BREADMAKING HINTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 July 1938, Page 4

BREADMAKING HINTS

LEAVENING AGENTS AND FLOUR. WHAT THE COOK SHOULD KNOW. Before proceeding to make bread it is necessary to become acquainted with the basic ingredients, especially the leavening agents. Leavening Agents. Yeast 1) Yeast is a manufactured product made from fermenting liquids. It is sold fresh or in dry cakes. 2) One yeast cake will raise 3 or 4 (lib) loaves of bread. 3) Half a yeast cake will raise 1 dozen rolls. 4) Yeast should be dissolved in luke warm liquid before adding to the bread dough. It requires I cup of liquid to dissolve one yeast cake. 5) Yeast is inactive at low temperature, active in moderate temperature, and destroyed at high oven heat. Baking Soda 1) Baking soda is an alkaline leavening agent made from cryolites and common salt. 2) Baking soda is used to neutralise the acids in foods. 3) One cup of sour milk requires i teaspoon of soda. 4) >1 cup of molasses (treacle) requires 1 teaspoon of soda. 5) To use an excess of baking soda gives a disagreeable flavour and a darkened appearance to doughs when they are baked. 6) i teaspoon of soda has the equivalent leavening power of 2 teaspoons baking powder. When a large amount of sour milk and flour are used we advise the amount of soda be reduced to •} teaspoon soda for each cup of sour milk and adding 2 teaspoons of baking powder for each cup of flour. Cream of Tartar 1) Cream of tartar is an acid forming substance commercially made from the argoles of grapes. 2) Cream of tartar was used extensively in homes before the advent of baking powder, to give the required acidity to milk, after which soda was added to make the batters light and porous. 3) 1 cup of milk requires 1 teaspoon cream of tartar. Baking Powder 1) Baking powder is a leavening agent of fairly recent date.. The first formula for cream of tartar baking powder was developed in 1850. Prior to-that date the cook relied entirely upon soda and cream of tartar to make batters light and porous. . 2) Baking powder consists of one part soda, two parts cream of tartar, one part starch. (The latter prevents the first two ingredients from lumping). 3) 1 cup of flour requires 2 teaspoons of baking powder to leaven it. 4) There is an exception to this rule. Griddle cakes and waffles require more baking powder because the griddle heat does not assist in the expansion of leavening agents as does oven heat. Therefore, use 3 teaspoons of baking • powder for each cup of flour. 5) All leavening agents, excepting yeast, must be carefully measured then added to sifted and measured flour and again sifted. Do not add leavening agents to batters and doughs in any other way. Flour. Flours .most commonly used are classified under three headings: Bread Flour, Cake Flour, All-Purpose Flour. Bread Flour is made from hard or spring wheat. It is a strong flour containing more gluten and less starch than cake flour and should not be used in cake making. Cake Flour is made from soft or winter wheat and contains a moderate amount of gluten and a high percentage of starch. It should not be used for bread-making. The difference between bread and cake flours can easily be determined by taking a handful of each and squeezing them tightly. Cake flour will cake in the hand and have a velvety texture; . bread flour will act like a powder and be gritty. All-Purpose Flour consists of a correct blending of bread and cake flour and can be used in various ways; however, it will not make the same quality of bread obtained by using bread flour. All-purpose flour is good for quick breads and can be used in making cakes; but to obtain a perfect texture in cakes, we recommend that a reliable cake flour be used.