Flour, — Under the system of milling that was almost universal until thirty years ago the only fine flour that could be produced was mostly starch, and the finest white flour was then deficient in nitrogen and the phosphates. Millers had no facilities for separating and purifying the middlings which contained the hard, nitrogenous parts of the- grain, and they were largely used for pig and cattle feed. The new system of milling, known as the roller process, has, however, entirely revolutionized things, and the middlings which contained those parts of the wheat are now purified and milled with care into patent or new process flour. The idea is still entertained by many that the choice, high- priced, patent flours are deficient in nitrogenous matter, and that coarse flour is more nutritious and healthful than fine. The reverse is the fact. The finest flours contain all the best elements of the wheat berry, without any admixture of pulverized wood fiber, bran coating, or germ grease ; and, all things considered, the very finest patent flour holds the leading place both hygieni- cally and economically among cereal foods or grain products. The highest grade of patent flour is made from middlings cleansed from impurities by * ' middlings purifiers. ' ' The inferior middlings go into other grades in due proportion. And the highest grade contains more gluten in proportion to the quantity of starch than the other grades. But any of the different grades of flour made at a certain mill can be raised or lowered in quality at the option of the miller, by increasing or decreasing the amount of gluten and starch in a given Bread- Making . 185 quantity of flour. Where the first patent made from a given quantity of wheat is of the choicest quaUty, it contains a large percentage of the best constituents of the wheat, and the other grades made from the same wheat must be correspondingly low in those constitu- ents. Of course where only one grade of flour is made at a mill all the constituents of the wheat berry go into the flour ; but in a hundred pounds of such flour the quantity of starch is greater in proportion to the quantity of gluten than it is in a hundred pounds of the highest grade patent flour. There is usually con- siderable difference in the price of first and second grade flour, and frequently a difference of fifty per cent in price between a sack of the highest and a sack of the lowest grade flour. In other words, when the best patent flour made by a certain mill sells for $1.50 a sack, the lowest grade flour made by the same mill sells for 80 cents a sack. As a general rule, however, the highest priced flour is the cheapest, as it contains twice the amount of nutritious material and will, with half the labor, produce more than twice the quantity of good, wholesome bread. Strength, when applied to flour, means the measure of its power to absorb and retain water ; or indicates rather the measure of water that the flour will absorb to produce dough of a certain consistency, without any regard to the delicacy or nutritive qualities of the bread obtained from such dough. And when millers and bakers talk of ' ' a strong flour, ' ' they mean that a certain grade of flour will absorb more water, and make more loaves of bread, than another grade will, and that 1 86 The Art of Cookery.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Flour, — Under the system of milling that was almost universal until thirty years ago the only fine flour that could be produced was mostly starch, and the finest white flour was then deficient in nitrogen and the phosphates. Millers had no facilities for separating and purifying the middlings which contained the hard, nitrogenous parts of the- grain, and they were largely used for pig and cattle feed. The new system of milling, known as the roller process, has, however, entirely revolutionized things, and the middlings which contained those parts of the wheat are now purified and milled with care into patent or new process flour. The idea is still entertained by many that the choice, highpriced, patent flours are deficient in nitrogenous matter, and that coarse flour is more nutritious and healthful than fine. The reverse is the fact. The finest flours contain all the best elements of the wheat berry, without any admixture of pulverized wood fiber, bran coating, or germ grease ; and, all things considered, the very finest patent flour holds the leading place both hygienically and economically among cereal foods or grain products. The highest grade of patent flour is made from middlings cleansed from impurities by * ' middlings purifiers. ' ' The inferior middlings go into other grades in due proportion. And the highest grade contains more gluten in proportion to the quantity of starch than the other grades. But any of the different grades of flour made at a certain mill can be raised or lowered in quality at the option of the miller, by increasing or decreasing the amount of gluten and starch in a given Bread- Making . 185 quantity of flour. Where the first patent made from a given quantity of wheat is of the choicest quaUty, it contains a large percentage of the best constituents of the wheat, and the other grades made from the same wheat must be correspondingly low in those constituents. Of course where only one grade of flour is made at a mill all the constituents of the wheat berry go into the flour ; but in a hundred pounds of such flour the quantity of starch is greater in proportion to the quantity of gluten than it is in a hundred pounds of the highest grade patent flour. There is usually considerable difference in the price of first and second grade flour, and frequently a difference of fifty per cent in price between a sack of the highest and a sack of the lowest grade flour. In other words, when the best patent flour made by a certain mill sells for $1.50 a sack, the lowest grade flour made by the same mill sells for 80 cents a sack. As a general rule, however, the highest priced flour is the cheapest, as it contains twice the amount of nutritious material and will, with half the labor, produce more than twice the quantity of good, wholesome bread. Strength, when applied to flour, means the measure of its power to absorb and retain water ; or indicates rather the measure of water that the flour will absorb to produce dough of a certain consistency, without any regard to the delicacy or nutritive qualities of the bread obtained from such dough. And when millers and bakers talk of ' ' a strong flour, ' ' they mean that a certain grade of flour will absorb more water, and make more loaves of bread, than another grade will, and that 1 86 The Art of Cookery.

The art of cookery