
with such "perious stuff" as saleratus. Go
through the country and you will ind al
most every farmers wife with good stock Of
this article on hand. Why, many Of them
couldn't keep house without "sour milk and
saleratus," and the farmers in our vicinity
often bring sour milk 10 this city for sale; !;
and they sell good deal of it too, strange
as it may seem to those who have given the
subject any consideration. A farmer
lew days ago hailed US from his market
wagon and inquired it we did not want some
sour milk. We very pleasantly answered
him that we didn't keep pigs.
II didn't expect you did, he replied smiI-
ing 'but how do You make your bread and
hot biscuit?
We told him that we didn't make hot bis
cult nor eat them. And here les us say that
hot bread Just out of the oven is not in
suitable state to be taken into the human
stomach. Englishmen understand this
subject, and it you happen to sit at the ta-
bles in the Montreal hotels you will often
hear them say, "Waiter, some stale bread
Yes, "stale bread;'' and by that they mean
bread that has been out of the oven at least
twenty-lour hours. Their philosophy is
sound on this subject, if it is not on the
others.
What a nice meal many farmers wives
think they make when they mix their -four
with sour milk, and thrust in the saleratus to
neutralize the acid so that the dough may not
be sour enough to make a pig squeal! In
due time it is put in the oven in the form of
biscuits, and when about half baked the light
beautiful, yellow tinted biscuits are put upon
the table steaming hot. And what a delicious
health giving meal the family, or may be
company" have! And how the biscuits are
praised because they are so very light, and it
might be added, of such beautiful col )r!
And we shouldn't wonder if such biscuits are
made and eaten in our city, because farmers
do bring in and sell sour milk to some of our
citizens, and for aught we know-to some of
our "first families" Now we don't like bread
made after such fashion, neither do we
think,it is wholesome food
Hop yeast is easii, and cheaply made, and
we presume every woman knows how to
make il. When made, bottle it up tight and
it will keep long while in cold weather,
and several weeks in warm weather.
Mix the flour with pure water, and not with
milk even if it is not sour; for water is the
best and makes the sweetest bread. Do as
little as possible to destroy the taste of the
wheat; for their is no flavor equal to that
Our bakers don't keep their loaves in the
oven long enough, and why? They will tell
you that their customers don't like bread
thoroughly baked. Thus baked it don't look
delicate enough to suit their taste. Now we
confess to having a fancy for the color of a
thoroughly baked Loaf. And we know such
loaf is much more wholesome than the pale
delicate ones.
We trust that our bakers will hot flare up
when we express our opinion that their fer
mentation OF dough does not occupy time
enough. 1t is too powerful and pares the
dough for the oven in too short a time, often
giving it sour smell even after it is baked.
And it is often raised too much. We like
light bread, but not too light, for when you
attempt to toast such bread it will burn as
readily as feathers or shavings. True, bakers
have in them quite as much OF human nature
as other classes of society, and wish to make
the best show of their materials. A large
looking, puffed up loaf satisfies the purchaser
if not the eater, better than smaller one at
the same price. By thus putting up the
dough, little flour looms up t. the vision
but the real substance is not there Fermen-
.tatien- -saoa4d never 90 beyond q certain point,
IT 1T does, it injuries the bread, even 1T it does
not make it sour. And who knows but ba-
kerS may sometimes be compelled to thrust
INTO their dough some neutralizing powders
when they have forced 1t little too far in
the process of fermentation? Such things
do happen in well regulated families. Ba-
ker's brown bread is the most profitable to
buy. One shilling spent in the purchase of
such bread procuIes nearly twice as much
nourishment as the same sum expended in
tho purchase of white bread
In closing we say to farmers wives, make
your bread with hop yeast and pure water.
hnead 1t thoroughly and put no shortening
in it. 1t will be short enough in twenty-four
hours after it is taken from the oven, and
before, it should not be eaten.
AGRICoIA.