The Dickinson press., 1889-01-05
A CRACKER BAKERY.
AN EXTENSIVE BRANCH OF THE
STEAM BAKING BUSINESS

| Mixing the Dougl-work of the Dough
rrcsser-Shoveling tho Batch Into the
| Reel Oven-Cooking the Crackers-Pack-
ing-Preparing Cakes. Etc.
| Tho first step in tho manufacture of crack
ers, which isby far the most extensive branch
of the steam baking business. is to mix the
dough. a half barrel or so of flour is dumped
INTO wooden vat and lard, yeast, salt and
possibly one or two other ingredients to vary
the grade OF tho manufactured producr are
mixed with the mass. Several buckets Of
water are thrown in, and white aproned
kneader, with square canvas bakers cap on
his head, rolls up his sleeves to the armpits
and pitches in. When he has agitated the
mass sufficiently it is allowed to stand over
night and rise" Not only one, but num-
Der OF watts are filled with embryonic crack.
ers and left to ferment in the same way.
In the morning tho hands como to work ut
so'clock and begin tho task of the day. Tho
dough is exhumcd in masses from the depths
of the rcceptacles and flung down n chute to
lower floor The dough- prcsser, machine
whose name expresses its use, absorbs the
sticky mass into its great iron jaws and rolls
1t out into cakes about an inch thick by
|
the required diameter. 1t is now ready for
tho cutter. which machine divides tho dough
INTO squares OF proper dimensions ready
for baking.
Tho process of division is very simple. Tho
dough is forced under roller, which presses
it to the proper thickness and runs 1t under
n Stamper worked by steam Tho stamper
cuts tho fiat cake into squares and dents the
surface with number of little depressions.
The firm name of tho proprictors Of the
factory is also stamped upon the top. The
thin ribbons of surplus dough which run
along the margin of the batch arc removed
by the hands of two small boys who occupy
seats by tho machine.
Tho next process is to shovel it into tho
oven. Tho reel oven is the variety most used
Tor baking crackers, which are considered a
comparatively coarse product. An immense
par OF wheels connected by transverse bars
OF iron are suspended over sccthing brick
furnace III such u manner as to bo easily re-
vowed by tho hand of an operator. num-
bcr OF hugo flat sheets of iron are SUSPENDED
IRON the transverse rods somewhat after the
fashion OF scale pan hanging from u beams
END. Ono OF tho sheets is kept constantly at
tho mouth of tho aperture in tho sdo of tho
oven whcro tho unbakcd crackers are to be
put in for baking.
COOKING THE CRACKERS.
AN operator with II large, thin wooden
shovel runs the fiat blade under a section of
tho cut and pressed dough, and placing it
upon tho iron sheet, suddenly wthdraws it.
Tins process is repeated until tho sheet is
filled, when turn of tho wheel shoots it out
over the heated Goals in tho furnace, and at
tho same tno brings the next sheet, whose
freight has been cooking for some time and
is now entirely done before tho mouth of tho
orificc. a hugo wooden rake, operated by
hand, pulls the crackers Off into tho baskets.
where tho force of tho fall breaks the thin
strips of brittle bread which bind them to-
gcthcr, and they are full fledged, ready baked
crackers.
III the crackers were packed into boxes i'm
mcdiatcly after b-;ng raked from tho oven.
they would 'sweat" and retain an enlarged
thickness given them by the excessive heat.
So they aro dumped upon large, fiat counters
to dry before they arc put into tho labeled
boxes or barrels In which they are sold This
is tho usual process employed in tho manu-
facture OF crackers. In some of tho larger
factories they are raked Off when cooled into
troughs with sliding bottoms, which empty
them into chutcs by which tllcy arc conveyed
up or down stairs Nearly all of tho reel
ovens huvo the Same capacity Twelve fiat
sheets aro tho usual complement, and each
sheet Is just largo enough to contain six rows
of seventy two crackers each Each row is q
spadeful. Each oven, therefore, contains
l,'Sf crackers baking at ono time The large
houses have from three to five ovens lf
these ovens are operated, the number baking
ut one time would bc 5,752
The finest grades Of cakes, such rs maca-
rooms citron, cream and jelly rolls, arc too
delicate to bo trusted always to reel ovens,
and i'll many factories aro baked in tho old
fashioned Dutch affairs, which impart such
a adelicious flavor to the cooking of our grand
mothers. Tho methods Of preparing these
cakes differ widely. Chocolate icing is put
on by dropping the cake upon its fiat surface
into n bucket of liquid chocolate and scrap
ing OFF tho surplus from tho edges with a
knife. Stampers of proper design will i'm
print upon dough almost any variety of de-
vice. Horsecakcs, So dear to tho heart of
tho rural urchin, arc cut out in largo num-
bers from molasscs dough by n number Of
stamps operated Mt once The devices re-
sortci to in tho manufacture of tho almost
numberless grades Of cakes and crackers
which are turned out by first class factory
are of endless variety. Baltimore Herald.