BREAD. 



plant. The fpongy refidinim, calcined In the air, jrives a 

 fixed alkali. From tlicfe properties, he infers, that it con- 

 tains an amylaceous matter, fimihir to that of grain, which 

 appears to be the nutritive part of vegetables. This amy- 

 laceous matter, formed into a jelly, and diffufed in water, 

 keeps for a long time without fuffering any change. It 

 then turns acid, and at length putrefies. M. Paimenticr 

 gives an account of the bread which he obtained from the 

 amylaceous powders of the different vegetables above-men- 

 tioned, with the addition of potatoes and a fmall eiuantity of 

 common leaven of grain. Tiiis bread appeared in general 

 to be well fermented ; it was of a good white colour, and 

 free from any difagreeable odour ; but to the talle it was 

 fomewhat infipid, which he fuppofes might be correfted by 

 the addition of a proper quantity of fait. In order to guard 

 againft a feafon of fcarcity, when fome of thefe plants may 

 not be procured, he propofcs a method of preferving the 

 matter thus obtained. 



For this purpofe, he advlfes, that bread prepared in the 

 manner above-mentioned (hould be carefully dried, reduced 

 to powdei, and kept in a clofe cade. By this means he 

 thinks it may be prcferved for a very long time, and be al- 

 ways ready to make an agreeable and wholefome panada, 

 with the addition of a little butter and fait. In order to 

 determine the degree of nourifhment which this alimentary 

 powdtr was capable of aiTording, he tried its effcft upon 

 himfelf ; and he found that tliree ounces of it for dinner, 

 and as much for fuoper, made into panada with water, was 

 a fufficient quantity of aliment for a day. From his dif- 

 charge by 11 ol, while he ufed it, he had reafon to believe, 

 that it is almolt totally alinentary. He concludes with re- 

 commer.ding it not only as nfetul in times of fcarcity, but as 

 a proper fubllitute to fea-bifcuit, and as a kind of food well 

 adapted for armies and holp'tals. Examen Chymique des 

 Pommcs de Tcrre, &c. Memoire fur les vegetaux qui 

 pourroient fuppleer en temps de difctte a ceux que Ton 

 employe communement a la nourriture des hommes. 

 &c. 



In order to make bread of turnips, the following method 

 is recommended in the " Mufxum ruHicnm et commcrciale." 

 When turnips are plentiful, a number of them fhould be 

 pulled, wadied clean, pared, and boikd. When they are 

 loft enough for being mafhed, the greattll part of the water 

 (hould be preffed out of them, and they fliould then be mixed 

 with an equal quantity in weight of coarfe wheat meal. The 

 dough may then be made, in the nfual manner, with yenll or 

 barm, fait, water, &c. It will rife well in the trougli ; and 

 after being well kneaded, it may be formed into loaves, and 

 pnt into the oven to be baked. The perfon who made this 

 experiment had other bread made with common meal in the 

 ordinary method. The turnip-bread was baked rather longer 

 than the other. When they were drawn from the oven, a 

 loaf of each fort was cut ; and, upon e>caminati<m, the turnip- 

 bread was fweeter than the other, not Itfs light and white, 

 •with a llight, but not difagreeable, tafte of the turnip. 

 When it was tailed 12 hours after, this talle was fcarcely 

 perceptible, and the fmell was quite gone off. After an 

 interval of 1:4 hours, it cn-Ad not he known that it had any 

 turnips in its compofition, although it dill had a peculiar 

 fvveetKh talle. After 24 :iours, it appeared to be rather 

 f'jpei'ior to bread made only of wheat flour; it was freflier 

 and moiller ; and, after a v eek, it was Hill very good. 



Rice will fervc the pnrp pfc of making very good bread ; 

 and the method praftifed In Carolina is as follows : The 

 grain is firll: wafhcd by putting it in a velTel and pouring 

 water upon it, then llirring it ; and changing the water 

 until it is fufficiently clcanfed. The water is then poured 



off, and the rice placed in an inclined pofition to diain. 

 After being fufficiently drained, it is put, while damp, for 

 the greater facility o-f pulverization, n;to a nioitar, and 

 beaten to powdtr ; it is tlien rompletelv dried, and |<afli.a 

 through a common kitchen hair-lievc. Tiic rice flour, thui 

 obtained, is kneaded with a fmall proportion of Indian corn- 

 meal, and boikd nHo a thiekilh conOllcnec ; or it is fonic- 

 times mixed with boiled potatoes ; and a fniali quantity of 

 leaven and fait is added U> the mafs. When the fermenta- 

 tion has been fullieienllv excited, the dough is put into pans, 

 and placed in an oven to be baked. By thi.^ pri>ccfj a light 

 wholefome bread is made, which is not only pleafing to the 

 eye, but agreeable to the talle. Sec Rick 



In Norway, they have bread made of barley and oatmeal, 

 baked between two ftones : and Uartholm fays, that it keeps 

 tO or 40 years, and that the older it is, the more agreeable. 

 For their great feails they life the oldell bread ; and at the 

 baptifm of a child, they have bread, which had been baked 

 probably at the baptifm of the grandfather. 



Dr. Towiifon, in his " Travels in Hungar\'," has de- 

 fcnbed the mode of making cxeellent bread without yeall, 

 as it is prafliled at Debretzin in that country. The fer- 

 ment ufed for this purpofe is made in this manner: Two 

 good haudfuls of hops are boiled in four quarts of water; 

 this is poured upon as mnth wheaten bran as it willmoiHen ; 

 and to this are added four or five pounds of lenvc 11. When 

 the mafs is warm, the fevcial parts are will mixed by being 

 worked together. It is then depofited in a warm place for 

 24 hours, and attciwaids divided into fmall pieces, about the 

 fize of a hen's egg, or a fmnll orange, which are dried by 

 being placed upon a board and expofed to a dry air, but not 

 to the fun ; when dry they are laid by for ufe, and may be 

 kept half a year. The ferment thus prepared, is applied in 

 the following manner, 



For a baking of fix large loaves, fix good handfuls of thefc 

 balls are diffolved in fcven or eight quarts of warm water ; 

 and this water is poured through a fitve into one end of the 

 bread-trough, and after it three quarts of warm water, the 

 remaining mafs in the ficvc being well prelTed out. The 

 liquor is mixed up with flour fufficient to form a mafs of the 

 fize of a large loaf: this is ilrewed over with flour, the ficve 

 with its contents is put upon it, and the whole is covered up 

 warm, and left till it has rifen enough, and its furface has 

 begun to crack : this forms the leaven. Then fifteen quarts 

 of warm water, in which fix handfuls of fait have been dif- 

 folved, are poured through the lieve upon it, and the neccf- 

 fary quantity of flour is added, and mixed and kneaded with 

 the leaven ; this is covered up warm, and left for about half 

 an hour. It is then formed into loaves, which are kept in a 

 warm room for half an hour ; and after that they are put 

 into the oven, where they remain two or three hours, accord- 

 ing to the fize. The great advantage of this ferment is that 

 it may be made in large quantities at a time, and kept for 

 ufe; and on this account, it might be ufeful on board of 

 ftiips, or in camps for armies in the field. 



The quantity of bread allowed a foldier for bis day's fub- 

 fiftence is called a ration. 



For armies the bread is either baked in the park of provi- 

 fions in the camp, or in the town nearell the army ; for the 

 conveniency of ovens, an army ought always to have at leall 

 four days bread before-hand. In fome cafes, the dillance 

 of the places from whence bread is to be had, or the 

 army's march from one country to another, obliges the 

 general to dillribute bread for fix, or even for eight days ; a 

 thing never done without abfc'lulenecefGty, by reafon of the 

 abufe which fome foldiers make of it, who fell their bread 

 without regard to future fubfiilence. For long marches 

 K k 2 through 



