The making of a perfect loaf of bread is the goal of all
those who aspire to excel in cookery; and the art of bread
making requires not only a clear understanding of the imder-
lying principles,- but patience and persistence in experimen-
tation and practice until a uniformly perfect product is
achieved. The fact that in yeast we have a living organism
with which to deal makes the whole process a delicate one,
in which every detail is of importance, whether it be a matter
of ingredients, proportions, methods of mixing, or tempera-
ture.
The standard of good bread. — There will always be some
difference of opinion in regard to a desirable quality in bread,
and individual preference will control the final result, whether
the crumb of the bread shall be dry and porous or somewhat
more moist and finer in grain. French bread is of the former
type, the English preferring a close grain and solid loaf.
Allowing for these differences, it is still possible to standardize
bread, and to state in percentages the different points to be
considered in judging a loaf.
We must consider the size and symmetry of the loaf, in
order that the interior of the bread may be baked to the very
187 •
188 FOODS AND HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT
center, without overbaking or burning the crust, and there-
fore very large loaves should be avoided. The crust should
be uniform in color, the shade ranging from a light golden
to a darker brown, and the quality may be soft or crisp, but
never tough. The crumb should be light, the cavities evenly
distributed throughout the loaf a^nd of uniform size. It
should also be elastic, tender, and yet not pasty, evenly
baked without streaks and heavy portions near the crust,
and the color should be creamy rather than a snowy white.
(Fig. 65.)
The following score cards will be useful in judging loaves,
and in the bread contests which are interesting and helpful.
BREAD SCORE CARD 1
I. General Appearance 15%
1. Shape 2.5%
2. Size 2.5%
3. Crust 10.0%
(o) Color
(&) Smoothness
II. Internal Appearance 55%
1. Depth of crust 10 %
2. Texture (lightness) 15 %
3. Crumb 30 %
(a) Moisture 1 /oko/\
Elasticity/ (^5%)
(6) Color ( 5%)
III. Flavor 30%
100%
BREAD SCORE CARD 2
I. External Appearance 20%
1. Shape 5%
2. Size 5%
3. Crust 10%
(a) Color
(b) Smoothness
YEAST BREAD
U.S. Dcpinirgnl ol Agricultun Prepared by
(Hfke D< Eiptrlmeni Slitlani C. F. LANEVTOIITHY
A. C. T/u*; DlrKloi Eipen In Qiarot «t Nulrl
COMPOSITION OF FOOD MATERIALS.
nnnnn ^aa mmm t^^ fnTTTTTm ^« fii.iv.iu.
Prottin F.t C.,b<^,dr.t« A.h W.t.r ■'j'oMC.torC;
WHITE BREAD WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
r:35.3 Water
-Protein;9.2 Protein
I Cnrbo- Carbi
xate3!53.l hydrati
l-IIC^IJUIt;
IHOoLoniES
.Fat: 0,5'" "'""'
■bohydrat8s;lI.5
CORN BREAD
TOASTED BREAD
FiQ. 51. — Composition of bread.
190 FOODS AND HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT
II. Internal Factors 50%
1. Depth of crust 10%
2. Texture 20%
3. Crumb 20%
(a) Moisture . (15%)
(6) Color . . (5%)
III. Flavor 30%
100%
Note. — These two score cards are the average of the work of
sixty students in judging bread in experimental cookery. Depart-
ment of Foods and Cookery, Teachers College, Columbia Univer-
sity. See also Bulletin 25, University of Illinois.
Page 98
Presented as published in 1914. 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
The making of a perfect loaf of bread is the goal of all those who aspire to excel in cookery; and the art of bread making requires not only a clear understanding of the underlying principles,— but patience and persistence in experimentation and practice until a uniformly perfect product is achieved. The fact that in yeast we have a living organism with which to deal makes the whole process a delicate one, in which every detail is of importance, whether it be a matter of ingredients, proportions, methods of mixing, or temperature.
The standard of good bread. — There will always be some difference of opinion in regard to a desirable quality in bread, and individual preference will control the final result, whether the crumb of the bread shall be dry and porous or somewhat more moist and finer in grain. French bread is of the former type, the English preferring a close grain and solid loaf. Allowing for these differences, it is still possible to standardize bread, and to state in percentages the different points to be considered in judging a loaf.
We must consider the size and symmetry of the loaf, in
order that the interior of the bread may be baked to the very
187 •
center, without overbaking or burning the crust, and therefore very large loaves should be avoided. The crust should be uniform in color, the shade ranging from a light golden to a darker brown, and the quality may be soft or crisp, but never tough. The crumb should be light, the cavities evenly distributed throughout the loaf a^nd of uniform size. It should also be elastic, tender, and yet not pasty, evenly baked without streaks and heavy portions near the crust, and the color should be creamy rather than a snowy white. (Fig. 65.)
The following score cards will be useful in judging loaves, and in the bread contests which are interesting and helpful.
BREAD SCORE CARD 1
I. General Appearance 15%
1. Shape 2.5%
2. Size 2.5%
3. Crust 10.0%
(o) Color (&) Smoothness II. Internal Appearance 55%
1. Depth of crust 10 %
2. Texture (lightness) 15 %
3. Crumb 30 %
(a) Moisture 1 /oko/\ Elasticity/ (^5%)
(6) Color ( 5%)
III. Flavor 30%
100%
BREAD SCORE CARD 2
I. External Appearance 20%
1. Shape 5%
2. Size 5%
3. Crust 10%
(a) Color
(b) Smoothness
U.S. Dcpinirgnl ol Agricultun Prepared by
(Hfke D< Eiptrlmeni Slitlani C. F. LANEVTOIITHY
[illustration removed]
[illustration: Figure 51 caption]
Prottin F.t C.,b<^,dr.t« A.h W.t.r ■'j'oMC.torC;
WHITE BREAD WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
r:35.3 Water
-Protein;9.2 Protein
I Cnrbo- Carbi
xate3!53.l hydrati
l-IIC^IJUIt;
IHOoLoniES .Fat: 0,5'" "'""'
■bohydrat8s;lI.5 CORN BREAD
TOASTED BREAD
[illustration: Fig. 51. — Composition of bread.].
II. Internal Factors 50%
1. Depth of crust 10%
2. Texture 20%
3. Crumb 20%
(a) Moisture . (15%) (6) Color . . (5%) III. Flavor 30%
100%
Note. — These two score cards are the average of the work of sixty students in judging bread in experimental cookery. Department of Foods and Cookery, Teachers College, Columbia University. See also Bulletin 25, University of Illinois.