The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1901-06-23
OUR BREAD.
How the Bakers Make It-"Straigh'
Dough- For Family Baking.

Dough- For Family Baking.
The ways OF mixing dough most used
in this country by bakers are probably
those known rs straight dough" and
sponge dough"
Straight or ''offhand" dough, as it is
sometimes called, is made by mixing
all the materials at one time and then
setting the mass in a warm place tG
rise for ten hours or more before bak'
ing. 1t requires more yeast and stron-
ger -four than other methods in which
the yeast is allowed TO grow in an es-
pec.aliy favorable medium before being
mixed with the main dough and needs
a longer time to rise, but, on the Other
hand. gives an unusually large yield
in bread.
Straight dough is convenient in
family breadmaking. especially when
strong, compressed yeast is used, as
the dough can be mixed overnight and
baked in the morning. Some wholesale
bakers dislike it because the dough IS
stiff and hard to knead, because the
large quantities of materials used at
one time require extensive kneadinG
apparatus and because the bread is
usually coarse in texture, with a raw,
granny taste, due to the strong -four
used.
Sponge Dough.-This method is best
adapted to fancy working and makes
equally good crusty lOaves or light bis
cult To make the sponge" as the
1 Nlvrf. 40 lnh
yeast is allowed to work for eight or
ten hours in a portion of the -four or
water This is then mixed with the
remaining materials and left to rise
few hours before baking. The sponge
is "slacker"-that is, contains more
moisture-than offhand dough, and thus
gives the yeast better chance to work.
Bakers usually set their sponge with
a strong -four, which gives light, elias
tic quality. \ little salt is put into it to
prevent Tactic fermentation. a weaker
-four may be used in the second mix
ing as the greater part of the gas has
already been given off in the sponge,
ard no great pressure will come on the
newly added gluten. If strong flour be
used instead, the bread yield will be
greater but the soft, sweet flavor i'm
parted by the weaker kinds will be re-
placed by the harsh taste noticed in
bread made from offhand coughs.
Great care must be taken to mix the
second lot of -four in thoroughly, or the
bread will be full of hard Jumps on
which the yeast has had no effect. &.
Sponge made bread usually rises
evenly and well and can be worked in
to almost any shape. 1t has the fur
Their advantage of keeping well. 1t re-
quires longer labor than the method de-
scribed before, still the difference is
really that between two short knead-
ings in soft dough and one long one in
stiff Like offhand dough, it can be
started the night before it is baked.
After mixing his dough in the way
he considers most desirable the baker
sets it in warm place to rise. Here
the yeast continues to work. and the
gas given off stretches the spaces be-
tween the particles of dough. If the
gas is allowed to go on increasing un-
til its pressure is greater than the elas-
ITCHY of the gluten can resist, the
latter breaks apart. leaving large holes
throughout the dough. If such "over-
proved" dough is kneaded a little be-
fore it is put into the oven. the excess
i've gas will be forced out, and the holes
will be more regular.