and en the Means of improving the Fiow. 175 



The sugar was dissolved by the spirit, and there remained a 

 white substance which dissolved in cold water, and was princi- 

 pally mucilage. The spirituous solution v.'as boiled to dryness, 

 and the suirar remained. It tasted of the spirit, and was aUo 

 mixed with a little mucilage. 



Frcin these trials it seemed pro!)able that the bad qualities 

 of the new flour were connecter) with the producrion of saccha- 

 ri'.ie matter in the j^rain ; and this oj)iniun acquired additional 

 evidence from the following experiments. 



I made two small loaves; each contained half a pound of the 

 best old flour and the hame quantity of yeast and salt. In fact, 

 they were in every respect similar, v.ith the exception that one 

 contained 100 grains of soft sugar. Before they were baked, it 

 was observed that the dough with the sugar was not quite so 

 light, it had not apparently fermented so well as the other. The 

 loaves after being tr.ken from the oven and suffered to cool were 

 examhied. The loaf without sugar appeared to iiave all the 

 requisites of excellent bread. The projjerty of elasticity it pos- 

 sessed ill a high desjree. When the soft part of the bread was 

 pressed ever so much by the hnger, it immediately regained its 

 former situation without leaving anv impression behind. The 

 loaf with sugar had a bitter taste, and especially the crust of it. 

 It was rather disposed to be clammy. It was not nearly so elastic 

 as tlie bread witliout sugar. When pressed on by the finger it 

 slowly recovered its situation, but the impression was left behind. 

 The colour of the bread with the sugar was also a little impaired. 

 i msde a similar trial with good old American flour, and the re- 

 milts corresponded very nearly with those detailed ; the bread with 

 jiugar had a bitter taste, and slightly adhered to the teeth ; whilst 

 the bread without sugar was excellent, and did not possess those 

 properties in any degree. As an infusion (of the bread containing 

 iugar) in cold water had a sweetish taste and did not affect lit- 

 mus paper, it is likelv a part at least of the sugar remained un- 

 altered in the bread. 



From tlicse experiments it would appear, that the quality of 

 ♦aread made from good flour, with the usual additions, is impaired 

 by sugar ; as the dough v.ith sugar did not rise quite so well, 

 iior Was the bread so light as without sugar. I should conceive 

 tliis substance tended rather to check than to accelerate fer- 

 mentation in such circumstances. A certain portion of saccha- 

 rine matter seems essential to the paiuxry fermentation. Good 

 ^heat apjjcars to possess the requisite quantity, which, if it be 

 increased by artificial or natural means — whether it be simply 

 added to the flour, or j)roduced by the germination of the grain, — 

 still it seciiii to act liv retarding the fermentation requisite to 

 produce good bread, or bread in its greatest perfection. Tiic case 



is 



