FoodNet

Experimental cookery

1932

Page 354

Presented as published in 1932. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
When the dough is placed on one side of the pan so that it has to turn over in rising the volume is reduced and the loaf is likely to crack in the center from pressure. The dough should be placed in the middle of the pan and shaped so that it is uniform. Harrel found that, with conditions otherwise standardized, a loaf placed slightly to the side of the pan gave a volume of 2700 cc. but placed in the middle of the pan gave a volume of 3230 cc. Lewis and Whitcomb in their investigations on the "Influence of Size and Shape of Pan on Baking Test" concluded that the purpose for which the pan is intended should govern its shape and size. An experimental bake is a test of the strength of the flour; for this purpose a pan should be used that puts a more severe test upon the flour. Their conclusions are as follows. "The shape of the pan exerts a marked influence upon the size and quality of the loaf in both strong and weak flours. "The proof period varies with different types of pans. It does not corre- spond closely with volume or height of loaf or quality of bread. "Deeper pans produce taller loaves, but not the larger loaves. USE OF SOFT-WHEAT FLOUR IN BREAD MAKING 435 "The deep type of pan produces a smaller loaf of somewhat poorer quality than the shallow type. Hence a flour that will produce a good loaf in a deep pan can be depended upon to perform well in the bake shop where the shallow type of pan is used." The committee on standard formulas and procedure of A.A.C.C. have suggested a pan of the following dimensions for a pound loaf of bread for an experimental bake. Top 7^ by 4^, bottom 7 by 33^2, height 3^/2 inches. Temperature and time of baking. The 1926-27 committee on baking, Blish, chairman, of A.A.C.C. have recommended baking a pound loaf of bread for 35 minutes at a temperature of 220°C. For the small loaf made with 100 grams of flour they recommend 25 minutes at 220°C. Larger loaves of bread will require a longer baking period and better results will be obtained with a lower baking temperature. The baking temperature depends somewhat upon the volume attained during rising. If the volume is great enough the temperature should be high ; if the bread is not proofed quite enough a lower temperature will allow it to rise more in the oven. Flavor of bread. Visser't Hooft and de Leeuw have reported that excellent flavor in bread is caused by two factors. One factor is a blend of the flavors of the various ingredients of the bread and the other is diacetyl, an important flavor constituent of butter. Acetylmethylcarbinol is formed in the dough as a by-product of fermentation of sugar by yeast. In the finished loaf acetylmethylcarbinol slowly oxidizes to diacetyl. But the amount of acetylmethylcarbinol formed depends upon many factors. The following are reported to have a favorable influence : high sugar-yeast ratio, diastase preparations, low fermentation temperature, short fermentation time, sponge-dough method, hydrogen acceptors or oxidizing agents, oxygen, and proper yeast selection.