Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-03
.CITY'S BREAD SUPPLY
Method of Manufacture En-
pIoyed at Local Plants.
PURITY OF THE PRODUCT
From Wheat Field Through Mills to
the Breadmakers.
THE RESULTS OF OBSERVATION
Establishments Visited and Inspected
With the View to Discoveries
Display Of Refuse.

Display Of Refuse.
Written for The Star.
Like all Washington, the writer has been
reading the articles in recent issues of the
local newspapers depicting the deplorable
conditions Of some of our food supplies, and
especially those concerning the state Of the
flour and the surroundings in some local
bakeries. Like the rest of Washington, the
writer shuddered with horror, and resolved
to eat no more.
Unlike the rest Of the citizens. however,
she determiqed to see for herself Just how
and under what conditions bread is made.
as that is the food most generally used by
the public. Accordingly, the writer has
spent four days in visiting number Of the
leading bakeries of the city; examined mi
nutely in every nook and corner, from top
to bottom, and has actually seen the whole
process of the manufacture of the bread we
eat, from the unloading of the bags of flour
to the exit of the wagons bearing the bread
to the consumers.
The bakeries visited unitedly furnish the
greater proportion of the bread used in
Washington. 1t is, therefore, almost GER
tainty that one of these bakeries furnishes
the bread eaten by nearly every reader Of
this article, and, further, that the very
bread seen by the writer in the process Of
making has been consumed by some of the
persons who read this account of it.
At the first place visited when the writer
explained the object of the call. the presi-
dent of the company said: Certainly you
may go all through the olant-where you
will. 1 am only too glad to have you learn
the truth. The fact is. you householders
do not know the first principles Of cleanli-
ness and sanitation in bread making"
This was turning the tables with venge-
ance, and put the writer in a very subdued
and humble frame of mind at the very be-
ginning.
While, of course. each plant or bakery
differs from the rest in some particulars.
and each baker has his own method OF us.
ing ingredients, the proportions, ETC., still
the general process is the same, and may
be described in general way.
Every plant visited was built with the
greatest regard to sanitation and cleanli-
ness, SO far as observation could deter
mine. and was kept in the best possible con-
diton. The floors are all of cement or
hard wood-maple in many cases. The walls
are of white enameled bricks or cement
The rooms are all large and well lighted,
and we'll ventilated. The stables visited
are all in separate buildings. removed some
distance from the main buildings.
Process Of Breadmaking.
The real beginning of the process Of our
breadmaking is the planting of the wheat
out In the great northwest. The best
wheat, it is, claimed, is that grown In
ground recently cleared. and therefore new
and fresh. Experts travel through the
west and northwest to locate the best crops
When this wheat Is sent to one of the great
mills and converted into flour, samples are
obtained by local bakers. These samples
are tested, and If satisfactory, the flour is
bought by the carload. It Is shipped here
In large jute bags, each containing nearly
a barrel: When emptied these bags are
cleaned by a machine at the bakery, and
they are then sold to grain dealers and
farmers.
Upon arrival at the bakery the bags of
flour are placed in the storage rooms on
the upper floors with numerous large win
dows and ventilators and skylights In the
roof In summer these are all opened and
in winter the rooms are not heated.
Each plant or bakery, has its own lab
oratory or a consulting chemist, an expert
in milling and baking, and each carload Of
-four is tested at least once, generally
several times, by the chemist, who takes
FIVE pound sample from bag at random
He tests for everything-water absorption
moisture, glutenin and gliaden. which, to-
gether form gluten in the dough mass. He
also tests for all impurities After it is
made into dough he tests again for gluten,
rising power and several other things.
The flour has to be blended to get per-
feet proportions To accomplish this the
blender, and from this time until the dough
passes upon the mixing table 1t Is never
handled.
The blender Is a large wooden bin with
three or four compartments into which the
different fiours are poured. At the bottom
is wire netting and below this is a
knife arrangement which slices off the re-
quired proportion of each. and the flour
fhrOnph into the sitter.
Every particle of flour used passes
through this sitter, and it Is impossible to
obtain even an ounce in any other way.
In number of plants this sitter con-
sists Of a large wooden box, shaped like
triangle with the apex at the bottom. In
this Is rapidly revolving drum, or cylin-
der, covered with a number be- OF layers OF
silk mesh boiling cloth. The -four passes
into the cylinder, and Is driven through
this boiling cloth by centrifugal force. 1t
is then carried by little cups on a rapidly
moving betting through a covered run into
large covered bin on the floor above.
Barrels Of Refuse.
The writer saw several barrels nearly
full of an almost solid mass in every plant.
What is this used for?" was asked In
the first place visited.
The manager laughed.
THAT is the refuse left when me slit
the -four" he replied.
Sure enough, on examining the sitter
steady stream of this refuse was seen rum
ming out of little trough. 1t consists of
shreds of cotton and jute, threads, wood
fiber, minute sticks, straws. etc.
In some instances the -four is driven by
rapidly revolving fans or brushes through
the finest of wire mesh with the same re-
suit.
The dough is made in the mixing room.
Here were the great iron dough mixers.
fat on top and rounded on the bottom. In
one of these enough dough for 200 leaves
Is mixed at one time. Inside each mixer
is an iron paddle, with two or four open
blades twisted like the propeller OF a ship.
Sometimes 1t is made OF eight iron rods.
This paddle makes o certain number OF
revolutions a minute, which can be varied
as conditions require. and according to the
kind Of dough wanted. 1t revolves through
the dough. and also carries the latter
around with 1t. The time required for
mixing varies from fifteen to thirty min
utes.
Above each mixer Is a large iron hopper
The hour runs into this and Is then dumped
In the mixer. An automatic scale 10 set
to the required number of pounds. and
when this amount Of -four has run into