The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-07
BREAD MAKING.

price of bread has called atten-
ton to the fact that tho art of
home bread making is rapidly disap-
pearing. I'm homes where kitchen
space is limited II In certainly better
to buy bread from the bakery when It
1t made under proper sanitary condi-
tons, but these reasons do not apply
to jewellers In suburban and country
houses, where flour can BE- delivered
and stored and where Kitchen space Is
not limited. and where baking day
may. IL carefully managed. mean an
economy. since the extra heat may be
utilized for other special cooking at
the same time. II bread making at
home is to be q real economy II will
depend more on management Of time
and Of waste" heat than upon the
saving IN the matter Of the price Of
-four. The superior digestibilty and
greater nourishment OF homemade
bread when skilled hands have had the
making OF It is beyond question.
Having selected q suitable flour,
which is one not too finely ground and
OF a creamy white color. the next con-
s%ideration Il the yeast. Given a good
fio,r and a pure yeast. tho homemade
loaf has q flavor which no baker can
impart-
The actual process Of bread making
Is simple enough. and II Is the ground
! work OF most other culinary processes;
cakes and pastry are mere decorative
superstructures, and all other fine and
c. implicated mixtures that result in
puddings biscuits, &C.. are based on
this understanding Of the first princi-
oles of bread making.
Briefly these are followed by having
weighed the right quantity of -four.
say fourteen pounds. and put It into a
big bowl-a wooden one by preference
or the true bakers trough, and with
the hand to form a round hole In the
centre TO make the well" Into this
we'll the yeast ferment Is poured with
care and sufficient OF the Jour stirred
in with II TO form what Is called the
sponge" The yeast may be either
several ~teaspoonfuls OF brewers yeast
mixed with a little brown sugar and
sufficient warm milk or water to make
II ike a cream. or 1t may be a piece
OF German yeast, about W ounces
weight. crumbled fine and then mixed
TO the same consistency with warm
milk or water. When the sponge is
mixed it must be left TO rise. the bowl
being placed in a sheltered, warm
! corner In about an hours time this
, sponge should have risen to the top
OF the we'll and have started to
break" TO let the carbonic gas escape,
II has now to be mixed with the rest
of the flour and the water 10 make a
dough. The water must be just luke
warm, not more. Were II colo II
would chill the sponge and prevent
further working: were II hot II would
have the effect OF Killing" il. 1t IL
good to dissolve the salt In the water,
az that insures even distribution
throughout the dough.
As to the right consistency OF the
dough only experience is any safe
guide. II should be soft enough to
work easily when you begin 10 knead
by hand, but not so soft that II sticks
to the bowl. II the dough IL too soft
the bread will be puffy and full of
holes: II too dry II will be hard and
will not rise much.
Then again the art OF kneading is
one only acquired by experience. But
"A good kneader quickly gets her ball
OF dough neat and compact, and works
it from the outer edge to the middle,
delving down always in the centre. and
gradually the ball grows light and
spongy and whistles" as II caves the
sides of the bowl. Our Rrandmothers
used to say that when the dough
"whistled" II had zen sufficiently
bnpdlad h,,t ~ 20 hatfar ~ oyeryork
rather han to work o little where
bread is concerned. When, however,
the ball is light n springs back