233. The yeast-garden. — Dough, after yeast is mixed
with it, becomes a yeast-garden, which we must tend
carefully in order to have a good crop of yeast and a
plentiful yield of carbon dioxide. The water supplies
moisture; the flour supplies sugar, which the yeast-
plant, in its greed for oxygen, turns into alcohol and
carbon dioxide. More oxygen is supplied by beating
and kneading in air. The right temperature, 78° to
90° F., is insured by using lukewarm liquid and by
keeping the sponge and dough warm until it is ready
to be baked. What is the result ? A dough filled
with bubbles of gas given off by the lively yeast-cells ;
a dough that has lost a little of its sweetness, but
gained other pleasant flavors through various fermen-
tative actions of the yeast on the flour.
After alcoholic fermentation has gone on for some
time, another ferment begins to work on the alcohol,
turning it into acetic acid (the acid found in vinegar).
This is why dough sours if allowed to rise too long or
at too high a temperature.
When the dough is just light enough,^ it is put into
an oven so hot that the yeast is quickly killed. Nearly
all the alcohol is driven out of the bread as vapor dur-
ing baking.
1 Do not try to neutralize sour dough with baking-soda. Soda forms
with acetic acid an unwholesome compound, and besides, since there
is no way of knowing exactly how much acid has been formed, you
K
130 THEORY AND PRACTICE OF COOKERY
Helpful Hints about Bread-making
1. To keep the dough from cooling, mix and knead
it quickly. In cold weather, warm the flour, the board,
and the mixing bowl.
2. The longer the batter is beaten, the less kneading
the dough will require. When the dough can be lifted
in a mass on the spoon, it is ready to knead.
3. We knead bread (1) to mix the ingredients thor-
oughly, (2) to make the gluten elastic, and (3) to work
in air. Dough is sufficiently kneaded when it can be
left on the board for a minute or more without sticking.
Use as little flour as possible.
4. Sponge rises faster than dough. Why ? It is de-
sirable to set a sponge (1) if you have to make bread
with a scant quantity of yeast ; (2) if using home-made
or other yeast that you fear may not be very active ;
(3) when butter and eggs are to be added, as these
can be mixed more easily with sponge than with
dough.
5. By using not less than one yeast-cake to one pint
of liquid the following advantages are gained : (1) The
bread can be made and baked within five hours. (2) It
may more easily be kept clean and free from kitchen
o lors than if it stood longer. (3) It has not time to
sour.
6. If you are unable to attend to the dough as soon
as it is risen, it may be cut down (z.e. scraped away
are likely to use too much soda. Bread " sweetened " with soda is
more unwholesome than bread a little sour.
BREAD 131
from the sides of the bowl and pressed over into the
centre) and allowed to rise again.
7. Dough that contains large bubbles has risen too
fast or too long. It should be cut down and rekneaded
to distribute the gas evenly. Sour dough falls in the
middle, is stringy, and smells and tastes acid.
Page 61
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233. The yeast-garden. — Dough, after yeast is mixed
with it, becomes a yeast-garden, which we must tend
carefully in order to have a good crop of yeast and a
plentiful yield of carbon dioxide. The water supplies
moisture; the flour supplies sugar, which the yeast-
plant, in its greed for oxygen, turns into alcohol and
carbon dioxide. More oxygen is supplied by beating
and kneading in air. The right temperature, 78° to
90° F., is insured by using lukewarm liquid and by
keeping the sponge and dough warm until it is ready
to be baked. What is the result ? A dough filled
with bubbles of gas given off by the lively yeast-cells ;
a dough that has lost a little of its sweetness, but
gained other pleasant flavors through various fermen-
tative actions of the yeast on the flour.
After alcoholic fermentation has gone on for some
time, another ferment begins to work on the alcohol,
turning it into acetic acid (the acid found in vinegar).
This is why dough sours if allowed to rise too long or
at too high a temperature.
When the dough is just light enough,^ it is put into
an oven so hot that the yeast is quickly killed. Nearly
all the alcohol is driven out of the bread as vapor dur-
ing baking.
1 Do not try to neutralize sour dough with baking-soda. Soda forms
with acetic acid an unwholesome compound, and besides, since there
is no way of knowing exactly how much acid has been formed, you
K
130 THEORY AND PRACTICE OF COOKERY
Helpful Hints about Bread-making
1. To keep the dough from cooling, mix and knead
it quickly. In cold weather, warm the flour, the board,
and the mixing bowl.
2. The longer the batter is beaten, the less kneading
the dough will require. When the dough can be lifted
in a mass on the spoon, it is ready to knead.
3. We knead bread (1) to mix the ingredients thor-
oughly, (2) to make the gluten elastic, and (3) to work
in air. Dough is sufficiently kneaded when it can be
left on the board for a minute or more without sticking.
Use as little flour as possible.
4. Sponge rises faster than dough. Why ? It is de-
sirable to set a sponge (1) if you have to make bread
with a scant quantity of yeast ; (2) if using home-made
or other yeast that you fear may not be very active ;
(3) when butter and eggs are to be added, as these
can be mixed more easily with sponge than with
dough.
5. By using not less than one yeast-cake to one pint
of liquid the following advantages are gained : (1) The
bread can be made and baked within five hours. (2) It
may more easily be kept clean and free from kitchen
o lors than if it stood longer. (3) It has not time to
sour.
6. If you are unable to attend to the dough as soon
as it is risen, it may be cut down (z.e. scraped away
are likely to use too much soda. Bread " sweetened " with soda is
more unwholesome than bread a little sour.
BREAD 131
from the sides of the bowl and pressed over into the
centre) and allowed to rise again.
7. Dough that contains large bubbles has risen too
fast or too long. It should be cut down and rekneaded
to distribute the gas evenly. Sour dough falls in the
middle, is stringy, and smells and tastes acid.