When milk is used for the liquid and in the summer time the sponge-batter is better as it may be made early in the morning, and the bread baked by noon. In the winter in cold climates, the sponge may be made late at night and the second mixing come early in the morning. Bread made by allowing the dough to rise three times, first as a sponge, second as a dough, and third as a loaf, is considered by some of the best bread- makers to be the ideal method. The sugar in flour is changed by fermentation, so a little sugar is often added. Lard added for shorten- ing makes bread whiter, but butter makes bread taste better. In making rolls and light biscuit the butter should be added to the last kneading, as much fat in the form of shortening retards the rising of the dough. Elneading. Scrape the dough, after thoroughly mixing, from your bowl to the bread-board. Sprinkle a very little flour over the mass of dough. Dip the ends of your fingers into flour and take hold of the back of the dough and bring it towards you without much pressure from the fingers. The ball of the hand just above your wrist should now meet the dough and press down upon it, and then move it BREAD 141 backward. Repeat this movement each time, so that a new part of the dough touches your hand with the downward pressure. Keep turning the dough, every little while, and keep it round. Continue the kneading until the dough is smooth, fine-grained and elastic. Add as little flour as is possible during the kneading. The dough will be full of small air bubbles and will puff up at the touch. Kneading is a very important process, as it dis- tributes the yeast organism, gives body or strength to the dough, and makes the gluten elastic, so that it will rise and make the dough smooth. The first kneading should be at least 30 minutes. If the dough is stiff and has much shortening in it it takes longer to knead. The second kneading takes only a few minutes to shape into loaves and to break the space caused by the gas bubbles. Machines for kneading bread are now for sale in supply stores. They are good and save much time when a large amount of bread is baked. Rising. Long, slow rising at a temperature of about 59° F. is best. When the weather is very cold the rising may be hastened by placing the bowl of dough in a pan of water about 88° F. If dough rises to double its bulk it may be cut and worked with a knife to retard fermentation. Keep the dough, if possible, at an even temperature. When dough " caves in " it shows that alcoholic fermentation has gone too far, that acetic fermentation has set in and the bread will be sour. About one to one and a half hours is necessary for the second rising, after dough is in pan. If the dough pulls away from the bowl in long threads, it has risen too long. Always 142 DOMESTIC SCIENCE keep dough covered in the bowl to keep out the air and prevent a crust forming. Baking Bread. We bake bread to kill the fer- ment, to hold in place the glutinous walls of the dough, to cook the starch and make it more digestible. The bread is browned by some of the sugar being changed to caramel. A temperature of from 400° F. to 425° F. is neces- sary so the heat wiU extend to the center of the loaves. If hotter than this the bread will rise too quickly and the crust brown before the heat can get to the center of the loaf. Bread should rise for the first 15 minutes and brown slightly, continue browning for about 25 minutes. The last 20 minutes it should finish baking through, so the heat may be reduced. Bread pans must be greased and the pans half- filled with the dough in forms of loaves. Care of Bread-Box. Jar or bread-box must be kept perfectly clean. This should be scalded, dried and aired twice each week.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

When milk is used for the liquid and in the summer time the sponge-batter is better as it may be made early in the morning, and the bread baked by noon. In the winter in cold climates, the sponge may be made late at night and the second mixing come early in the morning. Bread made by allowing the dough to rise three times, first as a sponge, second as a dough, and third as a loaf, is considered by some of the best breadmakers to be the ideal method. The sugar in flour is changed by fermentation, so a little sugar is often added. Lard added for shortening makes bread whiter, but butter makes bread taste better. In making rolls and light biscuit the butter should be added to the last kneading, as much fat in the form of shortening retards the rising of the dough. Kneading. Scrape the dough, after thoroughly mixing, from your bowl to the bread-board. Sprinkle a very little flour over the mass of dough. Dip the ends of your fingers into flour and take hold of the back of the dough and bring it towards you without much pressure from the fingers. The ball of the hand just above your wrist should now meet the dough and press down upon it, and then move it backward. Repeat this movement each time, so that a new part of the dough touches your hand with the downward pressure. Keep turning the dough, every little while, and keep it round. Continue the kneading until the dough is smooth, fine-grained and elastic. Add as little flour as is possible during the kneading. The dough will be full of small air bubbles and will puff up at the touch. Kneading is a very important process, as it distributes the yeast organism, gives body or strength to the dough, and makes the gluten elastic, so that it will rise and make the dough smooth. The first kneading should be at least 30 minutes. If the dough is stiff and has much shortening in it it takes longer to knead. The second kneading takes only a few minutes to shape into loaves and to break the space caused by the gas bubbles. Machines for kneading bread are now for sale in supply stores. They are good and save much time when a large amount of bread is baked. Rising. Long, slow rising at a temperature of about 59° F. is best. When the weather is very cold the rising may be hastened by placing the bowl of dough in a pan of water about 88° F. If dough rises to double its bulk it may be cut and worked with a knife to retard fermentation. Keep the dough, if possible, at an even temperature. When dough " caves in " it shows that alcoholic fermentation has gone too far, that acetic fermentation has set in and the bread will be sour. About one to one and a half hours is necessary for the second rising, after dough is in pan. If the dough pulls away from the bowl in long threads, it has risen too long. Always keep dough covered in the bowl to keep out the air and prevent a crust forming. Baking Bread. We bake bread to kill the ferment, to hold in place the glutinous walls of the dough, to cook the starch and make it more digestible. The bread is browned by some of the sugar being changed to caramel. A temperature of from 400° F. to 425° F. is necessary so the heat wiU extend to the center of the loaves. If hotter than this the bread will rise too quickly and the crust brown before the heat can get to the center of the loaf. Bread should rise for the first 15 minutes and brown slightly, continue browning for about 25 minutes. The last 20 minutes it should finish baking through, so the heat may be reduced. Bread pans must be greased and the pans halffilled with the dough in forms of loaves. Care of Bread-Box. Jar or bread-box must be kept perfectly clean. This should be scalded, dried and aired twice each week.

Domestic science (Clark, Cornell home economics)