BREAD. 93 



ony, demonstrating in this how completely it meets the 

 wants of the system. A comparison of the composition and 

 properties of the different cereal grains has made it evident 

 that in the manufacture of bread nothing can take the place 

 of the alimentary principles contained in wheat. Of the dif- 

 ferent varieties of wheat, that which is known as the hard 

 grain makes the best and most nutritious bread. In some of 

 the poorer sections of the old world the quality of the bread 

 is impaired by the mixture of rye, buckwheat, etc., with 

 wheaten flour ; but in this country this is never done, and, as 

 the rule, the quality of bread depends entirely on the skill 

 employed in its manufacture. It is evident that there are few 

 questions connected "with alimentation which have greater 

 importance than the scientific principles involved in the 

 making of bread. In this particular we may safely follow 

 the French, as they undoubtedly make the best bread in the 

 world. 1 



Of course, the starting-point in the manufacture of good 

 bread is to have good flour, in the production of which this 

 country is unsurpassed. The first operation in making bread 

 is to mix with one hundred parts of flour from fifty to sixty 

 parts by weight of water, adding a little salt, and fresh yeast 

 in the proportion of about half an ounce to ten pounds. The 

 mass is then thoroughly kneaded until it forms an elastic, 

 homogeneous dough. Some bakers are in the habit of adding 

 to the dough a little potato and alum ; but these must be 

 regarded as adulterations, although the potato is not inju- 

 rious. "When the dough has been thoroughly kneaded, the 

 gluten is so mixed with the other ingredients and is so tena- 

 cious and elastic, that the surface will not be broken by the 

 gas which is to be evolved in its interior. It is then divided 

 into loaves, and set aside for from six to eight hours, at a 

 temperature of from 80 to 100 Fahr., to " rise." 



1 The essential parts of the process of making bread are taken from the ad- 

 mirable work of Payen, which has already been so frequently alluded to in con- 

 nection with alimentation. 



