The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-05-17
MAKING or STATE OF d
Lice REQUIRES CARE

MAKING or STATE OF
Lice REQUIRES CARE
Miss Hannah wrestling has probably
baked more bread within the last few
years than does the average mother Of
a large family in a long lifetime on
the farm. Miss Weesling has both
men and women assistants to help
her, but she makes most Of the bread
herself. working the dough with her
own hands, says Farm and Fireside.
This all takes place in the expert
mental bakery, which Is part Of the
United States Department Of Agricrl.
ture. Here hundreds and thousands
Of tiny test loayes OF bread have been
baked, to say nothing of pies; and
cakes and biscuits without number.
The baking has been done under all
sorts Of conditions and with all gradca
Of -four and all manner OF yeasts, bak.
ing powders. favoring extracts and
other ingredients. The Federal ex-
plorers IN. the field Of baking have
even gone so far as to make trials
Of a number of substitutes for wheat
four-potato flour. banana -four.
chestnut -four, and other varieties
which It has been suggested might
possibly be produced more cheaply
than wheat fourth certain localities.
Should Watch Fermentation. 4.
The men and women who have
studied breadmaking for the Govern.
ment would like TO see all bread made
by rule of thumb. Perhaps some
women will regard them as tribe
fussy when they object to the way
the usual housewife trusts to her
Judgment in taking pinch Of this
and dash of that insteei OF weigh
ing and measuring everything from
flour to- favoring that enters into the
making of bread or pastry, but their
ideas are worth listening to all the
same.
Another suggestion they made is
that most cooks would have bettoc.
success IL they gave greater atten-
ton to the matter OF temperature.
Fermentation, say these wiseacres. is
the foundation of successful baking.
Miss WeSsling has invented closet
whore the heat can be controlled &C.
curately and absolutely. This sponge
closet is heated by electricity and ut
ted with glass doors through which
the progress of the operation my be
watched. But Miss Wessling declares
that any housewife may obtain the
same beneficial results by boring holes
in the top Of an ordinary wooden box.
fitting shelf for crooks and instali-
ing, I.aderreath a small oil lamp to
prov:ce heat
Miss Wessling and her assistants
prepare their own -four, except, of
course, when tests are being made Nof
commercial -four, such as are sold in
the open market. When wheat is sent
to the Department, as Is constantly
the case, in order that its four.making
Qualifications may be determined, tho
sample is made into flour under Miss
MesslinE's J, direction in-a4room fitted
with several types of the small hand
power mills such as may be found IN
many farmhouses.
Best Bread at 400 Degrees.
This experimental bakery is also q
model kitchen, and will interest any
housewife, from this standpoint. To
be sure. all.the baking is done In gas
or electric ovens, but this is merely
because the experime nters must know
the exact temperature at oil times
and be able to regulate 1t to the frac.
ton Of degree. Otherwise there is
nothing in this bread-making that
may not be duplicated in the every.
day kitchen.
The experience at the Department
of Agriculture Is that a heat OF about
400 degrees is the best temperature
for baking, and there is no reason
why this cannot be attained with a
wood.burning or coal.burning range
Just as readily, though, perhaps, not
as quickly, as with an. electric or gas
oven.
Several original ideas have been
worked out in the> equipment OF this
unique bakery kitchen, and one OF
them would be useful to any house.
wife as means of saving space, time
and steps. This Is drain board or
dish rack, and Is placed fiat against
the wall, directly above the kitchen
sink. This fat board, several times
as large as the ordinary bread board,
Is full OF holes In which may be stuck
at will pegs or sticks which, when In
place, project from the face of, the
board at an angle.
No More Dish Towels.
The purpose of these pegs Is to fur.
nish support for all manner Of dishes
and cooking utensile. The cups, the
tumblers, the pitchers and other deep
Yegsels may be placed, bottom up,
each on its individual peg, whereas
The plates, saucers and fiat dishes are
supported In perfect security on rows
or more slender sticks-each about as
large as a round lead pencil-5et close
together so as to form what Is equivas
lent to a continuous rack.
The advantage OF this device Is that
It does away with the drying of dishes
In the ordinary time.consuming way,
and also saves the wear and tear upon
the dish towels and the time spent IN,
laundering them. The dishes and
utensils after being washed are rims,
ed In boiling water, and suspended
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