84 THE HUMAN JIODY. 



27, The essential points for making good bread are, 

 /. Good flour. 



2. Thorough kneading, to mix all the ingredients. 



s. Good yeast. 



4- Good judgment exercised in keeping the rising mass 

 just warm enough, and letting it rise just long enough. 



5. Having the oven just hot enough, and taking out the 

 bread at just the right time. 



28, Good bread is light and sweet. Bread is light when 

 the carbonic-acid gas formed in the fermentation caused 

 by the yeast has penetrated the whole loaf, making in- 

 numerable holes and pores in it. When such bread is 

 eaten, the digestive juices easily enter these pores, and 

 spread through and act upon every part. 



Bread is heavy when carbonic-acid gas has not pene- 

 trated the mass, either because the yeast is poor, or the 

 flour is poor, or because it has not been thoroughly 

 kneaded. It makes a solid lump in the stomach, which 

 the digestive juices can not easily enter; and that organ 

 becomes weary and sore in struggling with it, 



Bread may be sour, either because there is too much 

 yeast in it, or because fermentation has gone on too long. 

 In that case, acetic acid is formed in it. 



29, Pastry and cake are not so wholesome as bread. 

 They please the taste, and in small amounts are not 

 injurious. Pie-crust is not commonly so light as bread. 

 Besides, it has a good deal of lard or butter thoroughly 

 mixed with it. This fatty matter, which is not acted upon 

 by the juices of the stomach, coats over the particles of the 

 flour, and prevents the gastric juices from reaching them; 

 so they must pass out into the small intestine undigested. 

 This is the reason why all food fried in fat is less easily 



