Even the best known brands of flour change
with every season, and it requires constant
watching to get uniform bread, even with the
same brands. The most difficulties are ex-
perienced with newly-milled flours. Bakers
always try to keep a supply of old flour on
hand. Newly-milled wheat flour shows less ex-
pansion in the dough, and in baking proves
slower than flours which have been stored and
aired for several months. Wheat flour improves
with age, gets whiter and of better proving
qualities.
Flour is best stored in a well-aired room of
moderate temperature. It should not be kept
near strong-smelling substances, because it ab-
sorbs odors readily and would make the bread
unfit for use.
All the flours should be sifted before using.
This makes a lighter bread and removes all
kinds of things, like barrel tacks, strings, etc.,
etc., often found in flours.
Graham flour is the unbolted wheat meal, but
in many of these flours the best part of the
flour has been taken out, or it is made of the
poorest grades of wheat. For breadmaking it
is best to mix some strong patent flour with it,
to make good bread.
Whole wheat flour, or entire wheat flour, is
made of the better grades of wheat, with a part
of the bran or all of it removed.
Gluten flour, or Health flour, is used to some
extent in sanitariums and hotels. It is a wheat
flour which should contain very little or no
starch at all. It is made into bread for dia-
betic patients.
EYE FLOUE.
The best and whitest rye flours are made
from the centre of the grains, like the wheat
patent flours. Generally only the bran is taken
from the rye flours, which makes a darker flour,
but of a more pronounced rye flavor. Many of
the rye flours in the market are blended with
the darker grades of wheat flour. This is done
partly to improve the breadmaking qualities, to
PAUL RICHARDS' BOOK OF BREADS, CAKES, PASTRIES, ICE5 AND SWEETMEATS.
99
make a larger loaf, and also to work off cheap
■wheat flours.
Kye meal is made like the graham flour, and
is used for the class of rye bread called "pum-
pernickel. ' '
While wheat flour improves with age, rye
flour is better if used fresh from the mill. Old
rye loses much of the rye flavor.
Corn meal and corn flour is used in bread-
making. Corn flour is generally used mixed
with wheat flour. Tlie blended flour has the
color and the sharp granular feel of the strong
wheat flours, but the strength of the pure wheat
flour is lacking. Corn meal is used in some
breads. It is scalded and made into a mush,
which is added to the dough. This process
makes bread which retains moisture longer than
the ordinary way of bread-making. Eye flour
and corn flour blended, is also used in Europe
to make a cheaper grade of bread.
879.— ABOUT YEAST.
Leaven in some form has been used for many
thousands of years. The oldest leaven consisted
of a piece of old dough left from the previous
baking, and this method is still used to some ex-
tent in Europe.
The old dough preceded stock yeast, ferment,
brewer's yeast and distiller's yeast. Stock yeast
and ferment is still used by many bakers, be-
cause they claim it makes a better bread, and
keeps it moister. Compressed distiller's yeast
is preferred by most of the bakers, because it is
stronger, more uniform and reliable; not so
readily influenced by atmospheric changes as
the stock yeast. It is more convenient to use
and a great saver of time and labor.
Page 116
Presented as published in 1907. 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
Even the best known brands of flour change with every season, and it requires constant watching to get uniform bread, even with the same brands. The most difficulties are experienced with newly-milled flours. Bakers always try to keep a supply of old flour on hand. Newly-milled wheat flour shows less expansion in the dough, and in baking proves slower than flours which have been stored and aired for several months. Wheat flour improves with age, gets whiter and of better proving qualities.
Flour is best stored in a well-aired room of moderate temperature. It should not be kept near strong-smelling substances, because it absorbs odors readily and would make the bread unfit for use.
All the flours should be sifted before using. This makes a lighter bread and removes all kinds of things, like barrel tacks, strings, etc., etc., often found in flours.
Graham flour is the unbolted wheat meal, but in many of these flours the best part of the flour has been taken out, or it is made of the poorest grades of wheat. For breadmaking it is best to mix some strong patent flour with it, to make good bread.
Whole wheat flour, or entire wheat flour, is made of the better grades of wheat, with a part of the bran or all of it removed.
Gluten flour, or Health flour, is used to some extent in sanitariums and hotels. It is a wheat flour which should contain very little or no starch at all. It is made into bread for diabetic patients.
RYE FLOUR.
The best and whitest rye flours are made from the centre of the grains, like the wheat patent flours. Generally only the bran is taken from the rye flours, which makes a darker flour, but of a more pronounced rye flavor. Many of the rye flours in the market are blended with the darker grades of wheat flour. This is done partly to improve the breadmaking qualities, to
make a larger loaf, and also to work off cheap ■wheat flours.
Kye meal is made like the graham flour, and is used for the class of rye bread called "pumpernickel. ' '
While wheat flour improves with age, rye flour is better if used fresh from the mill. Old rye loses much of the rye flavor.
Corn meal and corn flour is used in breadmaking. Corn flour is generally used mixed with wheat flour. Tlie blended flour has the color and the sharp granular feel of the strong wheat flours, but the strength of the pure wheat flour is lacking. Corn meal is used in some breads. It is scalded and made into a mush, which is added to the dough. This process makes bread which retains moisture longer than the ordinary way of bread-making. Eye flour and corn flour blended, is also used in Europe to make a cheaper grade of bread.
879.— ABOUT YEAST. Leaven in some form has been used for many thousands of years. The oldest leaven consisted of a piece of old dough left from the previous baking, and this method is still used to some extent in Europe.
The old dough preceded stock yeast, ferment, brewer's yeast and distiller's yeast. Stock yeast and ferment is still used by many bakers, because they claim it makes a better bread, and keeps it moister. Compressed distiller's yeast is preferred by most of the bakers, because it is stronger, more uniform and reliable; not so readily influenced by atmospheric changes as the stock yeast. It is more convenient to use and a great saver of time and labor.