The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-10-12
BREADMAKERs OF ITALY.

'They knead the bread with their knees
you know"
This was new idea to me and began
| to watch a colony of bakers IN the ne1sh-
borhocd. I found that my friends op-
servation was true and that all OF the"
were more or less knock-kneed OF bow
legged. Then one day as l was passing
a bakers chop curiosity led me, to peer
through a crack leading into the baking
room to see what was beyond I saw. a
Sa na a nSy uash 0a an9 %Ssss ms
white dough The boy glanced al tne
opening from which my. presence had ex-
oluded the light, and thea, covered with
the Yielding mass Ok dough The small
boy was nude.
had aways been 80 fond Of Italian Italian
ity had led to my undolng.
The bakers OF Italy are banded together
into groups, those In the country or small
towns having different rules covering
them from those In The cities. The coun-
try bakers have added to their wages,
which are generally 20 cents day two
meals-breakfast and dinner. The food,
though not varied. is sufficient. consisting
Of vegetable soup, q pint of wine and
plenty of bread. On Sunday there is meat
ior both meals with pint of wine for
breakfast and a quart for dinner. The
wages are higher, being from 40 to so cents
day They work together in small
groups, each group using one oven in
large bakeries economic in fires, which
Is an Important item where fuel is so
dear: Inc bakers are. provided with
gby repg ing necessary acs for making the
,or every ESQ pounds of -four that he
Dakes. The chief of each division is paid
weekly. or monthly, according to the
amount or flour each group has baked
and he then pays the under bakers ac.
eord.ng to prearranged plan. The pro-
rrletors furnish tho apprentices or nee
There are many soldiers in Italy. and
70 the daily allowance of Wine meat
anu 10 cents Tor each there 10 added TWEEN
~ le ounces ,r,a OF bread or macaroni. So it
d I a alIlmy pakers to bake for the SOL
srVups OF these same s,idiers marching
out OF the city with two of the groin
,% onse q p push cart laden with great
OF any kind for protection against dust or
ram or wind-just tossed careless,v into
me Wss5n and wheeled through the city
tbe nron ard h over dusty highways. When
sore traveller .woaild have his twenty
ounces weighed out to him
~ 10 III venice. i think that italian
preau reaches its highest state of perfec.
ton. Here 1t ranges from the coarse
black bread of the peasants-which is not
really black, but rich, dark brownie
the fiaky milk-white breads of the aris
tocracy. Here one can get pointed
Vienna leaf, a square English loaf or n
iwas'eo STICK Of German bread two yards
ois' Ana one can buy half a slice for
less IMAM penny. or one can buy a
pothd, a ha.f, a quarter or a whole loaf
aAactiy the amount one wants. And one
=, ,rn ma, nave bread that is mixed with yeast
Or milk or water or potatoes, and almost
WY kiru OF nour--rye, barley, corn, wheat
&c or chestnut. The so-called black bread
ne peasants may not look as appe-
amy wholesome and nutritious. and one |
AN eat amy quantity of 1t without suf- |
erlng from dyspepsia or indigestion. |
very traveller IN Europe is familiar with |
utter crust and nothing much but vacuum |
Vlth,n. Al! true Italians love their hard |
'rusted and stale breads in preference to
nat which is soft and fresh baked.
Good bakers In Italy have tombs erected |
o their memory the same as those re-
'owned In other walks Of life. In Rome
here Is large and curious tomb erected
o the memory OF the Baker Eurysaces.
IN the marble Is representation of n
roup Of men busly kneadlng and stamp.
ng loaves of bread. And how immortal
las become the baker of Fompeii whose
mage is still preserved to us today, after
early e"0 years, and a loaf of his bread
G In cnS,s WIN MS name stamped upon III
irgely supply the place of bread. They
re as large as the horse chestnut of this
oLntry, though not so sweet as our small
hestnut. When boiled. baked or roasted
handful Of these chestnuts and a glass
| milk make a very good meal They
re also giourd into -four and made into
read, Large quantities of them are raised
4 Italy.
with ono form of Italian bread few
-mericans are unfamiliar, and that is
iacaroni The idea which many Amer
ans have that macaroni is not pure and
lean is false. Their opinions are formed
'om the idle tales of careless travellers.
no tell imaginary stories of seeing great
trapping lazzaroni, half nude, carrying
lie moist ropes of macaroH from the
ress to the drying room on their bare
acks In few rare instances this may
, true, but 1t is also true that all such
acaroni Is eaten m Italy. for 1t is only H.
le large manufactories that export the
'"as END they aes,, are as scrupulously, clean
lensils used are washed and cleaned and I
raped as often as necessary, and only .
le best and purost ingredients are used
the manufacture of thu macaroni
Macarcni Is made from semo.a-the fine ,
ard parts 81 the wheat. ground by mill.
ones after the bran and far.na have been I
,tracted. This semola is placed e a
reading trough that is lined with iron
I'd enough beillpg water mixed with II
+ kneading purposes. The knead!ng IS
me by machinery, two men being gem s
ally required to prope the milestone q
at does the kneading while fhird !
an stands near the trough to place the :
ste properly under the milestone back
I'd forth, TO the right and left, as occa- j
on. requires. The paste when knca led
the proper consistency is then paced I
an Iron cylinder having holes In the q
'ttom, through which the paste Is forcc6 a
pressure. man standing near cuts i
Q macarcui the proper length AS 1t is
reed through the holes. 1t is then
aced on canes or long, thin HORIZONTAL U
lies for drying. C
II requires about twenty minutes to
head the dough and from two to four t
ours to dry-according to the state OF I
@ atmosphere. 1t is then placed in damn !,
liars for twenty-four hours to rest" ,
to prevent its driving TOO "a idlv m I,