Improvements in and relating to the Making of Bread.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Aug., 1897--Accepted 25th Sept., 1897
[Communicated from abroad by the Firm of C. A. PROPFE & Co., of 17-21, Arning
Strasse, Hamburg, in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturers.]
Improvements in and relating to the Making of Bread.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The known process for the direct manufacture of dough from grain, in which
the grain is used to form dough without undergoing the usual intermediate
process of conversion into flour, is improved upon by the invention hereinafter
described inasmuch as the grain is submitted to a germinating process or malting
previously to being reduced to dough.
The far-reaching importance of this improvement will be apparent from the
following consideration.
In the preparation of bread from flour, groats or grain from which the husks
have been removed as hitherto carried out, the inherent nature of grain is not
in the least taken into account; the grain is simply ground into flour and this
latter baked into bread.
Each sound and perfect grain contains within itself latent life however which
life can only be awakened by the presence of moisture. If therefore moisture
is allowed to act in a suitable manner upon cleansed and washed grain, that is to
say if the latter is caused to swell by means of fluid at an appropriate temperature,
there commences in each grain, as soon as the moisture has penetrated to its
inmost core, a new life; out of the valuable nitrogenous substances in the corn
a ferment is formed (the so-called diastase) which possesses to a high degree
the property of converting insoluble starch into soluble starch (dextrin) and this
latter into sugar (maltose).
The soluble substance formed from the insoluble starch particles offers to the
embyo the nutriment necessary for its development, and thereby the process
which brewers term "malting" is begun. In brewing, the malting process is
continued to such an extent as to extract from the grain, with the germs which
are formed, substances which impart an injurious character to the beer. In
this novel method of preparing dough or bread a malting likewise takes place,
which can be carried on to any desired- extent, but for practical reasons the
germinating process should be checked at the right moment and at the most
allowed to continue only until the tender radicles begin to be visible, and this
not only in order that the bread may not acquire a bitter taste but also because
a portion of the nutriment is extracted from the grain and consequently also from
the bread if the operation is allowed to continue longer.
In brewing, the germinating process is stopped by withdrawing the moisture
from the malt, drying it in kilns and thereby destroying the germ.
The method of preparing dough or bread according to this invention is essen-
tially different. In carrying out this process such a quantity of moisture (water,

page_text: milk or the like) must be brought into contact with and retained by the grain
as is necessary to produce germination and to prepare the dough. When
sufficient germination or malting has taken place the grain passes to the reducing
machine, in which the germ is destroyed by crushing the malted grain and the
germinating process is arrested:
.
During the reduction of the malted grain so as to form dough suitable for
baking an. increased action of the diastase takes place. owing to the intimate
grinding of the same in a suitable machine or mill. When it is considered
that the diastase has been sufficiently stimulated in the grain, its further action
may be allowed to continue in the dough.
The conversion of the insoluble starch flour into sugar which is effected in the
human organism by means of the saliva and the gastric juice, is thus already
brought about in the malted grain or malted grain bread to a great extent owing
to the action of the diastase, and the work which the human digestive organs
are thus saved explains the great digestibility of malted grain bread as found
by competent authorities on the subject and also by many persons of weak
digestion.
With bread made from flour, groat or Graham (wheaten groat) bread such a
process or diastase action cannot of course take place, as in milling the germ or
embyo of the grain is destroyed.
I
The extreme sensitiveness of corn is shewn by the fact that broken, crushed or
even hulled grain will not germinate when brought in contact with moisture
but gradually rots. For this reason bread made from grain the husks of which
have been removed cannot claim to have more free nutriment than the ordinary
bread made from flour, and in no case does it possess anything like the valuable
properties of malted grain bread.
From the formation of sugar above referred to arises the greater capacity for
holding moisture and retaining it for a long period possessed by bread made
in accordance with this improved process. Sugar is known to be a hygroscopic
body, combining with water with far greater energy than does starch-flour. If,
for example, like quantities of sugar and starch are mixed with like quan-
tities of water, both mixtures being exposed to the air under similar
conditions, then the starch will become dry comparatively quickly whilst
the sugar will not again become entirely dry. This is exactly what takes
place with bread; a bread which is rich in sugar, such as malted grain bread,
possesses greater moisture than other bread, without appearing to be in any way
damp, and retains this moisture for a very long time, whilst bread made with
flour being poor in sugar, necessarily becomes dry in a very short time. Bread
made from flour if it had as much capacity for holding moisture as malted grain
bread, would appear to be quite wet and unpalatable, as water does not combine
closely with starch.
A further property of malted grain bread, that of becoming mouldy only long
after bread made from flour, is the natural consequence of the special method
of manufacture. The explanation of this is essentially to be found in the pre-
serving qualities of the sugar and not in the unessential removal of substances
producing mould and putrefaction by wet cleaning the grain.
The best manner of carrying out the manufacture of malted grain bread directly
from the grain is as follows:
Good grain capable of germination is, after undergoing a dry cleaning, care-
fully washed in a suitable washing machine and freed from all dirt, refuse,
weeds, injurious fungi and the like. It then passes into a receptacle in which
is introduced at the proper temperature and for a suitable period, moisture
sufficient to penetrate to the inmost core of the grain and cause stimulation of
diastase and production of germination, and also for the subsequent preparation
of dough or bread. The moisture may be introduced and the swelling of the grain
be effected not only by means of water, but also by steam and, if desired by milk
or the like, but it is necessary that the proper temperature should be maintained

page_text: whilst this is taking place. The surface of the grain where broken appear quite
shiny, but care should be taken that this point is not exceeded, as when this
operation is carried on too long an excessively wet dough results. The tem-
perature should also be kept within certain limits. With too great a heat the
germinating capacity of the grain is destroyed and the germ killed, whilst with
too low a temperature the operation occupies such a length of time that there
is danger of producing mould and lactic acid.
As soon as the moisture has penetrated to the inmost core of the grain, the
latter passes to a suitable receptacle for the purpose of being cooled and freed
from the water which is still present, and in this receptacle the germination
which has already been excited may continue and the malting carried on to the
required extent. The process of germination is interrupted by reducing the
malted grain thus obtained by mechanical means whereby the germ is destroyed.
Owing to the intimate grinding of the malted grain in an appropriate reducing
machine or mill to a fine dough suitable for baking an increased action of the
diastase takes place, which action can continue in the dough so formed and give
rise to further convertible products.
The further treatment of the dough by the addition of leaven, yeast or the
like, and also the kneading and rising or working and finally the baking of the
bread, are carried out in a similar manner to that employed for bread made from
flour or groats.
Bread made in this manner may truly be termed "Malted grain bread," it
has an agreeable aromatic taste, is absolutely pare and free from all foreign
substances, is nutritious and easy of digestion, will keep fresh and sweet for a
week, and finally is cheaper than bread of other kinds owing to the manner in
which it is manufactured.
It will of course be understood that the processes above described may be
applied equally well to all grain and products capable of germination and, in
addition to the preparation of dough and bread for human food, to the prepara-
tion of food for cattle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:-
A process for the manufacture of dough from grain capable of germination
without hulling or milling in which, the germinating power of the grain is utilised
for the production of diastase for making bread by calling the grain to life by treating
it with moisture at a temperature suitable for causing germination which there-
fore results and a malting process is occasioned, whereupon the malted grain
so obtained is converted or worked into dough suitable for baking by means of
reducing or grinding machinery.
Way of august 1001.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.