Bread, to answer the requirements of a good, whole-
some article of food, besides being palatable, must be
light, porous, and friable, so that it can be easily in-
salivated and digested. It should contain as many as
possible of the elements of nutrition, and should avoid
ingredients which will in any way be injurious if taken
into the system.' "Wheat, the substance from which
bread is most generally made, contains all the necessary
food elements in proper proportions to meet the re-
quirements of nutrition ; and in order for the bread also
to contain them, the flour from which it is produced
must be made of the entire wheat berry. There are
several varieties of such flour, it being variously termed
wheat four, wlieat-lyerry flour, wheat meal, graham
flour, etc. They differ only in the treatment given to
the wheat kernel before grinding.
How to Select Flour. — Good bread cannot be
made without good flour. The quality of a brand of
flour will of course depend much upon the kind of
grain from which it is prepared — whether new or old ;
perfect, or deteriorated by rust, mold, or exposure ;
and also upon the thoroughness with which it has been
cleansed from dust, chaff, and all foreign substances,
as well as upon the method by which it is ground.
It is not possible to judge of all these particulars by
the appearance of the flour, but, in general, good flour
[35]
36 EVEKY-DAY DISHES.
will be sweet, dry, and free from any sour or musty
smell or taste. If, on taking up a handful, it falls
from the hand light and elastic, it is pretty sure to be
good.
The dough which is made from good flour is elas-
tic, and will retain its shape. This elastic property is
due to the gluten. The gluten of good flour will swell
to several times its original bulk, while that of poor
flour will not swell.
In buying white flour, do not select that which is
pure white, with a bluish tinge, but that which is of a
creamy, yellowish-white tint. Fine flour made from
the entire grain may generally be distinguished from a
spurious article by taking a small portion into the mouth
and chewing it. Raw flour made from the entire grain
has a sweet taste, and a rich, nutty flavor like that ex-
perienced in chewing a whole grain of wheat, and pro-
duces a goodly quantity of gum, or gluten ; while a
spurious article tastes flat and insipid like starch, or
has a bitter, pungent flavor resulting from the pres-
ence of impurities. This bitter quality is also notice-
able in bread made from such flour.
Another test of flour is the fact that a given quantity
of poor flour will not make as much bread as the same
quantity of good flour. It is well to obtain a small
quantity of flour first, and put it to the test of bread-
making ; then, if satisfactory, purchase that brand so
long as it proves good. It is true economy to buy a
flour known to be good, even though it may cost more
than some others.
To Keep Flour. — Flour should always be kept in
a tight receptacle, and in a cool, dry, well-ventilated
FERMENTED BREAD. 37
Page 18
Presented as published in 1897. 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
Bread, to answer the requirements of a good, wholesome article of food, besides being palatable, must be light, porous, and friable, so that it can be easily insalivated and digested. It should contain as many as possible of the elements of nutrition, and should avoid ingredients which will in any way be injurious if taken into the system.' "Wheat, the substance from which bread is most generally made, contains all the necessary food elements in proper proportions to meet the requirements of nutrition ; and in order for the bread also to contain them, the flour from which it is produced must be made of the entire wheat berry. There are several varieties of such flour, it being variously termed wheat four, wheat-berry flour, wheat meal, graham flour, etc. They differ only in the treatment given to the wheat kernel before grinding.
How to Select Flour. — Good bread cannot be made without good flour. The quality of a brand of flour will of course depend much upon the kind of grain from which it is prepared — whether new or old ; perfect, or deteriorated by rust, mold, or exposure ; and also upon the thoroughness with which it has been cleansed from dust, chaff, and all foreign substances, as well as upon the method by which it is ground.
It is not possible to judge of all these particulars by the appearance of the flour, but, in general, good flour
[35]
will be sweet, dry, and free from any sour or musty smell or taste. If, on taking up a handful, it falls from the hand light and elastic, it is pretty sure to be good.
The dough which is made from good flour is elastic, and will retain its shape. This elastic property is due to the gluten. The gluten of good flour will swell to several times its original bulk, while that of poor flour will not swell.
In buying white flour, do not select that which is pure white, with a bluish tinge, but that which is of a creamy, yellowish-white tint. Fine flour made from the entire grain may generally be distinguished from a spurious article by taking a small portion into the mouth and chewing it. Raw flour made from the entire grain has a sweet taste, and a rich, nutty flavor like that experienced in chewing a whole grain of wheat, and produces a goodly quantity of gum, or gluten ; while a spurious article tastes flat and insipid like starch, or has a bitter, pungent flavor resulting from the presence of impurities. This bitter quality is also noticeable in bread made from such flour.
Another test of flour is the fact that a given quantity of poor flour will not make as much bread as the same quantity of good flour. It is well to obtain a small quantity of flour first, and put it to the test of breadmaking ; then, if satisfactory, purchase that brand so long as it proves good. It is true economy to buy a flour known to be good, even though it may cost more than some others.
To Keep Flour. — Flour should always be kept in a tight receptacle, and in a cool, dry, well-ventilated