Omaha daily bee., 1917-04-04
Bread Making

| The test above all others for the
excellent housewife formerly was hei
ability to make a perfect loaf OF bread
That test fingers with US still, though
there are many fine housewives who
would not attempt to pass it. Modern
city conditions have changed oul
household industries, but there is still
satisfaction in producing a perfect
loaf. Of all our cooking processes
bar canning, think there is none SC
dependent on knowledge of science
as basis of constant success. A
practical housekeeper will learn by
the trial and error method that Ger.
tain conditions make for good bread
but the trial and error method is an
expensive luxury in this day and age
Nothing has convinced me of the
value of this theoretical knowledge
so much as the fact that of all my
students who have made bread in the
class room only one ever had COM
plete faiiure-though must admit
that many of the loaves have been
far from perfect in texture. But text
ure is quality that comes with ex-
perience in kneading.
The theory of bread making is
based directly on the growth of the
yeast plant. Because the yeast is a
plant it requires certain conditions
for growth. Given these conditions,
the bread must be moderate success.
The yeast plant must have food,
moisture and warmth. The first two
are provided by the bread dough itself
the last must be secured by care.
Hence bread dough must be kept in a
warm place, for cold retards the
growth, and extreme heat kills the
plant. theoretically, cold does not
kill the yeast plant, but if the dough
is unduly chilled it seems difficult to
revive the plant to vigorous growth
In securing proper conditions for
the growth of the yeast plant one is
at the same time securing excellent
conditions for the growth OF other
invisible organisms which might spoil
the bread. For there are at all times
in the air certain tiny organisms, the
familiar bacteria, which might enter
the dough and develop there. The
first precaution against unfavorable
organisms is absolute cleanliness. A
kitchen should be we'll swept and
busted long enough before the bread
making process that the dust may
settle. All utensils should be scrupu-
lousy clean. A second precaution is
the use of boiled water, or scalded
milk. The liquid must be cooled
down to lukewarm before adding the
yeast or the plant may be killed. The
dough should be covered with a clean
cloth while it is rising. The use of
bread mixer is good from this stand
point, because the dough is not ex-
posed to the open air during mixing.
The modern short process Of bread
making, in which the bread is COM
pleted in five to six hours, give less
opportunity for bread to spoil.
Flour, liquid, yeast and salt are the
only essentials for bread. In fact,
bread may be made without salt, and
in early days the bread was allowed
to stand until the wild yeasts of the
air, entered and raised it. Later a
piece of dough was kept from one
baking to the next, as a starter"
The liquid may be water, milk, half
and half, potato water, or whey.
Water is, of course, the cheapest;
milk makes more tender bread with
higher food value; potato water
bread keeps moist we'll, and whey
bread has higher food value than
water bread at less cost than milk
bread. The whey bread is higher in
mineral matter and sugar. Most
recipes cali for little sugar to give
the yeast plant available food at the
start. The plant produces ferment
which acts upon sugar, changing it
to alcohol and carbon dioxide gas.