502 



Tlic Country 



of muriatic acid on carbonate of soda)— the 

 carbonic acid being liberated in the substance 

 of the dough. Care should be taken that 

 the muriatic acid is pure, for that found in 

 commerce is generally highly charged with 

 arsenic. 



In 1845, another acid was patented instead 

 of muriatic — namely, tartaric; and the various 

 preparations called baking-powders, custard- 

 pwders, egg-p07vders, &c., are nothing but 

 mixtures of tartaric acid and carbonate of 

 soda, with a little farinaceous matter, the 

 common proportions being i part of tartaric 

 acid, 2 of carbonate of soda, and 4 of potato- 

 flour or other dry starch, with a little turmeric 

 powder to give it a rich yellow tint. When 

 this is mixed with flour and wetted, it effer- 

 vesces, as in the case of a common seidlitz 

 powder, and so diffuses the carbonic acid 

 through the dough. 



Very lately, Mr M'Dougall has proposed 

 the use of phosphoric acid, as a more natural 

 constituent of food than the preceding, and 

 this, with an alkaline carbonate, forms the 

 preparation which is known as phosphatic 

 yeast. 



A third process, which is now extensively 

 used in the vesiculation of bread, is that of 

 Dr Dauglish, and by which the bread called 

 lerated bread is obtained. It consists in the 

 addition of a solution of carbonic acid in 

 water to flour under pressure. The mixture 

 is made in a closed air-tight vessel, in which 

 Ihe dough is well kneaded by machinery, and 

 directly the outlet of the vessel is opened, 

 and the pressure thus removed, the gas 

 escapes from the water, as in the case of an 

 imcorked botUe of soda-water, and expands 

 into little bubbles within the substance of the 

 dough. By its expansion, also, it forces 

 itself out of the mixing-chamber, and rises 

 into a spongy dough. 



BREAD-MAKING BY MACHINERY. 



In all cases, however, where carbonic acid 

 is generated within the dough by other pro- 

 cesses than fermentation, the dough must be 

 baked immediately or it will fall, and the loaf 

 be heavy. Various contrivances have been 

 suggested for helping the process of kneading, 



Gcntlcivonian 



which is laborious, and sometimes not alto- 

 gether cleanly work. Mr Stevens' hand- 

 machine appears to accomplish this very 

 well. It is in use in the Holborn Union, 

 where about 5633 lb. of bread are made 

 every week by one man and two boys ; and 

 they contrive to make ninety-six 4-lb. loaves 

 out of every sack of flour (280 lb.). The 

 materials used on the average of a whole year 

 being as follows : — 



PROPORTIONS PER WEEK. 



Flour 4129 lb. "1 



^7f '40 „ I Which produce 5633 lb. 



J^°f^^oe^ ^f^ " - ofbread, or 1408 4-lb. 



yy\ ^^ " quartern loaves. 



Malt 13 ,, 1 ^ 



Hops lYz,, J 



4519^ 

 The potatoes, the malt, and the hops, are 

 for the purpose of making the yeast or fer- 

 ment for the bread. 



HOW TO MAKE GOOD BRICAD. 



But, by whatever process bread is made, it 

 is necessary to observe certain precautions to 

 ensure the production of a good loaf. 



I St, The flour should be from sound grain, 

 sufficiently rich in good gluten. 



2d, The yeast should be sweet, and should 

 shew a lively action in the sponge. 



3d, The dough should be well kneaded 

 to ensure the thorough diffusion of the gas, 

 and to give toughness to the gluten. 



4th, The salt should be used in such pro- 

 portion as to regulate the fermentation, and 

 give firmness to the gluten, whiteness to the 

 bread, and a good flavour. 



5th, The baking should be so managed as 

 to ensure the thorough heating of the loaf to 

 the temperature of at least 212° of Fahrenheit, 

 in order that the insoluble starch may be 

 changed by the heat into soluble dextrine ; 

 and the crust should be light-coloured and 

 thin. This is best effected when loaves are 

 baked singly, as on the Continent, and not 

 in batches as with us ; for in the last case the 

 top and bottom crusts are thick and hard, 

 and are frequently scorched, while the interior 

 of the loaf is doughy and under-done. 



Specimens of the different kinds of bread 



