40 The Bulletin. 



this. First, the popover, the thinnest of all the batters, is made light by steam 

 and by the expansion of air; second, the nuilTin and waffle, heavier batters, are 

 made light by incorporating air in the well-ljeaten egg, and also by baking powder 

 or soda and sour milk. The last two generate a gas. Soft biscuit, a dough 

 still heavier than the batters, is made light by baking powder or by soda and 

 80ur milk. The beaten biscuit has air folded in it by the beating. Yeast makes 

 breads light by a gas generated by the growing of the yeast plant. 



The Fopover is made by beating the eggs togetlier, to this add milk and salt, 

 pour slowly over the flour until well mixed. This thin batter, called a pour 

 batter, is put into hot, greased popover irons or pans and baked in a quick, but 

 not too hot, oven. The hot pan begins the i)aking of the crust or shell, and as it 

 continues to harden by the heat, the air beaten into the popover expands and the 

 great amount of liquid is converted into steam and swells and pops over the crust 

 in trying to escape. It must be baked until light and dry, or it will fall. 



The Waffle is a heavier batter and needs not only tlie air beaten into the eggs, 

 but it requires the baking powder in addition. In all quick batters where baking 

 powder and well-beaten whites are used, the whites of eggs must be simply folded 

 in at the last, that you may not break the bubbles of air and gas. Waffles should 

 be served crisp and hot from the iron and never piled up together. 



The Muffin is practically the same batter as the waffle but baked in a different 

 way. Muflins should be baked in an oven not too hot, or they will run to a peak 

 in rising. The muflin should have the perfect ring or crack half way between the 

 center and the edge, and should be perfectly browned and very light. 



Soft Buttermilk Biscuit — Three things are necessary in successfully making 

 Boft biscuit (provided, of course, you have good nuiterial and proper propor- 

 tions). The first is a very soft dough; second, it must be quickly handled 

 (knead only enough to get in shape), and the third, a quick oven. If you will 

 roll and cut your biscuit, they seem lighter. If j'ou bake them too quickly, they 

 will be rough on the top and not well shaped; they will rise very high; the crumb 

 will be whiter but not as sweet. If you like a thin rather than thick biscuit, 

 let them slightly touch in the pan. To my way of thinking, the real Southern 

 biscuit is the most wholesome of all the biscuits. They should be rolled about 

 one-half inch in thickness and should slightly touch in the pan. Bake in the 

 lower part of the oven until smooth on the top, then put on rack to brown above. 

 You will have a biscuit thoroughly browned on both sides and with very little 

 crumb. Biscuit baked in this way will be soft, thoroughly baked, yet not dried 

 out, and very easily digested. A thick biscuit has too nuich. crumb to be eaten 

 hot. It forms a paste wiiich can not be permeated by the digestive ferments. 

 The brown crust is very digestible, in fact it is partly digested. 



The Soft Baking I'owder Biscuit is mixed and baked in the same way as the 

 soft buttermilk biscuit. It lacks a certain ricliness and softness you find in the 

 buttermilk biscuit. This is due to the action of the phosphate (a slight trace in 

 nearly all baking powders) on the gluten in the Hour. 



Kneaded Baking Powder Biscucit — In the making of biscuit and bread of all 

 kinds, if you wish a soft, flufVy bread, make a soft dough and do not knead; if 

 you want a fine, even-grained bread, make a stiff dough and knead thoroughly. 

 Many people prefer the smooth and close-grained baking powder biscuit. We use 

 about the same proportions for all biscuit, except the milk. In the biscuit use 

 less milk and knead the dough until smooth. Roll, cut, and prick with a fork. 

 Bake as soft biscuit. 



Kneaded Butiermillc Biscuit — Use less milk than for the soft buttermilk bis- 

 cuit and make in the same way as the kneaded baking powder biscuit. One word 

 of caution about kneaded biscuit doughs: After you begin the kneading do 

 not leave it until you have made out your biscuit. If you work your dough for 

 a while, leave it and then go back to it, you will ahcags hace a tough dough. 

 When you roll it out it draws back and in cooking language we say it is "tired." 

 This does not hold true in yeast doughs. 



Beaten Biscuit — The old-fashioned beaten biscuit was beaten or pounded, but to 

 save time, veiy good biscuits can be made by putting dough through a moat 

 chopper. The break makes the ideal biscuit. A perfect beaten biscuit should 

 be well browned on both sides, snow-white in the center, and have a crack around 



