An unstable flour requires to be made up quickly, so that the
greatest possible quantity of gas may be obtained in the shortest
possible time, to get the best result. If you allow the dough to
take a long time in rising when the flour is in this condition, the
•cerealin which is present will act upon the gluten in such a way as
36
to make it weaker and weaker, and the dough, although made up
fairly stiff at the beginning, will be “ runny.” That is to say,
the loaves, if a number are baked in one tin, will run into one mass,
instead of rising independently and being clearly defined.
Salt and lime both have the effect of retarding the action of
cerealin.
Another reason for the use of salt in dough is to obtain flavour,
and a third is because it aids fermentation.
When making up dough it is necessary to knead it thoroughly,
and also to enclose as much air as possible when kneading. Thorough
kneading will cause each separate particle of flour to be surrounded
with a thin film of moisture ; this is essential, so that the sugar
present in flour will be dissolved. The air will enable the yeast to
keep its strength for a longer period.
To make this clearer we will suppose that a batch of dough has
been made up and is of the right warmth, 85°F. We have seen the
effect of salt and will proceed now with the action of the yeast in
the dough. We know that yeast requires considerably more liquid
than solid matter, to grow strong, as it does in the case of a ferment
and it is therefore essentially an aquatic plant.
When dough is made up the quantity of water is small compared
to the quantity of solid matter (flour) and the yeast has to fight
against adverse circumstances. It is still capable of doing its work
but it does not grow. The work it has to do is to make gas so that
the dough may be raised, and it does this by feeding on the sugar
which is present in the flour and then converting a great quantity
of this sugar into carbonic acid gas. A part of the sugar is also
converted into alcohol, but we need not consider this at present, as
it does not affect the rising of the dough.
If there was no gluten present in the dough, the gas would
escape into the air, but instead of the gas escaping, the gluten
imprisons it, and as more gas is formed the higher the dough will rise,
until the gluten can stretch no more, then it breaks, and the gas
escapes. It is this breaking of the gluten that causes the crack to
appear on the top of dough when it has fully risen. The dough is
then moulded into loaves and again risen to almost its full capacity.
It is not advisable to raise the loaves until the top cracks, but almost
to that point.
When the loaves are put into the oven, they rise still more.
This is due to the expansion of the gas by heat. The ovens for
baking bread must be very hot, 450°F. is the proper heat. A
change takes place on the surface of the loaf ; it loses moisture,
and a crust is formed. The moisture, which is changed into steam.
37
Sea Cookery
1911Page 25
Presented as published in 1911. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
An unstable flour requires to be made up quickly, so that the greatest possible quantity of gas may be obtained in the shortest possible time, to get the best result. If you allow the dough to take a long time in rising when the flour is in this condition, the •cerealin which is present will act upon the gluten in such a way as
to make it weaker and weaker, and the dough, although made up fairly stiff at the beginning, will be “ runny.” That is to say, the loaves, if a number are baked in one tin, will run into one mass, instead of rising independently and being clearly defined.
Salt and lime both have the effect of retarding the action of cerealin.
Another reason for the use of salt in dough is to obtain flavour, and a third is because it aids fermentation.
When making up dough it is necessary to knead it thoroughly, and also to enclose as much air as possible when kneading. Thorough kneading will cause each separate particle of flour to be surrounded with a thin film of moisture ; this is essential, so that the sugar present in flour will be dissolved. The air will enable the yeast to keep its strength for a longer period.
To make this clearer we will suppose that a batch of dough has been made up and is of the right warmth, 85°F. We have seen the effect of salt and will proceed now with the action of the yeast in the dough. We know that yeast requires considerably more liquid than solid matter, to grow strong, as it does in the case of a ferment and it is therefore essentially an aquatic plant.
When dough is made up the quantity of water is small compared to the quantity of solid matter (flour) and the yeast has to fight against adverse circumstances. It is still capable of doing its work but it does not grow. The work it has to do is to make gas so that the dough may be raised, and it does this by feeding on the sugar which is present in the flour and then converting a great quantity of this sugar into carbonic acid gas. A part of the sugar is also converted into alcohol, but we need not consider this at present, as it does not affect the rising of the dough.
If there was no gluten present in the dough, the gas would escape into the air, but instead of the gas escaping, the gluten imprisons it, and as more gas is formed the higher the dough will rise, until the gluten can stretch no more, then it breaks, and the gas escapes. It is this breaking of the gluten that causes the crack to appear on the top of dough when it has fully risen. The dough is then moulded into loaves and again risen to almost its full capacity. It is not advisable to raise the loaves until the top cracks, but almost to that point.
When the loaves are put into the oven, they rise still more. This is due to the expansion of the gas by heat. The ovens for baking bread must be very hot, 450°F. is the proper heat. A change takes place on the surface of the loaf ; it loses moisture, and a crust is formed. The moisture, which is changed into steam.