THE PRODUCTION OF AN ACID POWDER AND THE USE THEREOF, IN COMBINATION WITH AN ALKALINE CARBONATE, IN THE TREATMENT OP FLOUR EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BREAD AND OTHER FARINACEOUS FOOD
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Crawford Walker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th December 1868.
I, JOHN CRAWFORD WALKER, of Gainsborough Square, Hackney
Wick, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "THE PRODUCTION OF AN ACID POWDER AND THE USE
THEREOF, IN COMBINATION WITH AN ALKALINE CARBONATE, IN THE TREATMENT OP
FLOUR EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BREAD AND OTHER FARINACEOUS FOOD,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in producing an acid powder by diluting
hydrochloric acid with water until it attains a specific gravity of about
1.09 Baumé; this I pour into or sprinkle amongst any comparatively dry
farinaceous or amylaceous substance in the proportion of about four
ounces of the acidulated water to one pound of the farinaceous or amy-
laceous substance; rice flour I have found answer well; but I do not
intend to confine myself exclusively to the use thereof, but employ
starch, kiln dried Indian corn flour, wheaten flour in a pretty dry state,
or any two or more of these substances mixed together may be advan-
tageously employed; the flour as it is mixed with the acid water should

page_text: be stirred until the acid is thoroughly diffused throughout the mass; it
is then run through a moderately fine sieve to separate it from any
stickey lumps it may contain, which are thrown aside as being unfit for
In this manner and by these means I produce an unstable acid
powder, which should be applied to the purpose for which it is intended
with as little delay as possible, and when not required to be used
immediately, or soon after it is made, it may be preserved by placing it
in closely corked cartherware or glass jars. Into every sack of 250
pounds weight of the flour of commerce I thoroughly mix and
incorporate about thirty-six pounds weight of the acid powder made as
above described, whereupon such parts of the acid as are not firmly held
by the powder will be attracted and held by the minuto particles of
water which the flour of commerce ordinarily contains; the acid thus
becomes pretty uniformly diffused -throughout-the-mass and-clings-to
the flour, even after much of the moisture may have been evaporated.
After 24 or 36 hours have elapsed I incorporate with the 280 pounds of
flour, treated as above mentioned, about 3 pounds weight of bicarbonate
of soda, which should be distributed throughout the mass as uniformly
as possible; when the water (which should be cold) is added to convert
the flour into dough the acid present commences to act upon the alkali,
and when heat is applied the action becomes very energetic, and con-
tinues until the carbonate is decomposed and the acid neutralized, in
the course of which about half the quantity of common salt usually
employed is then produced and lodged in the bread, while a sufficiency
of carbonic acid is evolved to give porosity or lightness to the bread
thus made. The dough should be made quickly and baked immediately
afterwards in a quick oven. Bread made by flour thus prepared does
not require any fermenting agent to be used in its manufacture.