144-^ The Cornki.l Riiaijinc.-Coikses 



Flour 



A good grade of flour is essential, and, even with good flour of standard 

 grade, each new jmrchase of flour presents a new problem in the quantity 

 of water that the flour will absorb — a problem which the housekeeper 

 can solve only through experimentation. Moreover, bakers state that 

 the last of the flour in a barrel may differ from that which was used first 

 from the same barrel, because of the effect of aging, and because the barrel 

 may have been stored in a damp place where it has absorbed moisture, or 

 in a warm, dry place where the flour may have dried somewhat. 



Quantity of flour to use 



All modern recipes require that flour be sifted before being measured. 

 It is interesting to note that, even with careful measuring, the same house- 

 keeper, measuring a number of cupfuls of flour by the same cup, will 

 vary the amount of each cupful. The following table shows these wide, 

 variations in amount, and thereby shows why a second sifting of flour 

 before measuring is desirable for accuracy. It will be noted that flour 

 that has been sifted twice varies less in the weight of different cupfuls 

 than flour that has been sifted only once or not at all. 



TABLE I. Variation in Weight of One Cupful of Flour 



(28.35 grams = i ounce) 



Unsifted one cupful flour weighs 118 to 133 grams 



Sifted once one cupful flour weighs 118 to 121 .5 grams 



Sifted twice one cupful flour weighs 11 7.5 to 1 18.5 grams 



For the above reason, no entirely definite or accurate amount of flour 

 by measure can be specified successfully in a recipe for cake. The only 

 way to accomplish good results is to learn through experience what 

 special degree of stiffness is necessary to success, or to weigh instead of 

 measure the materials to be used. 



Bread and pastry flour 



Bread flour to which fifteen per cent of cornstarch has been added makes 

 an excellent substitute for pastry flour, and is preferred by many for making 

 cake. It produces more uniform and better results than can be gained 

 with the average pastry flours, which are of inferior grade. The sub- 

 stitution of two tablespoonfuls of cornstarch to each cupful of bread 

 flour is sufficiently accurate for any recipe, and will produce good pastry 

 flour. Thus, in a cake requiring three cupfuls of flour, six tablespoonfuls 

 (or one third of a cupful) of cornstarch, and two and two thirds cupfuls 

 of bread flour, would be rcqviired. Bread flour contains more gluten 

 than does pastry flour, and thus it gives a more elastic, stiffer dough than 



