This is caused by the action of germs that feed upon substances containing nitrogen. Animal food and milk containing an abundance of nitrogen rapidly decompose^ if exposed to the atmosphere. Carbonaceous products, fat, starch, sugar, do not so readily decay, unless com- bined with articles containing nitrogen. If yeast, — a germ product be added to these, heat and moisture sup- plied as in bread making, the sugar will decompose and alcohol and carbonic acid be produced. This process is the same to which fruits are subjected in making fermented wines and liquors. In bread making if the process continues beyond the first stage, acetic fermenta- tion sets in, and we have a sour mass which, if furthcE" 68 THE FAT OF THE LAND. neglected becomes the abode of millions of bacteria. In many homes the family bread baking occupies a period of from fourteen to eighteen hours between the tedious process of setting the sponge, mixing the dough, stirring it two or three times and " kneading from fifteen minutes to half an hour or more " (as recently given in a published talk on bread) and the time when it is ready for the oven. True some cooking schools teach that it may be done in less time, but the fermented result is secured by a larger amount of yeast. Mrs. Emma P. Ewing than whom there can be no ^better authority says "As long as compressed yeast re- mains firm and has an alcoholic smelly it can be depended upon to give better results than dry yeast cakes, or liquid yeast." The result then is alcoholic, without question, and when this is taken hot from the oven and served on the table it simply becomes a dyspepsia producing substance which cannot be recommended from a hygienic standpoint. Shall we continue to brew our bread after the fashion of scientific alcohol brewing, or render popular methods of aerating bread without fermentation, is a question for popular discussion. Chemical Bread. The great chemist Thomas Thom- son, formerly Professor of Chemistry in the University of Glasgow, in 1816, showed that the only purpose secured "by fermentation in bread making is the generation of car- bonic acid required to raise the dough ; this end can be attained by the use of carbonate of soda (common cook- ing soda) and muriatic acid by which the waste consequent on fermentation will be largely saved. The union of these two chemicals forms common table salt. The gas BREAD. 69^ arising from this combination in the flour, raises the loaf^. and leaves a small amount of salt in the bread. This- bread was quite extensively used in England many years ago, and to a limited extent in this country. Great care being required in the use of this acid, it has never become popular, but any deleterious effects resulting from the- handling of it, can only be attributed to carelessness and • are readily avoided. Cream of Tartar and Soda. These chemicals were adopted as being better fitted to general use. They do not neutralize each other, but form a new chemical which is left in the bread, perhaps more injurious than common salt. Baking Powders. These claim to be made of soda and cream of tartar, and when so prepared, have the- merit of accuracy convenience and time-saving. But intelligent care should be exercised in selecting those which give the best results. It is undeniable that many baking powders contain injurious substances, and those that find it necessary to offer prizes, etc., ace presumably inferior to those which can be sold on their merits. The author finds best results from Cleveland's baking powder.. Aerated Bread. From a small work on The Healthy Manufacture of Bread, by Benjamin Ward Richardson, M. D., F. R. S., London, England, I make a few extracts on Aerated Bread.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

This is caused by the action of germs that feed upon substances containing nitrogen. Animal food and milk containing an abundance of nitrogen rapidly decompose if exposed to the atmosphere. Carbonaceous products, fat, starch, sugar, do not so readily decay, unless combined with articles containing nitrogen. If yeast, — a germ product be added to these, heat and moisture supplied as in bread making, the sugar will decompose and alcohol and carbonic acid be produced. This process is the same to which fruits are subjected in making fermented wines and liquors. In bread making if the process continues beyond the first stage, acetic fermentation sets in, and we have a sour mass which, if further neglected becomes the abode of millions of bacteria. In many homes the family bread baking occupies a period of from fourteen to eighteen hours between the tedious process of setting the sponge, mixing the dough, stirring it two or three times and " kneading from fifteen minutes to half an hour or more " (as recently given in a published talk on bread) and the time when it is ready for the oven. True some cooking schools teach that it may be done in less time, but the fermented result is secured by a larger amount of yeast. Mrs. Emma P. Ewing than whom there can be no better authority says "As long as compressed yeast remains firm and has an alcoholic smell it can be depended upon to give better results than dry yeast cakes, or liquid yeast." The result then is alcoholic, without question, and when this is taken hot from the oven and served on the table it simply becomes a dyspepsia producing substance which cannot be recommended from a hygienic standpoint. Shall we continue to brew our bread after the fashion of scientific alcohol brewing, or render popular methods of aerating bread without fermentation, is a question for popular discussion. Chemical Bread. The great chemist Thomas Thomson, formerly Professor of Chemistry in the University of Glasgow, in 1816, showed that the only purpose secured "by fermentation in bread making is the generation of carbonic acid required to raise the dough ; this end can be attained by the use of carbonate of soda (common cooking soda) and muriatic acid by which the waste consequent on fermentation will be largely saved. The union of these two chemicals forms common table salt. The gas arising from this combination in the flour, raises the loaf^. and leaves a small amount of salt in the bread. Thisbread was quite extensively used in England many years ago, and to a limited extent in this country. Great care being required in the use of this acid, it has never become popular, but any deleterious effects resulting from thehandling of it, can only be attributed to carelessness and • are readily avoided. Cream of Tartar and Soda. These chemicals were adopted as being better fitted to general use. They do not neutralize each other, but form a new chemical which is left in the bread, perhaps more injurious than common salt. Baking Powders. These claim to be made of soda and cream of tartar, and when so prepared, have themerit of accuracy convenience and time-saving. But intelligent care should be exercised in selecting those which give the best results. It is undeniable that many baking powders contain injurious substances, and those that find it necessary to offer prizes, etc., ace presumably inferior to those which can be sold on their merits. The author finds best results from Cleveland's baking powder.. Aerated Bread. From a small work on The Healthy Manufacture of Bread, by Benjamin Ward Richardson, M. D., F. R. S., London, England, I make a few extracts on Aerated Bread.

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