Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-03
The Chemical Process.

some add malt extract to different Varle-
ties of bread.
The Chemical Process.
The chemist tests the flour every day. He
then prepares a dough slip. on which ne
sets down the exact proportions to be USED.
The temperature may sometimes also vary
slightly to suit outside weather conditions;
but the mixing room is generally kept at an
even temperature of IS degrees.
When the mixture is ready the mixer
tits and the dough slides out into uousn
trough" These troughs are generally, OF
iron. sometimes of hard wood. They are
about fourteen feet long, four feet wide
and four feet deep. Each one holds enough
dough for 1,50O loaves. They are on roiiers'
and when filed are roiied INTO the iei
menting room.
Here the dough rises, or ferments. is
allowed to rise three times. The hrst Time
it rises to the top of the trough 1t Is then
knocked down." That is to say, II Is
pulled over and down, and the whole mass
thrown over. This is repeated the second
time and the third time 1t rises 1t Is ripe
or fermented. These troughs are generally
covered with canvas tops, sometimes tney
are of wood. The fermenting room is Kept
at a temperature of from 20 degrees to 10
degrees, according to conditions
When the dough is ripe, which takes
from three to six hours, the trough Is
rolled to trapdoor in the floor. the end
opens, the trough tits, and the whole mass
Of dough rolls out and through the trap on
the making-up table in the room below
This is the making-up room, and here the
dough is handled for the first time. The
principal feature Of this room is the max
ing-up table of maple wood, and as large
as an ordinary room.
The loaves are cut by a machine called
the weighing and dividing machine. A mass
of dough is put in the hopper. on top, and
energies as one-pound pieces of dough,
eighteen at every revolution of the cylin-
der. These are weighed automatically by
the machine but one out of every eighteen
or so Is weighed on hand scale to make
sure that it is absolutely correct. Each
piece of dough is cut to weigh eighteen
ounces. This allows two ounces that may
be lost in baking.
These pieces of dough are taken by the
men, who quickly shape them into loayes
and place them in creased pans. Some
times a machine is used to shape the fancy
loaves, and sometimes dough breaker
or roller is used to work and whiten the
dough for special brands. All rolls are cut
by roll cutter.
AS soon as the pans are filled they pass
to the labeler. The printed labels which
we see on our bread are in a long string or
tape in q wheel, like soda water tickets.
The man tears off one and presses in with
his thumb the loaf. The moisture OF the
dough makes 1t stick fast.
The filed pans are now placed in the
bread racks which have removabl. shelves
of open wire netting or rods, and they are
wheeled into the proof room. This Is
large box containing number of compart-
ments. The floor is of cement and the walls
of white enameled brick or cement. 1t Is
heated by live steam and kept at an even
temperature OF 81 or u degrees. here the
termed by housewives "a second rising,
and an artificial crust il formed to prevent
the bread from taking up any gas or other
impurities in the oven. 1t Is allowed to re-
main in there about one hour.
F-Io nr~- Dao,~o
The racks are then wheeled into the oven
room, which Is lined with great white
enamel brick ovens. Each oven has It's own
fire underneath and is lighted inside by gas.
These ovens are kept at a very even tenn
perature. The heat is so regulated that the
front Of the oven bakes more quickly than
the rear. as the bread in fr. goes In last
and comes out first. Each oven holds about
The door is very small and is opened by
wheel. The pans are showed In and out by
the peel" large. nat wooden shovel with
when the bread IL done the pans are
brought out on the peel and the leaves
turned out on large trays. The men pick
racks, and they are wheeled into the store
room, which IL kept cool. This apartment
has large windows on several sides. which
slide up and the th back up here
closed, and on they drive at fun speed to
deliver them to their customers about town.
10 make the different doughs for different
kinds Of bread. the proportion of ingredf-
ents, time Of mixing, ETC., are varied. Some
of the bakers make as high as thirty-nve
different varieties. The dough troughs are
scraped and creased after every using; the
making-up table wiped and Toured every
day The dough mixers. proof box. troughs
and makfng-up table. together with the
whole building. except the holr storage
room, are thoroughly cleaned with steam
and boiling water and carefully scrubbed
every week.
The output of the bakeries Of This city Is
estimated conservatively to average about
100000 loaves each day. OF this amount
about 1900 are shipped away. Washington
bread IL sent through Delaware. the Eastern
shore of Maryland, western Maryland, West
Virginia Virginia and North Carolina. Il
is said to be especially popular In Richmond
and Norfolk.