The quantity of 3our necessary to make dough of the p'roper
consistency for good bread, depends on its quality and varies from
two-and-a-half to three parts flour to one of "wetting" (milk or
water used in moistening the flour.) The dough can be made stifier
by the addition of more flour without harm. Soft, spongy bread
is more delicate when freshly baked, but loses its moisture and
grows stale much sooner than the more compact loaf. Dough for
fancy bread and rolls should be quite stifle so as to keep any de-
sired ishape. The time required for kneading depends on the qual-
ity of the flour. The better and fresher the flour the less kneading
is required. Flour is injured by exposure to the air, as it absorbs
moisture which impairs the tenacity of the gluten, and bread of the
best quality cannot be made from it by any process of kneading or
working. For this reason, the family supply of flour should always
be kept in closely covered receptacles, and for this purpose nothing
is better than a six or ten-gallon tin or granite* ware can with
tight-fitting cover.
Pulling and stretching dough is less laborious than kneading
and working it, and accomplishes the aflect of rendering it tough
and elastic by distributing the moistened gluten through the mass.
The two processes are best carried on at intervals, the bread-maker
getting relief by changing from one to the other.
It is a question whether much kneading is required to make
the best quality of bread. It is the fermentation which gives life to
the dough, and when this process is perfect, the dough is very elas-
tic and has great resisting force, rising and swelling in spite of
kneading and working. The pressure of the hand only makes a
temporary impression, the elasticity soon restoring the mass to its
original form and constantly swelling its proportions. This pent
BREAD-MAEINQ. 15
up force is the best test of quality, and when perfectly developed
the dough can be molded, twisted or plaited with perfect ease,
and it does not stick to the hands or molding board.
Dough, after having risen, should not be kneaded again. It
should be taken from the mass, divided into loaves or rolls, and
gently pulled, rolled, or folded into shape and placed in pans ready
for rising the last time. Here is the final and most important
point in bread-making. To decide when the dough is just light
enough to bake is a very important matter and requires good judg-
ment and close observation. Ifsubjectedtotheheattoo soon, you fail
of the best results, and if it passes the proper point of perfect light-
ness the failure is no less apparent. Unfortunately the exact time re-
quired cannot be given, as the atmospheric conditions, the quality
of flour and the temperature all influence and vary the result. Ob-
servation and experience can alone decide the time varying from
fifteen minutes in warm weather to an hour in cold weather. As a
rule, when it begins to seam or crack upon the surface it is ready
for the oven.
Page 8
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 quantity of flour necessary to make dough of the proper consistency for good bread, depends on its quality and varies from two-and-a-half to three parts flour to one of "wetting" (milk or water used in moistening the flour.) The dough can be made stifier by the addition of more flour without harm. Soft, spongy bread is more delicate when freshly baked, but loses its moisture and grows stale much sooner than the more compact loaf. Dough for fancy bread and rolls should be quite stifle so as to keep any desired shape. The time required for kneading depends on the quality of the flour. The better and fresher the flour the less kneading is required. Flour is injured by exposure to the air, as it absorbs moisture which impairs the tenacity of the gluten, and bread of the best quality cannot be made from it by any process of kneading or working. For this reason, the family supply of flour should always be kept in closely covered receptacles, and for this purpose nothing is better than a six or ten-gallon tin or graniteware can with tight-fitting cover.
Pulling and stretching dough is less laborious than kneading and working it, and accomplishes the effect of rendering it tough and elastic by distributing the moistened gluten through the mass. The two processes are best carried on at intervals, the bread-maker getting relief by changing from one to the other.
It is a question whether much kneading is required to make the best quality of bread. It is the fermentation which gives life to the dough, and when this process is perfect, the dough is very elastic and has great resisting force, rising and swelling in spite of kneading and working. The pressure of the hand only makes a temporary impression, the elasticity soon restoring the mass to its original form and constantly swelling its proportions. This pent
up force is the best test of quality, and when perfectly developed the dough can be molded, twisted or plaited with perfect ease, and it does not stick to the hands or molding board.
Dough, after having risen, should not be kneaded again. It should be taken from the mass, divided into loaves or rolls, and gently pulled, rolled, or folded into shape and placed in pans ready for rising the last time. Here is the final and most important point in bread-making. To decide when the dough is just light enough to bake is a very important matter and requires good judgment and close observation. If subjected to the heat too soon, you fail of the best results, and if it passes the proper point of perfect lightness the failure is no less apparent. Unfortunately the exact time required cannot be given, as the atmospheric conditions, the quality of flour and the temperature all influence and vary the result. Observation and experience can alone decide the time varying from fifteen minutes in warm weather to an hour in cold weather. As a rule, when it begins to seam or crack upon the surface it is ready for the oven.