The Farm Table. 



627 



The trained cook knows the vakie of dry bread for many purposes : 

 a paste of white crumbs softened in milk or starch is the basis of deHcate 

 puddings and souffles ; the bit of crisp toast is a welcome addition to 

 many meats and vegetables ; cases cut from bread are more wholesome 

 than those of pastry for serving creamed meats, etc. ; crisp golden brown 

 croutons are acceptable with soups ; and all the crumbs and crusts may 

 be used for crumbing croquettes or as a finish for scalloped meats, fish 

 and vegetables. Let us gather up these fragments. 



8. TABLES OF COMPOSITION. 



That the composition and nutritive value of bread may be studied, the 

 following tables are quoted from bulletins published by the Office of Ex- 

 periment Stations, United States Department of Agriculture : 



Digestibility of Different Kinds of Bread. 

 Comparison of nutrients digested and energy utilized in different kinds of bread. '^ 



KIND OF FOOD. 



White bread alone 



White bread with milk 



Graham bread with milk 



Entire-wheat bread with milk , 



Energy 

 utilized. 



Per cent. 

 92.2 

 94.8 

 88 

 94 



1 Maine Ste. Rpt. 1898, p. 207. 



Chemical Composition. 



The chemical composition of the finished loaf differs somewhat from 

 that of the original ingredients. The following table shows the differ- 

 ence in composition between flour and bread : 



Average composition of 'white bread and of the flour from ivhich it was made.^ 



I U. S. Dept. Agr., Office of Experiment Stations, Bulletin 28 (rev. ed.). 



