AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING CERTAIN FARINACEOUS FOODS
Year: 1836

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WHITING, late of Rodney Buildings, New Kent Road, in the County of
Surrey, but now of Kennington, in the said County of Surrey, Doctor in
Medicine, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Third day of May, in the sixth year of His reign,
did, for Ilimself, is heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Whiting, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I the said John Whiting, my exors, admiors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Whiting, my exors, adññiors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed; my
Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING CERTAIN
FARINACEOUS FOODS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I, the said John Whiting, shall cause a particular description of the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Whiting, do hereby declare that my said Invention relates to the

page_text: preparation of all kinds of farinaceous food which require to be rendere
cellular light (spongy), (as bread, cakes, light biscuits, and such like). And
declare my improvement or improvements to consist in preparing such food by
means of an acid and an alkali (such alkali being in union with carbonic acid)
whereby the same is rendered cellular light (spongy) without the aid of
fermentation. The acid I employ in the manufacture of bread is the muriatic
acid (called also hydrochloric acid, and spirits of salt), and the alkali is the
carbonate of soda, or what is considered to be by chemists a sesquicarbonate
or bicarbonate. When these two articles, namely, the muriatic acid and
carbonate of soda are mixed together in proper proportions, the following
changes take place, namely, two-of-the ingredients which they contain combino
to form common salt, two other ingredients combine to form water, while the
carbonic acid is separated in the form of gas, and accomplishes all the duties
performed by the carbonic acid extricated during the common fermentative
process of making bread, which fermentative process I consider to be
prejudicial (whether produced by permitting the dough, by standing and heat,
to rise by fermentation, the result of spontaneous decomposition, or by aiding
such fermentation by yeast, as is the common practice, or by any other
ferment.
.
I will now proceed to explain the manner of carrying my said Invention
into effect, and illustrate the same by shewing how it may be performed in
the making of bread. To form seven pounds of wheaten flour or meal into
bread, mix from three hundred and fifty to five hundred grains of the carbo-
nate of soda above mentioned with about two pints and three quarters of pure
water (the quantity of the alkali may be made to vary within the limits above
mentioned, as the baker finds it best, and depending on the degree of lightness
required). Mix with three quarters of a pint of water in a separate vessel so
much of pure muriatic acid as will neutralize the quantity of the carbonate of
soda employed (the quantity of the acid varying according to the known
specific gravity of the acid, and the quantity of soda in the carbonate, which
are subjects familiar to chemists. From about four hundred and twenty to five
hundred and sixty grains of the acid as met, with in commerce, I have found
in practice to be required for three hundred and fifty grains of the carbonaté
of soda; and I would remark that, as bakers are not usually acquainted with
chemistry, in order to their adjusting the proportions of the muriatic acid and the
alkali they must depend on some one who is possessed of chemical knowledge.
Let the flour be divided into two equal portions. To one portion thrown into
a wide earthenware pan or trough, add the solution of the soda, gradually well
stirring and beating the mixture with a large wooden spoon or other convenient
.

page_text: instrument, so as to form a uniform batter free from all lumps; scrape down
into the batter all pieces from the sides of the pan and spoon before the mixing
is finished; upon this batter throw the other portion of the flour, and while
briskly stirring them together from the bottom, pour in gradually the diluted
acid, then let the dough be formed, and while in a rough state let it be thrown
on the board and lightly kneaded with a biscuit brake or rolling pin for a
minute or two, doubling and rolling it until it becomes blended and quite
uniform and light, but this process must not be continued too long; when this
is accomplished, the dough may be lightly moulded with dry flour and baked
in loaves 'distinct from each other, and not very large (from half a pound to a
pound and a half weight of dough each). The bread in some ovens is found to
turn out best when baked under tins in the form called in London cobourg or
coronation loaves. The oven should be hot enough to raise the dough quickly,
but not so hot as to bind the crust too soon; the bread requires to be
well soaked (as it is technically called by bakers), it being apt to retain too
much moisture if it be not sufficiently long in the oven. The process of
mixing should be conducted in a cool place, and the water used should be as
cold as can be procured, especially in hot weather; common salt may be
added sufficient to flavor the bread. The quantity of common salt formed by
the ingredients used is about two hundred and eighty grains, when three hundred
and fifty grains of the aforesaid carbonate of soda are employed, and a little
addition of common salt, about half or three quarters of ounce, which is to be
dissolved in the diluted acid, will generally improve the taste of the bread.
The quantity of water above mentioned will be found to correspond with half
a pint to one pound of flour, but this must vary with the strength of the flour;
and I have found that a rather soft dough is better than that which is stiff.
Great care must be taken in the mixing in all cases to secure a perfect union of
the acid and alkali, otherwise the bread will be discoloured.
Having thus described the means of performing my Invention, I would
remark, that soda and carbonic acid in their other chemical combinations, as
the common crystallized carbonate (called sometimes sub-carbonate), or the
dried carbonate, or the true bicarbonate, may be employed for the same pur-
pose, care being taken to obtain the extrication of a sufficient quantity of gas,
and to form a neutral mixture of the acid and alkali, that is, to produce
common salt, as above explained. I would remark, that I do not confine
myself to the precise means of mixing herein explained, as the same may be
varied, provided the object of the Invention, be kept in view, that of neu-
tralizing the ingredients used and producing common salt; and also causing
the bread to be cellular light (spongy) as above described.
When eggs or

page_text: milk, and butter, sugar, and spices are to be used in making different kinds of
light cakes, the same may be mixed with one portion of the flour before the
alkali is added to it, and the dough made as above described; and when
biscuits are to be formed the dough may be made as above described, only it
must be rendered stiffer by the addition of flour and by pressure in the manner
resorted to in preparing them in the ordinary way. The flour of rye and that
of barley and oats, when mixed with some of wheat, may be made into bread by
the same process; and potatoes (which must on no account exceed one third
by weight of the quantity of flour intended to be made into bread, the other
two thirds being of wheaten flour), and rice may also be used with wheaten
flour, though the bread will be generally considered best if made wholly of
wheaten flour.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would remark that I am aware that carbonate of soda,
carbonate of ammonia, and carbonate of magnesia have been used in preparing
some kinds of farinaceous food (and some acids also); I do not, therefore, claim
the use of these materials generally in the preparing of farinaceous foods;
but what I do claim as my improvement or improvements is the preparing
such foods by means of an acid and an alkali (such alkali being in union
with carbonic acid), whereby the foods are rendered cellular light (spongy)
without the aid of fermentation, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Whiting, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six.