276 Use of Sulphate of Copper, t^c. in Bread. 



The presence of sulphate of copper in all the trials is very mani- 

 fest, even when used in the smallest quantity, in strengthening the 

 paste and preventing its spreading into a flat mass. 



An excess of this poisonous salt however, is essentially injurious 

 to the rising of the bread. It impedes the fermentation. Its action 

 appears very analogous to that of leaven. An excess of either gives 

 rise to the same odor. 



Besides the property of furnishing a finer, more porous and lighter 

 bread, when the proportion does not exceed the xo^tto of the 

 quantity of bread, the sulphate of copper enables it to retain a greater 

 quantity of water, so that the loaf No 7, lost almost nothing of its 

 weight. 



To prove more distinctly whether the increase in weight was in 

 proportion to the metallic sulphate employed, recourse was had to a 

 second baking, the result of which was, that 1125 parts of flour, 

 625 parts of water, 260 parts of leaven, 90 parts of yeast, produce 

 a loaf, which, twenty four hours after it is withdrawn from the oven, 

 weighs 1720 parts, the height being 6J centimeters, and the width 

 30. The same quantity of ingredients, precisely in the same pro- 

 portions, with the addition of .025 of sulphate of copper, the weight 

 was 1745, the height 8|-, and the width 30. With .05 of sulphate 

 of copper, the weight was increased to 1762, the height to 9, the 

 width 29J. Each of these additions of the sulphate, greatly im- 

 proved the appearance, lightness and sponginess of the bread. The 

 quantity of sulphate in proportion to the bread was in these two 

 cases ggloo ^i^d 33^40- A larger quantity of sulphate increased 

 the weight of the bread but injured its appearance and quality. 



Observations on the second baking. 



The results were 1 . . The action of the copper on the quality of 

 the bread is very manifest and very favorable, even in the proportion 



of --1 — 



"69800* 



2. The increase of weight is very sensible, amounting even to. an 

 ounce in a pound, when , goVo of sulphate was used. When the 

 same quantity of water was added to an equal quantity of paste ex- 

 empt from the cupreous salt, it gave a loaf very spreading, very 

 heavy, exactly half the height, and weighing 8 per cent, less than the 

 preceding. 



