In leavened bread the dough is subjected to fermentation before it is baked,
by introducing leaven or yeast. The yeast cells, which are very inuch smaller than
the grains of Hour and are dissolved in the water or milk, should be brought into
contact with every part of the flour, and by the kneading, a small quantity of air is
introduced which favors the subsequent fermentation. When the yeast is well
mixed in, the action of fermentation is set up equally in all parts of the mass, but,
if not well mixed, there will be an accumulation of gas in some places, and little or
none elsewhere. After introducing the yeast the dough is set aside to ferment and
it is put in a warm place because moderate heat stimulates the process — about 70°
to 80° is right. "
During the process of fermentation millions of small bubbles of carbonic acid
gas are generated, and these bubbles permeate the mass. These bubbles of gas,
being very light, naturally rise, but they are held in by the tough, elastic and
sticky gluten, and so they lift the whole mass and cause it to " rise " or increase in
bulk. If it was not for this adhesive gluten, the gas would readily escape without
lifting the bread, and it is because cornmeal and oatmeal lack gluten, and so are
not "sticky" enough, that they do not make good bread.
To have good bread, it should undergo 2 fermentations, (1) the saccharine (or
sweet) fermentation, and (2) the vinous. It will smell a little like foaming beer in
this stage. A third, or acetous fermentation would follow, but it should never
be allowed to reach this stage. Should this happen-, it can be remedied by add-
ing 1 teaspoon of soda for each qt. of water or 4 qts. of flour used, because soda
being an alkali, will neutralize any acid which has been generated, but the bread
will not afterward be as healthful or nutritious. Bread raised but once is coarse
of grain but sweet to the taste.
The risen dough is baked in an oven at a temperature varying between 320°
and 572°; the alcohol and carbonic acid gas are expelled, the yeast germs are (or
should be) destroyed by the heat, and various chemical changes are effected. The
starch granules are mostly ruptured and intimately connected with the gluten,
a portion of the starch near the surface is converted into dextrin, and a little cara-
tnel is usually produced.
It is this conversion of the starch into dextrin which makes the crust more
easily digested than the center — a fact which some people do not understand.
This turning of the starch to dextrin is the same thing which takes place when
bread is toasted, as we have explained under toast. More of the starch is turned
to dextrin in the crust than in the center because it is heated more. The evapora-
tion of the water inside the loaf while baking, keeps down the temperature there
to about 212°.
Page 203
Presented as published in 1902. 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
In leavened bread the dough is subjected to fermentation before it is baked, by introducing leaven or yeast. The yeast cells, which are very inuch smaller than the grains of Hour and are dissolved in the water or milk, should be brought into contact with every part of the flour, and by the kneading, a small quantity of air is introduced which favors the subsequent fermentation. When the yeast is well mixed in, the action of fermentation is set up equally in all parts of the mass, but, if not well mixed, there will be an accumulation of gas in some places, and little or none elsewhere. After introducing the yeast the dough is set aside to ferment and it is put in a warm place because moderate heat stimulates the process — about 70° to 80° is right. "
During the process of fermentation millions of small bubbles of carbonic acid gas are generated, and these bubbles permeate the mass. These bubbles of gas, being very light, naturally rise, but they are held in by the tough, elastic and sticky gluten, and so they lift the whole mass and cause it to " rise " or increase in bulk. If it was not for this adhesive gluten, the gas would readily escape without lifting the bread, and it is because cornmeal and oatmeal lack gluten, and so are not "sticky" enough, that they do not make good bread.
To have good bread, it should undergo 2 fermentations, (1) the saccharine (or sweet) fermentation, and (2) the vinous. It will smell a little like foaming beer in this stage. A third, or acetous fermentation would follow, but it should never be allowed to reach this stage. Should this happen, it can be remedied by adding 1 teaspoon of soda for each qt. of water or 4 qts. of flour used, because soda being an alkali, will neutralize any acid which has been generated, but the bread will not afterward be as healthful or nutritious. Bread raised but once is coarse of grain but sweet to the taste.
The risen dough is baked in an oven at a temperature varying between 320° and 572°; the alcohol and carbonic acid gas are expelled, the yeast germs are (or should be) destroyed by the heat, and various chemical changes are effected. The starch granules are mostly ruptured and intimately connected with the gluten, a portion of the starch near the surface is converted into dextrin, and a little caramel is usually produced.
It is this conversion of the starch into dextrin which makes the crust more easily digested than the center — a fact which some people do not understand. This turning of the starch to dextrin is the same thing which takes place when bread is toasted, as we have explained under toast. More of the starch is turned to dextrin in the crust than in the center because it is heated more. The evaporation of the water inside the loaf while baking, keeps down the temperature there to about 212°.