FoodNet

A text-book of cooking

1915

Page 94 · 1 recipe record on this page

Presented as published in 1915. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
(c) Put 1 teaspoonful of the yeast mixture in a test tube, fill nearly full of cold water and label it " c." Surround it with cracked ice or, if the weather is cold, place it out of doors. After 15 minutes ex- amine. Is there any change in the contents of the tube ? Why do not the yeast plants grow ? (d) Surround the tube marked u c" with lukewarm water and stand in a warm place. After 15 minutes examine. Are the yeast plants growing ? Does freezing kill yeast plants ? (e) Mix \ cake yeast with a little lukewarm water. Stand in a warm place and after 16 minutes examine. Will yeast grow in water alone ? (/) Mix \ cake yeast, 1 tablespoonful of sugar, and a little luke- warm water. Set aside in a warm place so that the yeast plants may grow. Then examine under the microscope. Are there any budding 228 YEAST; LOAF BREAD 229 yeast cells ? Make a drawing of the plants as they appear under the microscope. Draw at least two practical conclusions from these experiments as to the use and care of yeast for bread making. Properties of Yeast. — Yeast consists of a mass of micro- scopic plants. (See Fig. 53.) When placed under proper conditions these plants grow rapidly, and in so doing they separate the sugar that exists in flour into carbon dioxide and alcohol. The car- bon dioxide lightens dough. The alcohol passes off as vapor in baking. Plants need moisture, warmth, light, and the food that is furnished by the air and soil for their growth. Yeast plants require all of these except light. They are not green plants, hence they need no light. Moisture is obtained from the water, milk, or other liquids used in bread dough. Yeast thrives at a temperature of 90° F. It is killed by a temperature above 130° F. Hence the yeast is mixed with lukewarm water. The other liquids that are added to it are of the same temperature. Also, the dough is placed in a warm place while it is rising, or while the yeast plants are growing. The food required for the rapid growth of the yeast is obtained from the protein and carbohydrates in the flour. Compressed yeast cakes which are wrapped in tinfoil and received fresh at the market every day or two are the most From Farmers Bulletin 389. Fig. 53. — Growing yeast plants. 230 THE COOKING OP FOODS satisfactory to use. This yeast must be fresh for successful bread making. It is fresh when it is of a light color, is free from dark streaks, and is crumbly in texture. General Suggestions for Bread Making. — Use bread flour, or a combination of bread flour with either whole wheat or graham flour in making bread. Flour should be kept in a dry place. It is well to warm flour for bread before using. If milk is used, scald it to prevent it from souring. Water should be boiled and then cooled. (See Why Foods Spoil, p. 289.) Milk and water are both used lukewarm. With 1 quart of liquid £ to 1 cake of yeast should be used. The less quantity of yeast (£ cake) is used when the dough is allowed to rise overnight. Mix 1 yeast cake in 1 cupful of lukewarm water before adding the rest of the liquid. It is well to make the dough into small loaves, and place th^m in small pans, so that the bread will be baked through. Loaves of bread should bake at least 1 hour at a tempera- ture varying from 375° F. to 400° F. During the first 20 minutes they should rise but slightly and just begin to brown ; during the second 20 minutes they should continue to brown; during the last 20 minutes they should shrink from the sides of the pan, while still continuing to brown. To soften the crusty rub it with a bit of butter a few minutes before taking from the oven and again after re- moving from the oven. After baking, place the loaves of bread on a bread cooler, or arrange them in such a way that the air may reach them on all sides. When cool, place in a covered tin box. Bread