A NEW SPONGING' PROCESS TO BE USED IN BREAD MAKING FOR THE PURPOSE OF ABOLISHING SUNDAY LABOUR
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lachlan Campbell, of Rothesay, in the County of Bute,
North Britain, Baker, for the Invention of "A NEW SPONGING' PROCESS TO
BE USED IN BREAD MAKING FOR THE PURPOSE OF ABOLISHING SUNDAY
LABOUR."
Sealed the 13th February 1880, and dated the 13th November 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Lachlan Campbell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th November 1879.
LACHLAN CAMPBELL, of Rothesay, in the County of Bute, North Britain, Baker.
"A NEW SPONGING' PROCESS TO BE USED IN BREAD MAKING FOR THE PURPOSE
OF ABOLISHING SUNDAY LABOUR."
The main object of my said Invention is the doing away with all Sunday labour
in the making of bread, and it has reference to new or improved simple modes
and means or process of preparing the fermenting "sponge," dough, or yeast, ready
for being mixed with the batch or batches of dough and bread to be raised or
leavened and baked therewith, and which is so much slower in its fermentation of
coming to the ripe or active state ready for being mixed with the batch within
convenient limits, easily capable of being regulated by the baker or person
preparing it, as from thirty to sixty hours, that this sponge or ferment may be
mixed and left at any desired hour on a Saturday, to be ready at or near any
required hour on the following Monday morning with the batch, thus preventing
the necessity for doing this "sponging" work on Sunday, which has been found
indispensable heretofor in order to avoid the wasting of the sponge, which does not
stand over fourteen hours or thereby. This new leavening "sponge" has the
advantage of being easily regulated or retarded in its action, and prevented from
being spoiled or becoming acid, while the bread made with it is also pure and
pleasant to the taste. In making such fermenting " sponge" heretofore, the
procedure has been to put the whole ingredients of barm or other active ferment
with the proper quantity of flour, water, and salt, all together or into one vessel,
and mix them into one uniform or homogeneous dough, which is then left to
ferment in the bottom of the vessel or wood "quarter tub," and this is usually ripe
or ready for use in from ten to fifteen hours, which necessitate the bakers working
on Sunday to mix and set the same.
Now in contradistinction to this mode of procedure the nature and novelty of
my said Invention or improvements consists: --First, in mixing the barm or other

page_text: active ferment only in a proportion or part of the whole flour or "sponge" to be
fermented, and placing this as a foment at A in the bottom or lower part of the
ordinary fermenting quarter tub z, as shown in vertical section in the Drawing
hereunto appended, while a larger second quantity or layer of plain mixed dough is
laid above thef ormer at B. This fomenting dough or sponge A works up through
the whole body of dough B above, making it all uniform and ready for mixing
with the batch in a faster or slower manner, depending on the depth or quantity
of the lower acting or fermenting mixture A to that of the upper plain dough
mixture B, to some extent also regulated by the temperature of the place, and that
of the water used at the time of making it up as stated, as is well known to good
practical bakers; the kind of barm or other ferment used in this new process
of "sponging" may be much the same as heretofore used for ordinary mixed
sponge," and the strength or quantity not greatly different either in proportion to
the whole of the flour and water mixed or placed as stated in the fermenting tub
or vessel z.
"
The following is the proportion of the ingredients and procedure which I have
found to answer well in experimentally carrying out my said improvements,
namely:-
First Mixture. To one pint of the usual barm I add four and a half pounds of
flour or thereby, and mix them into a dough, and then put this into the bottom of
the ordinary "quarter sponging tub" >.
Second Mixture.-To four pints of water I take eighteen pounds of flour with
six ounces of salt or thereby, and mix the whole together into a dough B, and then
put this over the top of the first bottom ferment or barm layer of dough A in the
same tub, which I close in over the top with bags or other covering to keep out the
cold air, and allow the whole to stand and ferment. The heat of the water used in
the last mixture is varied according to the temperature of the apartment or
bakehouse where the tub is left for fermentation, and the time the ferment is
desired to be ready for use. Thus, where the atmospheric temperature is about
sixty-six degrees Fahrenheit, and when the sponge is to be made or left, say, at
twelve o'clock noon on Saturday, to be ready at five or six o'clock on the following
Monday morning, use the water for mixing the said dough at about ninety
degrees Fahrenheit or thereby. The sponge will then be ready for being wrought
in the usual way.
When the temperature of the bakehouse or place in which the sponge is made is
higher or lower than sixty six degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature of the water
used in mixing the sponge must be lower or higher respectively in proportion.
Although in the layer of active ferment A placed in the bottom of the tub the
ordinary barms or other ferments have been described as being used, it is to be
understood that this improved process of sponging can be done, and give nearly
equal results, by taking a piece of fermented dough and placing it in the bottom of
the quarter tub z as the active ferment, covered over with the secondary plain
dough B, otherwise substantially as described for making this slow acting sponge
or leaven for bread.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
tho said Lachlan Campbell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th May
1880.
LACHLAN CAMPBELL, of Rothesay, in the County of Bute, North Britain, Baker.
"A NEW SPONGING' PROCESS TO BE USED IN BREAD-MAKING FOR THE PURPOSE
OF ABOLISHING SUNDAY LABOUR."
My said Invention has reference to a new and improved simple mode and means
or process of preparing the fermenting "sponge," dough, or yeast ready for being

page_text: "
or ferment
mixed with the batch or batches of dough and bread to be raised or leavened and
baked therewith, and which is so much surer in its fermentation of coming to the
ripe or active state ready for being mixed with the batch or for making into bread
within convenient limits of time, easily capable of being regulated by the baker or
person preparing it (as from thirty to sixty hours), that this "sponge
may be mixed and left at any desired hour on a Saturday, to be ready at or near
any required hour on the following Monday morning to set the batch, thus
preventing the necessity for doing the "sponging" work on Sunday, which has
been found indispensible heretofore in order to avoid the wasting of the ". sponge,"
which at present cannot stand over fourteen hours or thereby. This new leavening
sponge" has the advantage of being easily regulated or retarded in its action, and
prevented from being spoiled or becoming acid, while the bread made with it is
also pure and pleasant to the taste.
"
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same or
carrying it into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended an explanatory Drawing for that purpose, showing a vertical section of an
ordinary baker's "quarter tub," and illustrating the manner in which the "sponge"
is "set" or prepared by my improved process.
In making the fermenting "sponge" heretofore for the manufacture of bread, the
procedure has been to put the whole ingredients of barm or the active ferments
with the proper quantity of flour, water, and salt, all together or into one vessel,
and mix these into one uniform or homogeneous dough, which is then left to
ferment in the bottom of the vessel or wood "quarter tub," and this is usually ripe
or ready for use in from ten to fifteen hours, and which necessitates the bakers
working on Sunday to mix and set the same. In contradistinction to this mode of
procedure the nature, novelty, and mode of performing my said Invention or
improvements consist:-First, in mixing the barm or other active ferment only in
a proportion or part of the whole flour or "sponge" to be fermented, and placing
this as the ferment at A in the bottom or lower part of the ordinary fermenting
"quarter tub" Z, shewn in vertical section in the Drawing, while a second quantity
or new layer of plain mixed or unfermented dough is laid above the ferment A
at B.
This fermenting dough or sponge A "works" through the whole body of
dough B above, making it all uniform and ready for mixing it with the batch in a
faster or slower manner, depending on the depth or quantity of the lower acting or
fermenting mixture A to that of the upper plain dough mixture B, and to some
extent also regulated by the temperature of the place, and that of the water used
at the time of making it up. The kind of barm or other ferment used in this new
process of "sponging" may be much the same as heretofore used for ordinary
mixed "
sponge," and the strength or quantity not greatly different either in
proportion to the whole of the flour and water mixed or placed in the fermenting
tub or vessel Z.
The following is the proportion of the ingredients and procedure which I have
found to answer well in experimentally carrying out my said Invention, namely:-
First Mixture. 3 pints of water, 1 pint of barm, 6 oz. of salt, or thereby; I mix
these ingredients with flour into an ordinary dough and then put this into the
bottom of the ordinary "quarter sponging tub" Z.
Second Mixture.-3 pints of water, and 6 oz. of salt with flour mixed together
into an ordinary or plain unfermented dough B. I then put this over the top of
the first or bottom ferment or barm layer of dough A in the same tub, which I close
in over the top with bags or other covering to keep out the cold air, and allow the
whole to stand and ferment. The heat of the water used in these mixtures is
varied according to the temperature of the apartment or bakehouse where the tub
is left for fermentation, and the time the ferment is desired to be ready for use.
Thus, when the atmospheric temperature is about sixty six degrees Fahrenheit, and
when the sponge is to be made or left, say, at twelve o'clock noon on Saturday, to
be ready at five or six o'clock on the following Monday morning, I use the water
for "sponging" or mixing the whole at about ninty degrees Fahrenheit or thereby.

page_text: The "sponge" will then be ready for being wrought in the usual way, as is well
known to good practical bakers. When the temperature of the bakehouse or place
in which the "sponge" is made is higher or lower than sixty degrees Fahrenheit, the
temperature of the water used in mixing the sponge must be lower or higher
respectively in proportion, or approximately in the inverse ratio.
Although on the layer of active ferment A placed in the bottom of the tub Z the
ordinary barm or other ferments have been described as being used, it is to be
understood that this improved process of "sponging" can be done, and give nearly
equal results, by taking a piece of fermented dough and placing it in the bottom of
the "quarter tub" Z as the active ferment A, covered over with the secondary plain
dough B, otherwise substantially as hereinbefore described for making this slow
acting "sponge" or leaven for bread.
While the fermentation may be retarded or controlled from coming to a ripe or
ready state to almost any extent by regulating the quantity of the upper or
unfermented layer of dough B, as described in the foregoing process, yet if the
baker should not find it convenient to use the "sponge" at the time of its coming to
the point of ripening, it need not be lost or wasted, as another layer of plain dough
again put on the quantity already in the "quarter tub" will prevent the whole from
souring, and allow the fermenting action to continue, and this may be done
indefinitely till the baker is ready to use the said sponge.
When it is desired to retard the fermentation of the "sponge "for a greater length
of time than usual, or when it is found that by unusual heat or any other cause the
sponge" is likely to be too early fermented all through, I cover the dough B under
fermentation in the quarter tub Z with a thick layer of dry flour. Should the
dough B over the ferment in the tub Z not have undergone complete fermentation
all through its thickness by the time the batch has to be made up for making the
bread, the whole of the contents of the tub Z may still be used, but it will then be
necessary to make allowance for there being a smaller proportion of fermented
dough in the tub, and only mix a correspondingly smaller amount of flour and
water with this dough for the batch.
Having thus described my said Invention, and the manner of performing the
same, I desire it to be understood that I do not restrict myself to the precise details
herein described or delineated, but what I believe to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
The new or improved mode and means of producing the "sponge" or leaven for
the making of bread by covering the active ferment, whether of the ordinary
ingredients or previously fermented dough, with unfermented dough, whereby
fermentation gradually takes place through the whole mass, subject to being
retarded or controlled according to the proportions of ferment and dough used, all
substantially as and for the advantages and purposes herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lachlan Campbell, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
LACHLAN CAMPBELL.
(L.S.)