540 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



Flavour 



The flavour of a loaf depends not merely on the ingredients 

 of which it is made but also on the skill displayed in the milling 

 of the flour and the manufacture of the loaf. The presence of 

 intermediate products of fermentation of a dextrinous nature are 

 of advantage. Added sugar has no effect on the flavour but a 

 very small addition of diastase causes a perceptible improvement. 

 Probably flavour is largely dependent on enzymic action and 

 since the germ is that part of the wheat berry which contains 

 most enzymes, its presence has a distinct effect on the flavour of 

 the loaf. Unfortunately bread is judged chiefly by appearance 

 and its flavour is of little importance in determining the selling 

 price. 



Flavour is very much influenced by variations in the 

 operations involved in the manufacture of the loaf, more par- 

 ticularly by the extent to which fermentation is prolonged. 

 Judging also from the experience gained in other fermentation 

 industries, e.g. brewing and wine-making, the race of yeast used 

 will have a direct bearing on the flavour. 



Dr. F. Ehrlich of Berlin, in a series of most important 

 investigations, has shown how some of the fusel oil constituents 

 and fruity ethers of spirits are products of the action of the 

 yeast on the protein constituents of the mash. There is 

 evidence tending to prove that similar changes go on in dough 

 when fermentation is sufficiently prolonged. 



There is a tendency in big bakeries in the large towns to 

 shorten the time of fermentation and this may possibly be one 

 explanation of the complaint that modern bread is deficient in 

 flavour. It is well known that the minutest traces of fruity 

 ethers have an extraordinary effect in stimulating the flow of 

 the digestive juices and exciting sensations of taste. Much is 

 made of the statement that bread containing the germ will 

 retain moisture better than white bread. This is true in so far as 

 the former is of a more sodden texture : it contains hygroscopic 

 products produced by the decomposing action of the germ. 

 But surely this additional moisture is a disadvantage to the 

 public and more particularly in the eyes of those reformers who 

 now abuse the baker for using strong patents flour possessing a 

 high capacity of absorbing water. 



Another matter of controversy is the method of baking — 



