BREADSTUFFS AND BREAD-MAKING

per oven grate, carefully washed and scoured, may be used. Perforated pie tins also answer very well for this purpose.

The heat of the oven for baking should be sufficient to form a slight crust over all sides of the bread before the air escapes, but not sufficient to brown it within the first fifteen minutes. To aid in forming the crust on the sides and bottom of batter breads, the iron cups should be heated previous to introducing

Making Unfermented Bread.

the batter. The degree of heat required for baking will be abotit the same as for fermented rolls and biscuit, and the fire should be so arranged as to keep a steady but not greatly increasing heat.

Air is incorporated into batter breads by brisk and con- tinuous agitating and beating ; into dough breads by thorough kneading, chopping, or pounding.

Whatever the process by which the air is incorporated, it must be continuous. For this reason it is especially essential

154 SCIENCE IN THE KITCHEN.

in making aerated bread that everything be in readiness before commencing to put the bread together. All the materials should be measured out, the utensils to be used in readiness, and the oven properly heated. Success is also dependent upon the dexterity with which the materials when ready are put together. Batter bread often proves a failure although the beating is kept up without cessation, because it is done slowly and carelessly, or interspersed with stirring, thus permitting the air to escape between the strokes.

If the bread is to be baked at once, the greater the dispatch with which it can be gotten into a properly-heated oven the lighter it will be. Crackers, rolls, and other forms of dough breads often lack in lightness because they were allowed to stand some time before baking. The same is true of batter breads. If, for any reason, it is necessary to keep such breads for any length of time after being prepared, before baking, set the dish containing them directly on ice.

The lightness of aerated bread depends not only upon the amount of air incorporated in its preparation, but also upon the expansion of the air during the baking. The colder the air, the greater will be its expansion upon the application of heat. The colder the materials employed, then, for the bread-making, the colder will be the air confined within it, and the lighter will be the bread. For this reason, in making batter bread, it will be found a good plan, when there is time, to put the materials together, and place the dish containing the mixture on ice for an hour or two, or even over night. When ready to use, beat thoroughly for ten or fifteen minutes to incorporate air, and bake in heated irons. Rolls and other breads made into a dough, may be kneaded and shaped and put upon ice to be- come cold. Thus treated, less kneading is necessary than when prepared to be baked at once.

Many of the recipes given for the batter breads include eggs. The yolk is not particularly essential, and if it can be put to other uses, may be left out. The white of an egg, be- cause of its viscous nature, when beaten, serves as a sort of trap to catch and hold air, and added to the bread, aids in making it

BREADSTUKFS AND BREAD-MAKING. 155

light. Very nice light bread may be made without eggs, but the novice in making aerated breads will, perhaps, find it an advan- tage first to become perfectly familiar with the processes and conditions involved, by using the recipes with eggs before at- tempting those without, which are somewhat more dependent for success upon skill and practice.

When egg is used in the bread, less heating of the irons will be necessary, and not so hot an oven as when made without.

If the bread, when baked, appears light, but with large holes in the center, it is probable that either the irons or the oven was too hot at first. If the bread after baking, seems sticky or dough-like in the interior, it is an indication that either it was insufficiently baked, or that not enough flour in proportion to the liquid has been used. It should be stated, that although the recipes given have been prepared with the greatest care, and with the same brands of flour, careful measurement, and proper conditions, prove successful every time, yet with differ- ent brands of flour some variation in quantity may be needed, — a trifle more or less, — dependent upon the absorbent properties of the flour, and if eggs are used, upon the size of the eggs.

A heavy bread may be the result of the use of poor flour, too much flour, careless or insufficient beating, so that not enough air was incorporated, or an oven not sufficiently hot to form a crust over the bread before the air escaped. Breads made into a dough, if moist and clammy, require more flour or longer baking. Too much flour will make them stiff and hard.

The length of time requisite for baking aerated breads made with whole-wheat, wheat berry, or Graham flours, will vary from forty minutes to one hour, according to the kind and form in which the bread is baked, and the heat of the oven.

The irons in which batter breads are to be baked should not be smeared with grease ; if necessary to oil them at all, they should only be wiped out lightly with a clean, oiled cloth. Irons well cared for, carefully washed, and occasionally scoured with Sapolio to keep them perfectly smooth, will require no greasing whatever.

156 SCIENCE IN THE KITCHEN.

In filling the irons, care should be taken to fill each cup at first as full as it is intended to have it, as the heat of the irons begins the cooking of the batter as soon as it is put in, and an additional quantity added has a tendency to make the bread less light.

Whole- Wheat Puffs. — Put the yolk of an egg into a basin, and beat the white in a separate dish to a stiff froth. Add to the yolk, one half a cupful of rather thin sweet cream and one cupful of skim milk. Beat the egg, cream, and milk together until perfectly mingled and foamy with air bubbles ; then add, gradually, beating well at the same time, one pint of wheat berry flour. Continue the beating vigorously and without interrup- tion for eight or ten minutes ; then stir in, lightly, the white of the egg. Do not beat again after the white of the egg is added, but turn at once into heated, shallow irons, and bake for an hour in a moderately quick oven. If properly made and carefully baked, these puffs will be of a fine, even texture throughout, and as light as bread raised by fermentation.

Whole-Wheat Puffs No. 2. — Make a batter by beating together until perfectly smooth the yolk of one egg, one and one half cups of new or un- skimmed milk, and one pint of whole-wheat flour. Place the dish contain- ing it directly upon ice, and leave for an hour or longer. The bread may be prepared and left on the ice over night, if desired for breakfast. When ready to bake the puffs, whip the white of the egg to a stiff froth, and after vigorously beating the batter for ten minutes, stir in lightly the white of the egg ; turn at once into heated irons, and bake. If preferred, one third white flour and two thirds sifted Graham flour may be used in the place of the wheat berry flour.

Whole-Wheat Puffs No. 3. — Take one cupful of sweet cream (twelve- hour cream), one half cupful of soft ice water, and two slightly rounded cupfuls of wheat berry flour. Beat the material well together, and set the dish containing it on ice for an hour or more before using. When ready to bake, beat the mixture vigorously for ten minutes, then turn into heated iron cups (shallow ones are best), and bake for about an hour in a quick oven.

Graham Puffs. — Beat together vigorously until full of air bubbles, one pint of unskimmed milk, the yolk of one egg, and one pint and three or four tablespoonfuls of Graham flour, added a little at a time. When the mixture is light and foamy throughout, stir in lightly and evenly the white of the egg, beaten to a stiff froth ; turn into heated irons, and bake in a rather quick oven. Instead of all Graham, one third white flour may be used if preferred.

BREADSTUFFS AND BREAD-MAKING. 157

Graham Puffs No. 2. — Beat the yolks of two eggs in two cupfuls of ice water; then add gradually, beating well meantime, three and one fourth cupfuls of Graham flour. Continue the beating, after all the flour is added, until the mixture is light and full of air bubbles. Add last the whites of the eggs, beaten to a stiff froth, and bake at once in heated irons.

Currant Puffs. — Prepare the puffs as directed in any of the foregoing recipes with the addition of one cup of Zante currants which have been well washed, dried, and floured.

Oraham Gems. — Into two cupfuls of unskimmed milk which has been made very cold by standing on ice, stir gradually, sprinkling it from the hand, three and one fourth cupfuls of Graham flour. Beat vigorously for ten minutes or longer, until the batter is perfectly smooth and full of air bubbles. Turn at once into hissing hot gem irons, and bake in a hot oven. If preferred, the batter may be prepared, and the dish containing it placed on ice for an hour or longer ; then well beaten and baked. Gra- ham gems may be made in this manner with soft water instead of milk, but such, in general, will need a little more flour than when made with milk. With some ovens, it will be found, an advantage in baking these gems to place them on the upper grate for the first ten minutes or until the top has been slightly crusted, and then change to the bottom of the oven for the baking.

Crusts. — Beat together very thoroughly one cupful of ice-cold milk, and one cupful of Graham flour. When very light and full of air bubbles, turn into hot iron cups, and bake twenty-five or thirty minutes. The best irons for this purpose are the shallow oblong, or round cups of the same size at the bottom as at the top. Only a very little batter should be put in each cup. The quantity given is sufficient for one dozen crusts.

Rye Piiffs. — Beat together the same as for whole-wheat puffs one cup- ful of milk, one tablespoonful of sugar, and the yolk of an egg. Add one cupful of good rye flour, mixed with one half cupful of Graham flour, and stir in lastly the well beaten white of the egg. Bake at once, in heated gem-irons.

Rye Puffs No. 2. — Beat together until well mingled one pint of thin cream and the yolk of one egg. Add gradually, beating meanwhile, four cups of rye flour. Continue to beat vigorously for ten minutes, then add the stiffly-beaten white of the egg, and bake in heated irons.

Rye Gems. — Mix together one cupful of corn meal and one cupful of rye meal. Stir the mixed meal into one and one half cupfuls of ice water. Beat the batter vigorously for ten or fifteen minutes, then turn into hot irons, and bake.

Blueberry Gems. — To one cupful of rich milk add one tablespoonful of sugar, and the yolk of an egg. Beat well till full of air bubbles ; then add

158 SCIENCE IN THE KITCHEN.

gradually one cupful of Graham flour, and one cupful of white flour, or white corn meal. Beat vigorously until light ; stir in the beaten white of the egg, and one cupful of fresh, sound blueberries. Bake in heated irons, in a moderately quick oven. Chopped sweet or sour apples may be used in place of the berries.

Hominy Gems. — Beat one egg until very light, add to it one table- spoonful of thick sweet cream, a little salt, if desired, and two cupfuls of cooked hominy (fine). Thin the mixture with one cupful or less of boiling water until it will form easily, beat well, and bake in heated irons.

Sally Lunii Gems. — Beat together the yolk of one egg, two tablespoon- fuls of sugar, and one cupful of thin, ice-cold, sweet cream. Add slowly, beating at the same time, one cup and two tablespoonfuls of sifted Gra- ham flour. Beat vigorously, until full of air bubbles, add the white of the egg beaten stiffly, and bake in heated irons.

Corn Pnflfs. — Mingle the yolk of one egg with one cupful of rich milk. Add to the liquid one cupful of flour, one-half cupful of fine, yellow corn meal, and one-fourth cupful of sugar, all of which have previously been well mixed togethet. Place the batter on ice for an hour, or until very cold. Then beat it vigorously five or ten minutes, till full of air bubbles ; stir in lightly the stiffly beaten white of the egg, and put at once into heated irons. Bake in a moderately quick oven, thirty or forty minutes.

Corn Puffs No. 2. — Scald two cupfuls of fine white corn meal with boiling water. When cold, add three tablespoonfuls of thin sweet cream, and the yolk of one egg. Beat well, and stir in lastly the white of the egg, beaten to a stiff froth. The batter should be sufficiently thin to drop easily from a spoon, but not thin enough to pour. Bake in heated irons, in a moderately quick oven.

Corn Puffs No. 3. — Take one cupful of cold mashed potato, and one cupful of milk, rubbed together through a colander to remove all lumps. Add the yolk of one well beaten egg, and then stir in slowly, beating vigorously meantime, one cupful of good corn meal. Lastly, stir in the white of the egg beaten to a stiff froth, and bake in heated irons, in a rather quick oven.

Corn Puffs No. 4. — Beat together one and one-half cupfuls of un- skimmed milk and the yolks of two eggs, until thoroughly blended. Add two cupfuls of flour, and one cupful best granular corn meal. Beat the batter thoroughly ; stir in lightly the whites of the eggs, beaten to a stiff froth, turn into heated irons, and bake.

Corn Dodgers. — Scald one cupful of best granular corn meal, with which a tablespoonful of sugar has been sifted, with one cup of boiling milk. Beat until smooth, and drop on a griddle, in cakes about one inch in thickness, and bake slowly for an hour. Turn when brown.

BREADSTUFFS AND BREAD-MAKING. 159

Corn Dodders No. 2. — Mix one tablespoonful of sugar with two cups best corn meal. Scald with one cup of boiling water. Add rich milk to make a batter thin enough to drop from a spoon. Lastly, add one egg, yolk and white beaten separately, and bake on a griddle in the oven from three fourth of an hour to one hour.

Cream Corn Cakes. — Into one cup of thin cream stir one and one half cups of granular corn meal, or enough to make a stiff batter ; beat well, drop into heated irons, and bake.

Hoe Cako. — Scald one pint of white corn meal, with which, if desired, a tablespoonful of sugar, and one half teaspoonful of salt have been mixed, with boiling milk, or water enough to make a batter sufficiently thick not to spread. Drop on a hot griddle, in large or small cakes, as preferred, about one half inch in thickness. Cook slowly, and when well browned on the under side, turn over. The cake may be cooked slowly, until well done throughout, or, as the portion underneath becomes well browned, the first browned crust may be peeled off with a knife, and the cake again turned. As rapidly as a crust laecomes formed and browned, one may be removed, and the cake turned, until the whole is all browned. The thin wafer-like crusts are excellent served with hot milk or cream.

Oatmeal Gems. — To one cupful of well-cooked oatmeal add one half cupful of rich milk or thin cream, and the yolk of one egg. Beat all to- gether thoroughly ; then add, continuing to beat, one and one third cup- fuls of Graham flour, and lastly the stiffly beaten white of the egg. Bake in heated irons. If j^referred, one cupful of white flour may be used in place of the Graham.

Snow Gems. — Beat together lightly but thoroughly two parts clean, freshly fallen, dry snow, and one part best granular corn meal. Turn into hot gem irons and bake quickly. The snow should not be packed in measuring, and the bread should be prepared before the snow melts.

Pop Overs. — For the preparation of these, one egg, one cupful of milk, and one scant cupful of white floor are required. Beat the egg, yolk and white, separately. Add to the yolk, when well beaten, one half the milk, and sift in the flour a little at a time, stirring until the whole is a perfectly smooth paste. Add the remainder of the milk gradually, beating well until the whole is an absolutely smooth, light batter about the thickness of cream. Stir in the stiffly beaten white of the egg, and bake in hot earthen cups or muffin rings, and to prevent them from sticking, sift flour into the rings after slightly oiling, afterward turning them upside down to shake off all the loose flour.

Granola Gems. — Into three fourths of a cup of rich milk stir one cup of Granola (prepared by the Sanitarium Food Co.). Drop into heated irons, and bake for twenty or thirty minutes.

l6o SCIENCE IN THE KITCHEN.

Bean Gems. — Prepare the gems in the same manner as for Whole- Wheat Puffs, using one half cup of milk, one egg, one cup of cooked beans which have been rubbed through a colander and salted, and one cup and one tablespoonful of white flour. A little variation in the quantity of the flour may be necessary, dependent upon the moisture contained in the beans, although care should be taken to have them quite dry.

Breakfast Rolls. — Sift a pint and a half of Graham flour into a bowl, and into it stir a" cupful of very cold thin cream, or unskimmed milk. ^ Pour the liquid into the flour slowly, a few spoonfuls at a time, mixing each spoonful to a dough with the flour as fast as poured in. When all the liquid has been added, gather the fragments of dough together, knead thoroughly for ten minutes or longer, until perfectly smooth and elastic. The quantity of flour will vary somewhat with the quality, but in general, the quantity given will be quite sufficient for mixing the dough and dusting the board. When well kneaded, divide into two portions ; roll each over and over with the hands, until a long roll about one inch in diameter is formed ; cut this into two-inch lengths, prick with a fork and place on perforated tins, far enough apart so that one will not touch another when baking. Each roll should be as smooth and perfect as possible, and with no dry flour adhering. Bake at once, or let stand on ice for twenty minutes. The rolls should not be allowed to stand after forming, unless on ice. From thirty to forty minutes will be re- quired for baking. When done, spread on the table to cool, but do not pile one on top of another.

Very nice rolls may be made in the same manner, using for the wetting ice-cold soft water. They require a longer kneading, are more crisp, but less tender than those made with cream.

With some brands of Graham flour the rolls will be much lighter if one third white flour be used. Whole-wheat flour may be used in place of Graham, if preferred.

Sticks. — Prepare, and knead the dough the same as for rolls. When ready to form, roll the dough much smaller ; scarcely larger than one's little finger, and cut into three or four-inch lengths. Bake the same as rolls, for about twenty minutes.

Cream Gfraham Bolls. — To one half cup cold cream add one half cup of soft ice water. Make into a dough with three cups of Graham flour, sprinkling in slowly with the hands, beating at the same time, so as to in- corporate as much air as possible, until the dough is too stifle to be stirred ; then knead thoroughly, form into rolls, and bake.

Corn Mush Rolls. — Make a dough of one cup of corn meal mush, one half cup of cream, and two and one half cups of white flour ; knead thor- oughly, shape into rolls, and bake.

I'.Kl'ADSTUl'FS AND J'.KKAI )-M A K IXC. I 6 [

Fruit Rolls. — Prepmt' tlu> rolls as directi'd in the reciiie fur Break- fast Rolls, and when well kneaded, work into the douj;li a half cupful of Zante currants which have been well washed, dried, and floured. Form the rolls in the usual manner, and bake.

Croani Miisli Bolls. — Into a cupful of cold Graham mush beat thor- oughly three tablespuonfuls of thick, sweet cream. Add sufficient Graham flour to make a rather stiff dough, knead thoroughly, shape into rolls, and bake. Corn meal, farina, and other mushes may be used in the place of the Graham mush, if preferred.

IJoaten Biscuit. — Into a quart of whole-wheat flour mix a large cup of thin sweet cream in the same manner as for breakfast rolls. The dough must be very stiff, and rendered soft and pliable by thorough kneading and afterward pounding with a mallet for at least half an hour in the fol- lowing manner : Pound the dough out flat, and until of the same thickness throughout ; dredge lightly with flour ; double the dough over evenly and pound quickly around the outside, to fasten the edges together and thus retain the air within the dough. When well worked, the dough will ap- pear flaky and brittle, and pulling a piece off it quickly will cause a sharp, snajiping sound. Mold into small biscuits, making an indenture in the center of each with the thumb, prick well with a fork, and place on per- forated sheets, with a space between, and put at once into the oven. The oven should be of the same temperature as for rolls. If they are "sad" inside when cold, they were not well baked, as they should be light and tender. If preferred, use one third white flour, instead of all whole-wheat. Excellent results are also obtained by chopping instead of pounding the dough.

Cream Crisps. — Make a dough of one cupful of thin cream, and a little more than three cups of Graham flour. Knead until smooth, then divide the dough into several pieces, and place in a dish on ice for an hour, or until ice cold. Roll each piece separately and quickly as thin as brown paper. Cut with a knife into squares, prick with a fork, and bake on perforated tins, until lightly browned on both sides.

Cream Crisps No. 2. — Into two and one half cups of cold cream or rich milk, sprinkle slowly with the hands, beating meanwhile to incorpo- rate air, four cups of best Graham flour, sifted with one half cup of granulated sugar. Add flour to knead ; about two and one fourth cups will be required. When well kneaded, divide into several portions, roll each as thin as a knife blade, cut into S(|uares, i)rick well with a fork, and bake.

(xraliam Crisps. — Into ouv. half cupful of ice-coUl soft water, stir

slowly, so as to incorporate as much air as possible, enough Graham flour

to make a dough stiff enough to knead. A tablespoonful of sugar may be

added to the water before stirring in the flour, if desired, Aftei' kneading

l62 SCIE^XE IN THE KITCHEN.

fifteen minutes, divide the dough into six portions ; roll each as thin as brown paper, prick with a fork, and bake on perforated tins, turning often until both sides are a light, even brown. Break into irregular pieces and serve.

Oatmeal Crisps. —Make a dough with one cupful of oatmeal porridge and Graham flour. Knead thoroughly, roll very thin, and bake as directed for Graham Crisps. A tablespoonful of sugar may be added if desired.

Grrahaiu Crackers.— Make a dough of one cup of cream and Graham flour sufficient to make a soft dough. Knead thoroughly, and place on ice for half an hour; then roll thin, cut into small cakes with a cooky- cutter, prick with a fork, and bake on floured pans, in a brisk oven. A tablespoonful of sugar, may be added if desired.

Fruit Craclcers. — Prepare a dough with one cup of cold sweet cream and three cups of Graham flour, knead well, and divide into two portions. Roll each quite thin. Spread one thickly with dates or figs seeded and chopped ; place the other one on top and press together with the rolling pin. Cut into squares and bake. An additional one fourth of a cup of flour will doubtless be needed for dusting the board and kneading.