490 BREAD 



with two bars fixed crosswise, but which may be easily removed, whenever the 

 cylinder is opened. These bars constitute the solo agents for drawing out the dough. 

 In a continuous operation, the leaven is constantly prepared in the compartment A ; 

 with which view there is put into it 



125 kilogrammes of ordinary leaven or yeast. 

 67 flour. 



33 water. 



In all, 225 kilogrammes. 



The person in charge of the mechanical kneader shuts down its lid, and sets it 

 a-going. At the end of about seven minutes ho hoars the bell of the counter sound, 

 announcing that the number of revolutions has been sufficient to call for an inspection 

 of the sponge, in regard to its consistence. The cylinder is therefore opened, and 

 after verifying the right state of the leaven, and adding -water to soften, or flour to 

 stiffen it, ho closes the lid, and sets the machine once more in motion. In 10 minutes 

 more the counter sounds again, and the kneading is completed. The 450 kilo- 

 grammes of leaven obtained from the two compartments are adequate to prepare 

 dough enough to supply alternately each of the two ovens. For this purpose 75 

 kilogrammes of leaven are taken from each of the two compartments A and A', and 

 placed in the intermediate compartment B. The whole leaven is then 754-75 150 

 kilogrammes ; to which are added 100 kilogrammes of flour and 50 of water = 150, 

 so that the chest contains 300 kilogrammes. There is now replaced in each of the 

 cavities A and A' the primitive quantity, by adding 50 kilogrammes of flour and 25 

 of water =75. 



The cylinder is again set a-going ; and, from the nature of the apparatus, it is 

 obvious that the kneading takes place at once on the leavens A and A', and on the 

 paste B; which last is examined after 7 minutes, and completed in 10 more = 17, at 

 the second sound of the counter-bell. 



The kneader is opened, the paste on the sides and on the bars is gathered to the 

 bottom by means of a scraper. The whole paste of the chest B being removed, 150 

 kilogrammes of the leaven are taken, to -which 150 kilogrammes of flour and water 

 are added to prepare the 300 kilogrammes of paste destined for the supply of the oven 

 No. 2. These 75 kilogrammes of leaven from each compartment are placed as before, 

 and so on in succession. 



The water used in this operation is raised to the proper temperature, viz. 25 or 

 30 C. (77 or 86 F.) in cold weather, and to about 68 F. in the hot season, by 

 mixing common cold water with the due proportion of water maintained at the tem- 

 perature of about 160 F., in the basis F, placed above the ovens. 



Through the water poured at each operation upon the flour in the compartment B, 

 there is previously diffiised from 200 to 250 grammes of fresh leaven, as obtained from 

 the brewery, after being drained and pressed ( German yeast). This quantity is suf- 

 ficient to raise properly 300 kilogrammes of dough. As soon as this dough is taken 

 out of the kneader, as stated above, and while the machine goes on to work, the 

 quantity requisite for each loaf is weighed, turned about on the table D, to give it 

 its round or oblong form, and there is impressed upon it with the forearm, or roller, 

 the cavity which characterises cleft loaves. All the lots of dough of the size of one 

 kilogramme, called cleft loaves (yainsfendus), are placed upon a cloth, a fold of which 

 is raised between two loaves, the cloth being first spread upon a board ; which thus 

 charged with 10 or 15 loaves is transferred to the wooden shelves GO, in front of the 

 oven. The whole of them rise easily under the influence of the gentle temperature 

 of this antechamber or fournil. Whenever the dough loaves are sufficiently raised 

 here, they are put into the oven, a process called enfournement in France ; which con- 

 sists in setting each loaf on a wooden shovel dusted with coarse flour, and placing it 

 thereby on the sole of the oven, close to its fellow, without touching it. This opera- 

 tion is made easy, in consequence of the introduction of a long-jointed gas-pipe and 

 burner into the interior of the oven, by the light of which all parts of it may be 

 minutely examined. The oven first is kept moderately hot, by shutting the dampers ; 

 but whenever the thermometer attached to it indicates a temperature of from 300 to 

 290 C. (572 to 554 F.), the damper or registers are opened, to restore the heat to 

 its original degree, by allowing of the circulation of the hot air, which rises from the 

 lower cavities around the fire-place into the interior of the oven. When the baking 

 is completed, the gas-light, which had been withdrawn, is again introduced into the 

 oven, and the bread is taken out ; called the process of defournement. If the tempera- 

 ture have been maintained at about 300 C., the 300 kilogrammes of dough, divided 

 into loaves of one kilogramme (2lbs. avoirdupois), will be baked in 27 minutes. The 

 charging having lasted 10 minutes, and the discharging as long, the baking of each 



