UNFERMEJ^TED BREAD. 193 



fermentation ; in fact, the less time the dough is left 

 to itself, and the more rapidly the operation is car- 

 ried on, provided the dough is thoroughly mixed, the 

 better will the bread be. 



473. The most serious objection to this mode of 

 bread-making is, that, unless great care be taken, 

 there is considerable risk of introducing poisonous 

 substances into the bread if the acid is not perfectly 

 pure, even when all reasonable precautions are taken 

 to avoid adulterations. It is, of course, necessary to 

 take care that the carbonate of soda is most thor- 

 oughly mixed with the flour, and great attention 

 must be paid to the proportions of the several ingre- 

 dients. 



474. In toasting bread, two very different effects 

 are produced — the modified starch in combination 

 with gluten, which the bread contains, is rendered 

 still more soluble, and a fresh portion of gum is 

 formed, whilst, at the same time, a part of the bread 

 is more or less charred or carbonized. 



475. In making toast and water, it is sometimes 

 recommended to burn the toast well, so as to make it 

 quite black ; this is often very good advice, for the 

 porous charcoal thus formed is a powerful purifying 

 agent, and when water has a bad flavor, the addition 

 of a piece of blackened toast does not merely cover 

 the flavor, but removes it, and renders the water more 

 wholesome. The soluble matters, and also the finely 

 powdered charcoal held in suspension, both contribute 

 to render toast a very useful addition to water. 



17 



