The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1920-11-25
ESSAY ON BREAD
Written BY Miss Myrtle 0. Stevens,
of Wilson's Chapel)

OF Wilson'S Chapel.l
Bread is an article of food. A food
we all know, is a substance taken into
the body that produces heat and en-
ergy and furnishes building tissue
without the slightest injury to the
most delicate cells of the body.
History tells US that bread in its
many forms was used a thousand
years before the Christian era. Many
processes have been explained in bak-
ing and from the first flat cake has
developed the perfect loaf. The bread
that our ancestors made was from a
crude form of wheat and was made
without leaven or yeast.
The manufacture of flour has been
gradually developed until we no
longer have undressed flour, but have
a refined grade of flour made from
the wheat kernel alone and is free
from bran and other waste materials.
Bread has proven to be essential to
the human diet. Besides giving heat
and energy to the body, it supplies
building tissue that develops the mus
cles, rendering them strong and act
i've, thus enabling them to carry on
the body's work. 1t also aids in bal
aneing the diet, thereby avoiding the
heavy taxation of the digestive juices
and organs, so often caused from eat
ing too much of cone class of food.
Considering its great value to man
kind. it seems unnecessary and wrong
to find poor bread on the table.
Bread-making is a subject of no
slight importance and deserves a
great deal more attention that it re-
ceives.
Bread is made from wheat or other
cereals by the addition of a liquid,
salt and a ferment. Wheat flour is
best adapted for bread-making, as it
contains gluten in the right proper
tiohs to make the spongy loaf. But
for it's slight deficiency in fat, wheat
bread is a perfect food, hence from
iris we began to use butter with it.
Gluten, the protein of wheat, is a
gray, tough elastic substance, in
soluble in water. On account of its
great amount of expansion, it holds
the gas by fermentation. which would
otherwise escape, therefore flour
containing a great amount of gluten
should be chosen in bread-making.
Yeast is the next ingredient to be
considered. 1t is the lowest form Of
vegetable life and consists Of spores
and germs found floating in the air.
Spores grow by budding and division
and multiply very rapidly under fav-
orable conditions, thus producing fer
mentation. Fermentation is the pro-
cess by which, under the influence Of
air, warmth and moisture are changed
into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Liq-
uid, dry or compressed yeast must be
used for bread-making The tempera-
ture at which yeast must be kept
varies from 65 to SO degrees Fahren-
heit.
Fat is necessary in bread to make
it more tender. 1t is readily assimi-
lated and completely digested in the
intestines. Milk supplies mineral
salts and fat. Salt governs fermen-
tation, adds to the flavor and makes
bread more palatable. Sugar is added
to hasten fermentation. All these
ingredients combined makes per-
feet food.
Fermented bread is made by mixing
to dough flour with a definite guam
tity of luke-warm water of milk, salt,
sugar and a ferment. Dough is then
kneaded so that the ingredients may
be thoroughly incorporated. Cover
and allow to rise until the dough is
doubled in bulk The change has
been caused by the action of the fer
ment, which attacks some of the
starch in the flour and changes it
into sugar The sugar is changed
into alcohol and carbon dioxide, thus
Tightening the whole mass. Dough
IS then kneaded second time to
break bubbles and distribute carbon
dioxide gas evenly 1t is shaped into
loaves by dividing the dough into
parts, each part large enough for a
loaf, knead until smooth, and if pos
sible, avoid seams in the bottom of
the loaf. It is then placed in creased
pans, covered and allowed to rise at
68 degrees Fahrenheit to double it's
bulk. If risen too long it win be full
of large holes; if not long enough, it
will be heavy and soggy.
If pans containing loaves are put
in too hot place while rising, a
heavy streak will be found in the
bottom of the l0aves.
Bread is always brushed over with
milk or butter before baking to make
crust darker color.
Bread is baked to kill fermentation
to make soluble the starch, to drive
off alcohol and carbon dioxide ano
to form brown crust of good flavor
Bread should be baked in hot
oven, but if too hot the crust viii
brown before the heat has reached
the center and prevent further rising
A loaf should rise in the first Is min.
utes of baking; then it begins ia
brown and should continue browning
for the next 20 minutes. The last Ii
minutes should finish baking. When
bread is done it win not cling to the
sides of the pan and may be easily re-
moved. 1t may be brushed over with
melted butter before removing from
the oven if a more tender crust is
daeired