The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-04-22
American Housewives Are
Capable of Mixing Flour

i self quite capable of doing all the
flour mixing desirable is the commentary
of Assistant Secretary of Agriculture
Vrooman on the mooted mixed flour ques-
ton. He says further that the American
housewife could materially reduce the
cost of living if she were to get the flour
mixing habit.
There are some thirty substitutes
that can be mixed with wheat flour in
making bread" he said in a statement
issued here today. Many of these are
more nutritious than wheat flour; SOM
of them are cheaper than wheat flour.
and OF these, two or three, at least, are
commercially obtainable almost anywhere.
POTATOES, corn flour, and rice Gin GER
tain %sections) can be used with profit in
mixture with wheat flour in making yeast
bread. With wheat flour as dear as it is
now the careful housewife stands to eff
feet quite a saving by using one of these
products to exc out her wheat flour. Ex-
periments have shown that the substi-
tutes can be used successfully in the pro-
portion of one part to three parts of wheat
flour. At least three-fourths of the mix
ture must be good wheat flour.
Potatoes have a certain advantage in
this regard. since potato bread can be
made without going to the trouble to get
the commercial potato meal. Plain
mashed potatoes, four parts of mashed po-
tatoes to three parts of wheat flour. will
serve the purpose quite we'll. If the dry
potato meal or flake is used, the ratio
should be one part of potato to three
parts of flour.
Boiled rice can be used in much the
same way as mashed potatoes, care being
taken to allow for the water in the rice
and to use about three times as much in
pulk as would be used of the rice flour.
In making potato bread the sponge
should be used, and just enough water to
serve to mix the yeast with the potato,
since the sponge becomes very soft after
partial fermentation. The remainder of
the flour is worked in afterwards. care
being taken to make an extra stiff dough.
which should be raised till quite light.
This bread Is much moister than bread
made Of straight wheat flour.
Corn flour, which should cost about
two-thirds the price of wheat flour, may
be mixed with wheat flour direct, one
part OF corn flour to three parts of wheat
flour. Use the mixture just as though it
were wheat flour-and mix it yourself.
1T should be remembered that the ad-
dltion of starchy materials, such as DO
1atoes, rice or corn starch (Which is some
times used to adulterate wheat flour in
baking) tends to make a loaf less rich
in protein and hence less nutritious than
the straight wheat flour. The addition
of corn flour makes little, If any, change
in the nutritive value of the bread. but
makes it cheaper.
There are other flour substitutes, such
as soybean meal and pea flour, which
serve to add greatly to the nutritive value
OF the loaf when mixed with wheat flour.
These products, unfortunately, cannot be
recommended in the present emergency,
since they are not as yet common articles
of commerce in this country.
In this connection it should be said
that a great saving could be effected II
the housewife would emulate the profess
sional baker and buy low-grade wheat
flours. There are flours on the market
quite as good for home baking as the
fancy patent %flours, which cost in bulk
from 20 to 40 per cent less than the
fancy grades.
Such are the so-called Second clear
and low grade" flours, which are graded
lower than patents merely because they
are darker, not because they are any less
nutritious or less palatable. In fact, the
darker color may be evidence that the
flour is more nutritious than white flour.
Boston brown bread may be mentioned
as a good and very popular medium for
the profitable use of flour substitutes. It
is made of equal parts of corn meal, rye
meal and graham flour and is a very
nutritious bread.
There are various ways of making over
bread itself so as to effect a considerable