The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-02-10

more than~ss done today by men and
women. Every thief should be looked
-four containing a large per cert of
gluten. This Is the -four made from
the so called hard" wheats. Such
-four has less water than the flour
made from the soft" wheat. therefore.
mixed with liquid. gives u larger
loaf. Gluten is n grayish, rubber-like
| substance found in -four after the
starch has been washed out II Is the
gum" obtained from chewing . hand
full of wheat, as known by most people
who have spent their childhood I'm the
country. This very character Of glu-
ten makes 1t accessory in breakmak
ing. 1t stretches and stretches. form.
ing little pockets in which the gas is
retained in the loaf until it is baked
The heat Of the oven hardens the glu
| ten quickly before it has had time to
| relax, and so the loaf keeps its pufred
shape.
| Good bread -four should he white
with just suggestion Of yellow. Aft
or being pressed In the hand it should
fall loosely apart If It keeps the i'm
press of the palm or remains in Jumps
| IL has teo much moisture When rub
bed between the thumb and finger
there should he slight grlttiness: it
should not feel too smooth or pow
derry.
What Is Yeast7
This useful agent in breadmaking is
as old as the hills, and its action Is
better understood when one Is familiar
with it. Yeast is a microscopic plant.
consisting Of Il single round or oval
cell. The rapidity with which il grows
and reproduces itself gives it much OF
its Importance. II rcproduces either
by sending out buds which break off
as new plants or by forming spores
WHICH will grow into new plants under
favorable conditions.
Like all plants. yeast requires heat.
moisture and food in order TO grow.
The degree Of heat at which II Grows
best is from - TO 90 degrees, and this
! Is the temperature at which bread
should he kept throughout the process
( of making If 1t were not for the llq-
uid used IN breadmaking the yeast
would rot have sufficient moisture and
! would not grow any more than 1t does
/ In the dry cake.
| The food of the yeast plant Is sugar.
and this is obtained by n chemical
change being produced in the starch of
| the -four, changing part of it into sug-
! ar. This results IN fermentation the
! products of which are alcohol and car
bon dioXide gas--the gas which makes
! the bread light. The average house
keeper is familiar with yeast or leaven
! In three forms--that which she makes
herself by combining potatoes, flour,
| hop water and starter" left from Il
previous baking; also the dry and
compressed yeasts. The last two are
| practically the same. the dry yeast
having been mixed with more llour or
cornmeal in order TO preserve the
plants for a longer time. The chief
difference between these three forms
of leayen is in the number aud kind of
| yeast ifants which they contain. The
compressed yeast--the small square
cake which comes wrapped In tin foil
contains the largest number of plants
and so is able to produce the greatest
amount of gas In a given time, making
it possible to finish the bread in fewer
hours. The commercial yeasts are sup
posed to be what is known as a pure
culture"--in other words, one variety
of pants--therefore is more uniform In
! strength and composition.
Yeast plants exist in the air. and 1t
Is upon these we depend in making
salt rising" bread. The -four and wa
| ter with a little salt are mixed into n
batter, then set aside in a warm place
TO ferment. 1t contains sufficient gas
TO make into dough when full of holes
or when like sponge, and this fer
mentation has been caused by the ac-
tion of the wild yensts in the air.
The Process of 6readmakine.
This article is in no sense an ex-
PLANTATION of all the scientific technical
tiles of breadmaking because the sub
ject is too big and complicated to be
! thoroughly treated in column or two.
1t is simply an attempt TO outline some
of the principles to be observed and
to give a few helpful suggestions to
women who may not have satisfac-
tory method OF their own. The follow
ing recipe Is for bread made with com
pressed yeast. and when care is taken
TO maintain an even temperature,
about so degrees. throughout the proc
ess the bread should be ready for the
oven in about four hours from the time
II Is started. The special advantage
Of the compressed yeast is that 1t is
more rapid, and when il is used bread
need not be set overnight.
Compressed Yeast Bread.
Add two tablespoonfuls Of shorten
ing (butter or lardl. one tablespoonful
of sugar aud one teaspoonful of salt
and one cake of compressed yeast dis
solved in three tablespoonfuls of cold
water to one pint OF scalded milk or
one-half milk and one-haf water.
Then stir In hour until dough is stlff
| enough to beat vigorously Turn on