44 
SUBSTITUTES  FOR  THE  FERMENTATION  OF  BREAD. 
on  the  old  method.  On  the  other  hand,  Frickinger  found,  by  direct 
experiment  on  the  large  scale,  that  the  employment  of  bicarbonate  of 
soda  gave  an  increase  only  of  1J  per  cent.,  whilst  the  quality  of 
bread  was  deteriorated. 
In  1848  Mr.  Sewell,  apparently  unacquainted  with  what  had  been 
done  before,  took  out  a  patent  for  improvements  in  preparing  flour, 
in  which  he  uses  hydrochloric  acid  and  bicarbonate  of  soda. 
In  Mr.  Sewell's  process  the  flour  is  placed  in  a  tub  or  circular 
vessel,  and  submitted  by  suitable  mechanical  means  to  the  action 
of  hydrochloric  acid,  which  is  made  to  fall  (from  a  series  of  radial 
tubes  having  a  bore  of  about  one-hundredth  of  an  inch)  in  the  form 
of  a  finely  divided  shower,  on  the  flour,  fresh  surfaces  of  which  are 
constantly  exposed  to  the  falling  acid.  By  this  means  about  forty- 
five  ounces  avoirdupois  weight  of  hydrochloric  acid  of  the  sp.  grav. 
1.14,  which  contains  about  twenty-eight  per  cent,  of  real  acid,  are 
incorporated  with  each  280  lbs.  of  flour,  the  mixture  being  after- 
wards sifted  through  a  fine  sieve,  put  it  into  flour-barrels  or  other 
receivers,  and  is  ready  for  sale.  Thus  a  preparation  of  flour  is  pro- 
duced, ready  to  be  combined  with  other  ingredients  mentioned, 
which  will  render  it  suitable  to  be  made  into  bread  without  the 
use  of  yeast.  The  flour  thus  prepared,  the  patentee  terms  the 
preparation  No.  1,  because  it  admits  of  being  kept  for  a  longer 
period  before  it  is  used  than  the  preparation  No.  2,  which  is  pro- 
duced as  follows  : — Take  of  good  dry  flour  280  lbs.  avoirdupois 
weight,  and  pursue  the  same  course  of  operations  as  with  No.  1,  up  to 
the  point  at  which  the  hydrochloric  acid  is  thoroughly  incorporated 
with  the  flour,  as  before  described  ;  but  instead  of  stopping  the 
agitation  of  that  point,  it  is  continued  until  there  is  sifted  into 
and  thoroughly  incorporated  with  the  mixture  of  flour  and  hydro- 
chloric acid  about  thirty-nine  ounces  avoirdupois  weight  of  bicar- 
bonate of  soda  in  a  state  of  fine  powder,  at  which  stage  any  other 
ingredients  known  to  improve  the  appearance  and  flavor  of  bread 
may  also  be  added  (when  such  addition  is  thought  desirable),  ac- 
cording to  the  taste  of  the  consumer.  When  the  mixture  is  com- 
pleted, the  whole  is  passed  through  a  fine  sieve,  put  it  into  flour- 
barrels  or  other  receptacles,  and  is  ready  for  sale  or  use. 
To  make  preparation  No.  1  into  bread  (which  should  be  done 
within  about  five  weeks  from  the  time  it  is  produced),  all  that  is 
required  is,  to  mix  intimately  with  each  pound  weight  to  be  used, 
