The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-03-06
Dpnpn'B HDnrlo.
Bread Making.

tiOn TO the TACT that rom the time the
yeast is mixed with the -four till the
bread comes from the oven there is a
chemical action which requires some
mechanical skill to secure good sweet
bread Hops are often used by yeast
makers, but they have no agency in
the chemical change necessary to pro-
duce good bread, on the contrary they
are more of an antiseptie than fer
ment and are not used in making
much of the good yeast found in the
market. The first chemical action
taking place is the action Of the dis
astaSe on starch, which is soon con-
verted into dextrine and sugar. The
next chemical action is the fermenta-
tion of the sugar, which develops car
bonic and alcohol which divides the
particles Of flour and swells the dough
to the proper point of lightness for
the oven. Here comes in the mechan-
ical skill to know when it is ready for
==he oven. for if the gas and vapor
rupture the outer crust of the dough
the gas (earbonic acid) escapes, per
mitting the air TO mingle with the
vapors of the alcohol and quickly
aldehyde is formed by the acetic acid
and the result heavy sour bread.
To be sure of sweet bread all the
working of the dough should be done
when the yeast is added, the dough
placed in the proper pan and when
light placed in the oven, avoiding "a
second working as many good house
keepers insist ON doing, which neces-
sarily deprives the dough of the first
formation of carbonic acid and the
vapors of alcohol, which thereby en-
dangers the oxidation of the alcohol
into acetic acid, more or less of which
is almost always found in bakers
bread.
The next chemical change is in the
baking, which breaks up the grain OF
starch not changed by the disastase
or yeast and by certain degree of
heat converts the starch into soluble
starch, gum and sugar, which are
more digestible than pure starch. The
mechanical part is TO know the proper
degree of heat TO do this; between 400
and 500 degrees of Fahrenheit is
necessary TO deprive the starch of a
certain amount of water, leaving the
carbon in excess over normal starch.
If not hot enough the bread will not
be sweet and only fit for toast, which
completes the baking. Ifthe stove is
too hot, too much of the water is
driven OF, and common charcoal or
burnt bread is the result. Sour bread
is made more desirable for the stomach
by toasting, which evaporates the
acid and converts the starch into
dextrine and sugar. Hence the sweet
ness of well-toasted slice of bread,
which does not require any great
mechanical skill, as the change is
sight and the color indicates the
necessary heat.
The first consideration is good yeast,
for without it good bread is out of the
question with the best of flour, while
with good fresh yeast good bread can
be made with inferior flour. In all
cities there is no trouble to secure
good yeast, as it is furnished daily in
the form of small cakes, and have
never found any better than what is
known as Fleishmann yeast. 1t will
not keep long, hence the Importance
of being furnished daily to the dealers.
From its nature it cannot keep long,
being a plant which must be kept
moist. When dry the plant is likely
TO be killed and lose all power of
changing the starch, the first chem
ical change mentioned. The same
rules hold good with all doughs raised
by yeast. In raising flour with yeast
| powders, so called, there is no chem
icaI change, simply diffusion of the
carbonic acid set free from the soda
used, mixed with some acid, usually
cream tartar. This is a chemical
action, the acid of the cream tartar
(tartaric) uniting with the soda and
forming Rochelle salts in the bread
Alum is sometimes used, and i'm one
of the popular powders phosphoric
acid Is the acid used, and this may be
considered the most harmless as it is
one of the important agent of animal
life.-A. 2. Sharp in New England
Farmer.
Buckwheat Cakes.-Nice buckwheat
cakes are made of four cups of buck
wheat flour, one Scant cup of yellow
Indian meal, teaspoonful of salt
mixed up with three cups of hot water
and one cup of cold milk, making the
mixture about blood warm Beat this
batter vigorously, and add a cup of
liquid yeast or a yeast cake dissolved
in a cup of warm water. Buckwheat
cakes, after the first rising, should be
raised with some of the batter For
this purpose, there should always be
made at least pint more than is used
each time, and this should be set
away in cool place to serve as yeast
for the next batch of cakes. These
! cakes raised with buckwheat batter
will be better than the first raised with
yeast.
Apple Pudding.-Pare, quarter and
core six tart apples. Put them in a
porcelaine-lined kettle. Add half a
pint of water and grated rind of one
torange and six ounces of sugar, cover
the kettle and simmer continually,
until the apples are reduced one-haif.
Stir frequently to prevent scorching.
i When clear and thoroughly done.
turn them into dish and put them
away until very cold Then beat the
whites of six eggs to stiff froth. Add
four ounces of powdered sugar. Beat
again, until white and dry. Pour this
over the apples, dust thickly with
chopped almond. Sprinkle with pow
dered sugar. Wrap piece of brown
paper around the dish and place in
oven until it is a golden brown. Serve
cold with cream.