On the Employment of Sulphate of Copper, ^c, 277 



3. The suppression of leaven in counteracting an excess of cop- 

 per was very decided, for the bread containing y gVo i'^ the former 

 batch, which remained to be a mere paste, gave in the latter a very 

 fine, porous, and well raised bread, simply by omitting the leaven ; 

 but tha salt manifested itself by a disagreeable odor and a verdi- 

 grease taste. 



Conclusions relative to the action of various agents, as determined 

 by experiments. 



Sulphate of copper. — This salt exerts an extremely energetic ac- 

 tion on the fermentation and rising of bread, even when employed 

 in the proportion of ^ 0I005 which is about one part of metalhc cop- 

 per to 300,000 of bread, or 1 grain of sulphate in 7-^ lbs. of bread. 

 The proportion which produces the best rising is from -30^00 to 

 1 s "0 00 5 beyond this it becomes too moist, less white, and acquires an 

 odor like leaven. 



It is easy to obtain by the use of this salt, well raised bread from 

 flour called slack, (lachantes,) or moist. It may occasion the reten- 

 tion of water to the amount of an ounce in a pound without injury to 

 the bread. In the summer season there is the greatest need of 

 strengthening the paste and preventing the spreading of the loaf. It 

 is usually done by leaven and common salt, but a very small quantity 

 of sulphate of copper, will serve as a substitute for both, only it is 

 necessary to increase a little the quantity of yeast. 



The greatest quantity of this salt which can be introduced without 

 altering the beauty of the bread is joVo* With jsVo the paste will 

 not rise, all fermentation is stopped, and the bread acquires a green 

 color. By omitting the leaven, and introducing more water, it rises 

 well, and becomes very porous, but it is moist, greenish and disa- 

 greeable. 



It is evidently the base of the salt, much more than the acid, that 

 produces these effects on panification, for sulphate of soda, sulphate 

 of iron, and even sulphuric acid, have not, in comparative trials, fur- 

 nished analogous results. 



Alum. — The efiects of this salt are much the same as those of sul- 

 phate of copper, but it must be used in much larger quantity. The lat- 

 ter in the proportion of 3 5V0 is so great as to diminish the rising, but 

 that quantity of alum produces no apparent result. It must be in- 

 creased to p-|g to produce any sensible effect. In the dose of -j-^g 



