Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-16
OUR DAILY BREAD.
Walking and Handling
Processes.
BY Frederic J. Haskin.

While the processes OF baking and ham
ding raised breads differ materially, the
principles Of bread-making are the same,
for In every case the sponge must be
mixed. the mass must be allowed time
for the yeast germs to develop the re-
CURED lightness, and the dough must be
cooked by baking in some sort Of oven.
These first principles of raised bread
making have been recognized by every
baker since the time of the PharaOhs.
The improvement and development OF
these first essentials constitute the i'm
provement Of the modern raised bread
whether 1t is the product of a regular
bakery or Of the home kitchen. Two
systems of developing the yeast germs
are in common use, and each has its fol-
lowers. There are also a number or
compromises between the two distinct
methods
The results are usually known 10 the
baker as straight dough- and sponge
dough- The
Bakers Recognize first which is
Two Kinds of Dough " of hand ;"
dough, is made by mixing all OF the ma
terials at one time and then setting the
mass in q warm place to rise Tor several
hours before baking. This method re-
quires more yeast and stronger nour tnAn
does the other method, in which the yeast
is permitted first to grow in an especlaiy
favorable medium before being mixed
with the main dough. Straight dougn
also requires a longer time to rise, put
upon the other hand it gives a larger
yield Of bread. Many housewives prefer
this method because the dough can De
mixed overnight and baked In the morn
ing. 1t has been unpopular WIN some
bakers because the large quantities VI
materials require extensive kneadlng. Inc
improved machinery used IN the large
modern bakeries Overcomes this opJec-
ton, but it frequently happens tnat the
strong flour required for the development
of the yeast in so large mass MAKES ,es
the bread coarse in texture ana diso
gives it a raw. granny taste.
To make sponge dough, the yeast is al
lowed TO work for number OF hours IN
stiff batter made of a portion OF the nour
and water After it has raised sufhcient-
" the other ingredients are added, and
1t is allowed to raise again before Delns
worked out into loaves for baking some,
times, the full amount OF water Is useu
for the sponge and only the required
amount OF flour is added to make 1t into
a stiff dough. At least the sponge is al
ways Stacker than the straight dough.
Bakers usually set their sponge with tneir
strongest -four. The strong Hour gives
| light, elastic quality to the sponge and
weaker flour Is used to complete the sec
ond mixing The housewife usually has
but one kind Of flour. and II she is pos
sessed Of good baking judgment she Will
to be used and the proper consistency of
the dough by the feeling of the flour in
her hand, and also by it's qualities as de-
veloped when mOistened.
The good loaf of bakers bread seldom
contains any other material than flour,
| salt. water. a
Usual Ingredients small quantity of
in Bakers Loaf. , sn;ns - 0 and S'J the
yeast which raises it. The homemade
| bread, upon the other hand. may have
several other ingredients. Many house.
| wives insist that it is impossible to OBJ
! tain good bread without adding con-
siderable amount Of potato. Frequently
! the -four with which the sponge ts started
| Is scalded with the water In which po-
| tatoes have been boiled, and the potatoes,
| finely mashed. are added either to the
| sponge when it is being started or less
| frequently after It has raised and is
| ready for the second mixing. In some
homes milk is always used instead OF
water for mixing dough. Most bakers
make q small amount of milk bread be-
| cause some customers ask for 1t, al
| though 1t has been decided by food chem
| lists that milk bread is less digestible than
! that mixed with water because of the
cheesy substance Of the milk, which tends
| to tougher when baked.
To most bakers, both in the home and
| the commercial bakery, the greatest mis-
| fortune to be warded off is that of sour
| bread. This is due to the undue develop
| ment Of the Tactic or other acids con-
| tanned in the dough. A little acid is not
| harmful, as is proved by the nutritive
value of leavened bread. but when this
| acidity is pronounced 1t becomes most
| unpleasant to the average palate, and If
| far developed may become absolutely in
furious. 1t is usually believed, espe-
! cially by the housewife, that sour bread
! is caused by the dough having stood too
| long during one Of the raising periods.
| Modern chemistry has proved that this
| acidity may arise from lack Of cleanli-
ness. Old dough left in the baking uten-
undesirable bacteria which produce the
excess acidity. Sometimes but not often,
the undesirable bacteria are found in the
J flour from which the dough Is mixed.
Next to sourneSS, the most dreaded i'm
perfection in bread Is to have it heavy
and SOggy This