Experimental cookery

The use of soft-wheat flour in bread making. There is a large production of soft-wheat flour in some sections of the United States. Winter wheat, by which is meant wheat planted in the fall, is often called soft wheat. There are two types of winter wheat, one of which produces a soft-wheat flour and the other a hard-wheat flour. The type produced depends upon the place grown and the variety of wheat. Soft wheat is more generally grown in the southern states and soft-wheat flour is used exten- sively in the South. Soft-wheat flour can be used in baking bread, but the manipulation re- quired is different from that for strong-wheat flour. The gluten in soft- wheat flour is less colloidal, more dispersed, than in strong-wheat flour. Since fermentation produces greater dispersion of the gluten, which gives greater elasticity, and a more tender gluten, the fermentation period is necessarily shorter for soft-wheat flour than for strong-wheat flour. Better results are also obtained if the proportion of yeast is increased. With in- creased yeast the sugar is usually increased, as it furnishes a quick food 436 FLOUR AND BREAD supply for the yeast. Soft-wheat flours do not have so high a hydration capacity as strong wheat, so that it is necessary to use a smaller proportion of liquid. A shallow pan gives better results than a deep one. Davis and Cline have reported that the best results are obtained with a short fermentation period. They state, "The best results were obtained by allowing the dough to double its volume for the first rising, the bread is then panned, and allowed to treble its volume in the pan." The trebling of the volume in the pan "overcomes the close, cake-like texture and small volume." Liquid. Davis and Cline state that "To a certain point loaf volume and loaf weight increase with an increase in the proportion of liquid used." A more open porous structure is obtained with increased water ; with too high a percentage of water the texture becomes too coarse. With the flour used by Davis and Cline, they have found that 52 per cent of water gives the best loaf and texture. This proportion of water gives a dough so soft that it is necessary to handle it quickly to prevent its sticking to the bread board and hands during the kneading and molding. Yea;st, The quantity of yeast used for soft-wheat bread is increased from 2 to 3 times the amount used in the formula for strong-wheat flour. This requires 1^ to 2 cakes of yeast for a pound loaf of bread. Sugar. Davis and Cline state that increase of sugar with soft-wheat flours gives a loaf with excellent oven spring, with a silky, spongy, moist texture, for the increased sugar seems to have a toughening action on the gluten. The loaf browns better in the oven with the increased sugar. They have decided that 17 grams, about 1^ tablespoons, for a pound loaf, gives the best results. A larger proportion of sugar, 25 to 35 grams or 2 to 3 table- spoons, yields a loaf of larger volume, but the bread is too sweet. Salt. Salt retards fermentation and depresses the hydration capacity of gluten. Davis and Cline have reported that 5 grams or about 1 teaspoon for a pound loaf produces the best results for soft wheat. Increasing the quantity increases the length of time required for fermentation and gives a more compact, tough loaf.