The heat of the oven should not be greatest when bread is put
to bake; it should slightly increase in intensity for about ten
minutes, and after remaining at a firm, steady temperature for that
length of time should gradually decrease till the baking is finished.
The principal change to be effected by the baking, which is the
coagulation of the albumen of the air cells, takes place at a temper-
ature somewhere near 212^, an<J as the temperature within the
loaf can not rise above that point, no changes go on there except
those produced by the watery vapor of steam. ' Flour, however, is
not browned, except at a much higher temperature ; hence a greater
degree of heat is necessary to properly bake the outside of the loaf
During the period of baking bread the heat of the oven should not
rise above 550^ nor fall below 250^. To test the oven put half a
sheet of writing paper in the oven ; if it catches fire it is too hot ;
open the dampers nnd wait ten minutes, when put in another
piece of paper ; if it blackens it is still too hot. Ten minutes later
put in a third piece ; if it gets dark hrown the oven is right for all
small pastry, called ^^dark hrovm paper heat^ Light hroionpaper
heat is suitable for vol-au-vents or fruit pies. Dark yellow paper
heat for large pieces of pastry or me^t pies, pound cake, bread, etc.
Light yellow paper heat for sponge cake, meringues, etc. To ob-
tain these various degrees of hekt, try paper every ten minutes till
heat required for the' purpose is attained. Remember that "light
yellow" means paper only tinged ; "dark yellow," paper the color of
ordinary pine wood ; "light brown" is only a shade darker, about
the color of nice pie-crust, and dark brown a shade darker, by no
means coffee color.
The oven door should be closed immediately upon putting the
bread in, and be sure that no part of the range is open during the
baking; neither should the door be opened too soon nor too often
to look at the bread. About ten minutes after putting in the loaves
it is best to look into the oven to see how the bread is doing, and
once or twice again during the ^baking, as. the loaves may require
BREAD-MAKING. . 19
changing, opening and closing the doors as quickly as possible.
If the loaves begin to brown too quickly cover with a piece of thick
brown paper ; if they begin to brown quickly at one end and not at
the other change their position, or if the loaf at the back of the
oven bakes faster than those at the front, change them about.
As a quantity of dough to b^gin with somewhat reduces the
temperature of the oven at first, one loaf will not require so hot an
oven as four or five. The time required for baking is not less than
three-quarters of an hour, and bread baked a full hour is more whole-
some and is considered more palatable. If bread is baked in
the French roll pan it does not require so long a time, as the "rolls"
are only about two and a half to three inches deep and same width,
being rounded at the bottom. They are very nice for slicing, mak-
ing pretty pieces. The pans come in different lengths, eight, twelve,
sixteen and twenty inches.✪ Bread
Page 11 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1890. 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 heat of the oven should not be greatest when bread is put to bake; it should slightly increase in intensity for about ten minutes, and after remaining at a firm, steady temperature for that length of time should gradually decrease till the baking is finished. The principal change to be effected by the baking, which is the coagulation of the albumen of the air cells, takes place at a temperature somewhere near 212°, and as the temperature within the loaf can not rise above that point, no changes go on there except those produced by the watery vapor of steam. ' Flour, however, is not browned, except at a much higher temperature ; hence a greater degree of heat is necessary to properly bake the outside of the loaf During the period of baking bread the heat of the oven should not rise above 550° nor fall below 250°. To test the oven put half a sheet of writing paper in the oven ; if it catches fire it is too hot ; open the dampers and wait ten minutes, when put in another piece of paper ; If it blackens it is still too hot. Ten minutes later put in a third piece ; if it gets dark brown the oven is right for all small pastry, called "dark brown paper heat" Light brown paper heat is suitable for vol-au-vents or fruit pies. Dark yellow paper heat for large pieces of pastry or meat pies, pound cake, bread, etc. Light yellow paper heat for sponge cake, meringues, etc. To obtain these various degrees of heat, try paper every ten minutes till heat required for the purpose is attained. Remember that "light yellow" means paper only tinged ; "dark yellow," paper the color of ordinary pine wood ; "light brown" is only a shade darker, about the color of nice pie-crust, and dark brown a shade darker, by no means coffee color.
The oven door should be closed immediately upon putting the bread in, and be sure that no part of the range is open during the baking; neither should the door be opened too soon nor too often to look at the bread. About ten minutes after putting in the loaves it is best to look into the oven to see how the bread is doing, and once or twice again during the baking, as the loaves may require
changing, opening and closing the doors as quickly as possible. If the loaves begin to brown too quickly cover with a piece of thick brown paper ; if they begin to brown quickly at one end and not at the other change their position, or if the loaf at the back of the oven bakes faster than those at the front, change them about.
As a quantity of dough to begin with somewhat reduces the temperature of the oven at first, one loaf will not require so hot an oven as four or five. The time required for baking is not less than three-quarters of an hour, and bread baked a full hour is more wholesome and is considered more palatable. If bread is baked in the French roll pan it does not require so long a time, as the "rolls" are only about two and a half to three inches deep and same width, being rounded at the bottom. They are very nice for slicing, making pretty pieces. The pans come in different lengths, eight, twelve, sixteen and twenty inches.
Records on this page
Bread