FoodNet

Domestic science (Clark, Cornell home economics)

1911

Page 58 · 1 recipe record on this page

Presented as published in 1911. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
To show the effect of heat or hot water on yeast take 1 tbsp. molasses, 1 tbsp. hot water, ^ yeast cake. Mix and bring to boiling-point. Put into a bottle and invert as in Experiment 1. Result: no gas is formed and no liquid is forced out into saucer. Con- clusion: boiUng kills yeast plant. To show the effect of cold or cold water on yeast, take 1 tbsp. molasses, 1 tbsp. cold waterBread, J yeast cake. Mix and leave in cool place. A little gas is formed on top and so a little liquid is forced out. Conclusion : yeast plant is not killed by cold, but cold is not favor- able to its growth. From this set of experiments the pupils may be made to see that in making bread the water in which the yeast is dissolved should be warm, and the temper- ature for the rising should be warm, as that is the most favorable temperature for the growth of the yeast. A sugar solution would answer the same pur- pose as the molasses, as either is a favorable food for yeast plant. Compare the conditions in the bread dough to con- ditions in the experiments. Thus : sugar is the food for yeast plant in the experiments. In the bread dough, the yeast plant changes the starch into sugar 146 DOMESTIC SCIENCE and then uses the sugar as food. In using up the sugar it causes carbonic acid gas to be given off in the bread dough just as in the experiments. The carbonic acid gas formed in the bread makes it rise. In the experiments it is found that yeast grows best in warm temperature. Hence we must keep the bread in a warm place, while it is rising. From the experiments it may be drawn from the pupils what will be the effect of cold upon the bread dough, i. e- it would rise very slowly, for cold hinders the growth of the yeast. If the yeast plant should be boiled, it would be killed, as is seen from the experiments. The rising of the sponge may be hastened by putting the dish in a pan of warm water. The amount of yeast in the small recipe is very large in proportion to the other ingredients, simply because it will be necessary to hasten the rising and force the bread. Notes In kneading, pupils will need much individual at- tention and instruction, as most of them are very awkward at the motion of kneading. 'V\Tien kneaded sufficiently, the dough is shaped and allowed to rise in the pans. The baking may be managed by the housekeepers but the attention of pupils should be called to impor- tant points, such as tests for oven and time of baking. The complete bread lesson should not be given in less than 2^ hours. In many places one whole session is allowed for each class. The authorities will usually allow a teacher to give two or three weeks to this lesson, so that one week the classes that usually come first in the morning may have the whole morning BREAD 147 session for the lesson, and no lesson the next week, when the second morning class may have the whole session for the bread lesson. The same arrangements may be made in the afternoon, if there are two classes. This is the most satisfactory arrangement, for the pupil sees each step of the process in order and in proper relation to the other steps.