added. In this mixture, which is kept warm in a water- bath, all the various fermentations essential to panification progress simultaneously : the soluble starch is transformed into sugar and dextrine by the yeast and soluble albuminoids ; the sugar is fermented by the yeast, and the yeast grows and multiplies ; the albuminoids pass into simpler, hydrated or split forms, hemi-albumins or peptones, or are otherwise altered ; all ferments become very active. This process is allowed to continue undisturbed for eight hours ; it loses its intensity about the fifth hour, as indicated by the sinking of its frothy head, and the mixture could then be used ; but it is left to complete slowly its final metamorphosis. The stirring of the s^wnge, the next operation, consists in the incorporation with the ferment of one quarter or one- third of the sack of flour, together with as much water at 85“ Fahr. as may be required ; with the water in the ferment, the water added to the quarter of the flour at this stage amounts to half the water to be employed for the whole sack of flour. Now, as this latter quantity is fixed by ex- perience at from 60 to 64 quarts, the stirred sponge will contain, besides the 8 or 12 lb. of potatoes and 70 or 93 lb. of flour and the quart of yeast, from 30 to 32 quarts of water, and dissolved in this half the amount of salt to be added to the entire dough to be made from the sack of flour. The sponge now ferments at the temperature of 85“ Fahr., a degree of heat which must be carefully pre- served ; it increases in bulk, or, as it is termed, rises, for five hours, and then begins to break, with escape of some gas ; it rises again for another (the sixth) hour, and then breaks a second time j now the reviccining flour (three-quarters or two-thirds of the sack), and the remainder of the water with the rest of the salt, are added, and the dough is either kneaded by man or mixed by machinery. The dough, having been thoroughly well kneaded or mixed, is left at rest for an hour in order to let it rise again. 38o THE SPIRIT OF COOKERY and is then cut off and weighed in proper quantities to be made up into loaves. They are then put in the oven at an initial heat of the latter of from 400° to 450° Fahr., and then heated for about one and a half hours. The temperature of the bread rises but little, and only on its outside — the crust— above the temperature of boiling water. If so-called pressed, manufactured German yeast be em- ployed to raise the sponge, from 6 to 7 lb. to the sack of flour are required (or 0-4 oz., or 175 grs., to the pound of flour). This pressed yeast acts very rapidly, and therefore serves particularly for the production of very white bread, fancy bread, and rolls. It is a common report amongst the public that bakers add potatoes to bread-dough for the purpose of cheapen- ing its production, to their own advantage, by this admix- ture of less valuable material ; this is entirely erroneous, and the addition of potatoes is limited to their perfectly legitimate use for the production of the ferment above described.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

added. In this mixture, which is kept warm in a waterbath, all the various fermentations essential to panification progress simultaneously : the soluble starch is transformed into sugar and dextrine by the yeast and soluble albuminoids ; the sugar is fermented by the yeast, and the yeast grows and multiplies ; the albuminoids pass into simpler, hydrated or split forms, hemi-albumins or peptones, or are otherwise altered ; all ferments become very active. This process is allowed to continue undisturbed for eight hours ; it loses its intensity about the fifth hour, as indicated by the sinking of its frothy head, and the mixture could then be used ; but it is left to complete slowly its final metamorphosis. The stirring of the sponge, the next operation, consists in the incorporation with the ferment of one quarter or onethird of the sack of flour, together with as much water at 85“ Fahr. as may be required ; with the water in the ferment, the water added to the quarter of the flour at this stage amounts to half the water to be employed for the whole sack of flour. Now, as this latter quantity is fixed by experience at from 60 to 64 quarts, the stirred sponge will contain, besides the 8 or 12 lb. of potatoes and 70 or 93 lb. of flour and the quart of yeast, from 30 to 32 quarts of water, and dissolved in this half the amount of salt to be added to the entire dough to be made from the sack of flour. The sponge now ferments at the temperature of 85“ Fahr., a degree of heat which must be carefully preserved ; it increases in bulk, or, as it is termed, rises, for five hours, and then begins to break, with escape of some gas ; it rises again for another (the sixth) hour, and then breaks a second time; now the remaining flour (three-quarters or two-thirds of the sack), and the remainder of the water with the rest of the salt, are added, and the dough is either kneaded by man or mixed by machinery. The dough, having been thoroughly well kneaded or mixed, is left at rest for an hour in order to let it rise again. 38o and is then cut off and weighed in proper quantities to be made up into loaves. They are then put in the oven at an initial heat of the latter of from 400° to 450° Fahr., and then heated for about one and a half hours. The temperature of the bread rises but little, and only on its outside — the crust— above the temperature of boiling water. If so-called pressed, manufactured German yeast be employed to raise the sponge, from 6 to 7 lb. to the sack of flour are required (or 0-4 oz., or 175 grs., to the pound of flour). This pressed yeast acts very rapidly, and therefore serves particularly for the production of very white bread, fancy bread, and rolls. It is a common report amongst the public that bakers add potatoes to bread-dough for the purpose of cheapening its production, to their own advantage, by this admixture of less valuable material ; this is entirely erroneous, and the addition of potatoes is limited to their perfectly legitimate use for the production of the ferment above described.

The spirit of cookery