Evening star., 1901-10-15
Table and Kitchen.
Good, Sweet, Wholesome Bread IL the
STAFF of Life.

Good, Sweet, Wholesome Bread IL the
star of Life.
There is nothing that seems SO indispen-
sable to the human family as bread in some
form, and certainly nothing so appeals to
the interested housewife and contributes
more to the sum Of human happiness than
the skillful knowledge of how to produce
perfect loaf of homemade bread.
That this accomplishment is not common
in every household is a fact to be deplored
and remedied
Homemade bread is a luxury for the
rich man and not too dear for the poor. In
fact. one is more likely to find it in the
humber home than where the mistress OF
the house does not concern herself about
the preparation OF foods. The history Of the
wheat grain which gives US our bread flour
is most interesting, but we need not go
back beyond the story of evolution given
by one of our well-known poets: Behind
the nutty loaf Is the mill wheel; behind
the mill wheel Is the wheat field: on the
wheat field rests the sunlight; above the
sun is God" Can we have a more beauti-
full word picture than this to show us that
there is no grosSness in eating food to
sustain the body, except in our misguided
minds and judgment?
Bread Flour.
The generally accepted term means -four
prepared from the wheat grain, of course
Not only does the wheat grain give near
ly all the essential elements Of nutrition,
but its flavor makes it universally agree
able and the constant use does not pan
upon the taste This is a most important
property for it to possess in addition TO us
cheapneSs and food value, for 1t is proba-
BILE that the bodily vigor and mental and
moral health of the people of temperate
climes can be sustained by this vegetable
product more than any other.
Yet in spite of the very important ana
vital part bread is designed to Tulfill IN
the human economy, there is no other food
of like result that so universally 1allS IN
its mission This may be attributed to two
causes-utter ignorance of the proper
process of bread making (Which Is the most
commom or the poor quality of the flour
used
Quality of Flour.
AS the quality of the loaf first depends
on the character of flour used, it goes
without saying that only good flour can
produce good and nutritious loaf, even
under the manipulation of the most skill
full hands The quality of the -four is not
to be gauged by the brand until proven
through successful baking; even good
and reliable brand of flour may differ
slightly in results under certain conditions,
depending on whether it is new or old;
place or exposed to dampness. Good flour,
whatever the mixture of grain or process
of milling. will be dry and of a sweet,
nufty odor and favor.
The color of good flour that contains the
entire nutritve properties of the wheat is
of a decidedly creamy tinge and richer or
darker than a poor quality. However,
flour may be dark and yet be a very poor
kind, owing to the wheat not being prop
erly cleaned or of dark variety. The
whole wheat fours are often inferior on
account of carelessneSs in cleaning or
aduteration by mixing with bran and other
grains. A good white -four can be dis
tinguished more readily than a pure entire
wheat flour. Any substance added to the
white flour, such as poor flour, rice flour,
potato starch, corn flour or alum, will give
it suspicious whiteness that is an indica-
ton that the nutritive value of the flour
is lesSened. Alum is the most harmful of
all the substances added This is mixed
only with very inferior -four that is made
from a poor quality of grain that has not
been thoroughly cleaned or has deteriorat-
ed by rust, mold or exposure.
The quality of the principal varieties of
wheat grain-the red and the white-varies
according to climate and season. The best
quality is that cultivated in temperate
climates, such as Russia and the United
States, where the heat of the sun is only
great during the summer months; and a
northern latitude is most favorable.
The red wheat is the stronger food; the
grain is usually harder and smaller, while
the white grain is large and particularly
adapted to the making of fine white flour
The admixture of these two is for the same
purpose.
The modern miller must combine skill
with Intelligence in order to be able to
mix the kinds of grain in proper pro-
portion to produce the best -four. by the
hest flour We mean the one that retains
the highest percentage of the nutrient
qualities, while it gives us -four that
will answer for general use in families
who prefer to do their own baking. Po-
tato starch and boiled rice is adder to
the -four in making bread to make more
bulk, as these enable the flour to take
up more water This bread retains the
moisture longer Potato starch is used
with the supposition that 1t is more ia
yorable to the promotion of the yeast
plant than wheat starch. But potatoes
are not necessary when good flour Is
used. Only mature potatoes should be used
or the bread will be tough, coarse in tex
ture and indigestible.
Mixing the Sponge.
This is the first process toward the COM
petion of the loaf. The sponge is a mix
ture of flour, water and salt in the Proper
proportions. The water may be substitu-
ted by milk, giving a whittier and ,icher
bread. The water is used to cause ex-
pansion of the starch cells dissolve the
sugar and albumen and develop the ad-
hesiveness of the gluten. In this manner
the entire mass is Joined together.
The next step is to add the required
element to tighten this mass of dough;
so it will be porous and readily broken
up by the teeth when converted into the
form of a loaf.
The most common agent used for this
purpose is yeast, plant of natural
growth belonging to the ferments. The
action of this plant on the starch is to
convert it into sugar or djostose and pro-
duce carbonic acid gas. This permeates
the mass, forming bubbles. AS the gas
eouS substance expands the mass, the
gluten in the -four being tenacious and
elastic, will expand and form cells which
retain the gas or air for short time;
this produces the light porous texture.
The moisture employed must be some
what warm and a warm, even tempera-
ture kept throughout the process Of rails
ing in order to cultivate the yeast plant
that thrives best in moist. warm, dark
SOIL
Sugar assists in the promotion Of the
growth of the ferment The salt Is added
as a condiment and to supply a lack Of
soda hydrochloric acid In the natural foods
Heat is employed to cause the rupture of
the starch cells and promote the rapid
evaporation of superf1uous water
Careful attention must be given to the
temperature. as 1t must. at no time after
the yeast is added. be allowed to reach a
degree sufficient to kill he veaat nyant