EXTENSION SERVICE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE COOPERATING Bread Making GERTRUDE E. CONANT EXTENSION CIRCULAR NO. DO D A N T . G R A Y , Director C. C. R A N D A L L , Acting Assistant Director REPRINT, JUNE, 1936 SCORE CARD FOR WHITE BREAD (1) General Appearance: Shape ------------------------- -------------------------------------- ------------------------- 5 Smoothness of crust___ ___ ________ _____ __________ ___________ 5 Depth and evenness of color ________ _____________________ ____ 5 (2) Lightness -------------- 10 (3) Crust: Thickness ______________ 5 Quality— crispness and elasticity ____ _____________________ 5 (4) Crumb: Color __________ _______________________ __ ___ ________ _____ _— 10 Texture— size and uniformity of cells, thinness of cell walls 15 Elasticity— softness and springiness __ ___ ____________ ___ — 10 (5) Flavor— taste and odor ______ 30 Total_______________________________ 100 EXPLANATION OF SCORE CARD Shape— Oblong, uniform height. Size— About 9 by 4 by 4 inches. Crust— Uniform golden brown, crisp, and smooth. Taste and Odor— Sweet and nutty, no suggestion of sourness or taste of yeast. Texture and Grain— Tender but not crumbling, fine grain of equal size throughout. Moisture— Slightly moist, yet springy and elastic when pressed lightly with the finger. Color— Creamy white, not snow white. Lightness— Well raised, equally light throughout, absence of heavy spots or streaks, not heavy for size. SCORE CARD FOR MUFFINS AND BISCUITS (1) General Appearance: Shape ______ _____ _______ ____________ ...________________________ 5 Color ________________ ______ ________________________ ___________ 5 (2) Lightness ____________________________ _______ _________ __ ________ 15 (3) Texture _____________ _______________________ _____________________ 15 Elasticity _______ ______________________________ ____________ __ _ 10 (4) Flavor _____________ ________________________ __ ______ _____________ 50 Total______ __ ____ _______________ __ __________ __ ____100 EXPLANATION OF SCORE CARD Shape— Uniform, not broken open on top. Color— Uniform light brown. Lightness— No heavy streaks, feathery. Texture— Even grain— no large air cells. Elasticity— Softness and springiness. Published in Furtherance of the Smith-Lever Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, Provid- ing for Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, C. C. Randall, Acting Assistant Director, Little Rock, Arkansas BREAD MAKING GERTRUDE E. CONANT Extension Nutritionist YEAST BREADS Bread has been known through several centuries as the “ Staff of Life.” It cannot be so considered literally, as bread alone does not furnish an adequate diet. However, it is the chief and the least expensive source of energy. That being the case, it is neces- sary for girls and women to know how to prepare bread in the most economical and digestible way. A knowledge of the proper ingredients of bread, and the best methods of mixing and making is necessary for intelligent bread making. INGREDIENTS FOR BREAD MAKING Flour, liquid, and a leavening agent are necessary ingredients, and other ingredients may be added to improve the flavor and tex- ture. FLOUR Wheat flour is used in the preparation of yeast breads as it makes a more porous loaf than flours made from other grains. Hard wheat flour, usually made from spring wheat, is the best wheat flour for making yeast breads. In the northwestern states the winter wheat has almost the same characteristics as the spring wheat of the middle western states. The reason hard wheat flour is best for bread making is that it contains gluten, which is elastic, and is expanded by action of the gas, carbon dioxide, to several times its original bulk, thus making a porous loaf. EXPERIMENT Mix one-fourth cup of hard wheat flour with just enough water to make a stiff dough. Knead a few minutes, and let it stand 5 minutes to dry. Then place in a muslin cloth, and wash out the starch. You will have left a yellowish, sticky mass, which is the gluten. Place the ball of gluten in the oven and bake, and it will expand several times its original size. Perform the same experiment with soft flour, and notice the difference between the two glutens. Note: The gluten of the hard wheat flour is much more elastic than that from the soft wheat flour. HOW TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN HARD AND SOFT WHEAT FLOURS Rub a pinch between thumb and finger. The hard wheat flour feels gritty, and the soft wheat flour feels smooth. In sift- 3 ing the two flours, the difference is shown readily. The hard wheat flour sifts through like sand, and the soft wheat flour mats together. YEAST Yeast is a small one-celled plant, which is much more sensitive to heat than to cold. Freezing will not kill it, but if it is exposed to heat above 130° F. it is weakened and killed. Yeast requires moisture, warmth, and food in order to grow. Its food is sugar, which it changes into carbon dioxide (a gas) and alcohol. It is the expansion of the gas, C02, which makes bread dough light. In the process of baking the bread, both gas and alcohol vapor expand throughout the dough, leaving the loaf porous. Yeast works best at a temperature of from 78 to 86° F. There are three kinds of yeast: (1) Compressed Yeast. This is good if fresh, as it is made by compressing together millions of active yeast plants. This yeast grows very quickly but does not keep very long. (2) Dry Yeast. The yeast plants are mixed with corn meal, pressed into cakes, and carefully dried. In the dry state the yeast cells are dormant, and will keep several months. (3) Quick Potato Yeast. This is a liquid yeast in which the yeast cells are active, and can be kept for two or three weeks in a cold place. LIQUIDS Either milk or water may be used in bread making. Both should be heated, and allowed to cool before using. Other ma- terials, such as salt, sugar, and fat, are used for flavor and to change the texture. BAKING OK BREAD A one-pound loaf should bake 50 minutes. The oven should be hot (above 400° F.) for the first 15 minutes, then lower heat to finish baking (about 350° to 300° F.) After baking, the bread should be cooled uncovered, as wrapping the bread while hot changes the flavor. QUICK POTATO YEAST 4 medium size potatoes ( 11/2 lbs.) 1 cake dry yeast soaked 2 T sugar in Yz C warm water with 2 t salt 1/2 t sugar added 2 t ginger Yz C hot water 4 First test the yeast cake by soaking in one-half C warm water to which one-half t sugar has been added. If yeast is alive, foam will appear on the water as soon as the cake is soft. If no foam appears, the yeast is dead, and another cake should be tested. Wash potatoes, and boil in the jackets. Drain and skin the po- tatoes, and rub through a colander or coarse wire sieve. Add the sugar, salt, ginger, and hot water (the ginger helps to keep the yeast sweet). When lukewarm, add the yeast, and set in a warm place to ferment. It takes yeast about 12 hours in cold weather to ferment. When fermentation is finished, cover and put in cold place. W HITE LOAF BREAD (18 to 20 ozs.) 1 C water or milk 3 to 4 C flour 4 T yeast 1 t salt 1 t sugar Boil water or scald milk. Add salt and sugar, and cool to about 80 to 86° F. (lukewarm). Add yeast and flour sufficient to make a stiff dough. Knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a well-greased bowl, cover and let it stand until doubled in bulk. Knead down again, and let it rise. When it has risen the second time, shape the loaf, and place in baking pan. Let rise the third time, and bake 50 to 60 minutes. The oven should be hot (about 400° F.) for the first 15 minutes, moderately hot for the next 30 minutes (300°), and temperature lowered still more for the last 15 minutes. g r a h a m o r w h o l e w h e a t b r e a d 2 C liquid (milk or water) 2 1/2C white flour 1 t salt Graham or whole wheat flour 1/2 C quick yeast (or) 1 T sugar 1/2 cake of compressed yeast soaked in 1/4 C water Heat liquid, add salt and sugar. When lukewarm add yeast and white flour. Beat until smooth. Cover and let rise until light. Add graham or whole wheat flour to make a stiff dough, knead until smooth, let rise until doubled in bulk, knead into loaves, and place in well-greased pans. Let rise to double its bulk, and bake one hour in moderately hot oven. This makes two loaves OATMEAL BREAD (2 loaves) 1 1/2 C boiling water 2 T syrup 2 C rolled oats 1/2 C soft yeast (or) 2 t salt 1/2 cake compressed yeast Flour to make a stiff dough. Pour the boiling water over the oats, add the salt and sugar, and let stand until it is lukewarm; 5 then add yeast and flour to make a stiff dough. Knead until smooth. Let it rise until doubled in bulk, and knead into loaves. Place in well-greased pans, let rise again, and bake one hour. PARKER HOUSE ROLLS l C water or milk 4 T fat 1 t salt 1 T sugar 1 C yeast 4 to 6 C flour Heat liquid, add fat, salt and sugar. Let it cool, and add yeast. Add flour to make a stiff dough, and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in covered bowl, and let rise until doubled in bulk.