Recipe For Mixing And Baking Bread. Part 2

Kneading The Bread Dough

When all the flour that is to be used has been added, and the ingredients have been thoroughly mixed, scrape the dough from the bowl on to a moulding board lightly dredged with flour. Toss with the knife. Then with finger tips lightly floured bring forward the back of the dough, without pressing the fingers into it. Let the ball of the hand, just above the wrist, meet the dough; press down upon it, and move it backward; then the tips again bring forward the back of the dough, the ball of the hand meets it, and repeats the first process; and so a new portion of dough is brought in contact with the hand at each downward pressure. Occasionally turn the dough halfway round, to keep it in a roundish mass; continue this kneading process until the mass of sticky paste is a smooth, elastic, fine, and even-grained ball of dough. Add but little flour during this process, and keep the crust that is formed by kneading intact by keeping the dough in motion, and never allowing the finger tips to penetrate it. The mass acquires "body" under the manipulation. When elastic and full of minute air bubbles it has been kneaded enough.

Object Of Kneading The Bread Dough

Dough is kneaded the first time to distribute evenly the little yeast plants and other ingredients, to give body to the dough, and ready to serve bring out the elasticity of the gluten, and to make the mixture smooth. The second kneading is to break up the large cavities caused by gas bubbles, and to make the texture unform and fine. The length of time required for the first kneading depends somewhat upon the quantity of flour and shortening that is to be incorporated into the dough. The stiffer the dough and the richer the mixture the longer the time required to make it smooth and elastic. From fifteen to thirty minutes are required. The second kneading should be only of such length as is needed to put the dough into the proper shape for baking.

Temperature And Time For Raising Bread Dough

As bacilli inimical to the proper growth of the yeast plants may be introduced into the dough in the milk or water, it is advisable to scald the milk or boil the water, and then cool to a temperature not over 100° Fahr., before adding the yeast. While this may not kill bacilli present in the liquid, it retards their growth for the time being, and leaves the yeast plant in possession of the field. The taste and texture of bread are largely dependent upon the time given for rising. If the flavor and other characteristics associated with home-made bread be desired, they can be best secured by long, slow rising at a temperature a little below that of the living room, or between 55° and 6o° Fahr. In winter, bread made with one third yeast cake to a pint of liquid, and set at 8 p. m., may be left standing in a room, that in the course of an hour or two drops to the temperature given above, until seven in the morning.

While, all things considered, a temperature of 68° Fahr. is probably the most favorable for bread making, the operation may be hastened by setting the bowl of dough in a pan of water that is kept just below 90° Fahr. When the dough has risen to about double its original size, it should be "cut down" - cut and worked with a knife - to break up the bubbles of gas and retard the fermentation. The "cutting down" process may be repeated several times, to the improvement of the bread, if the rising be not continued too long at any one time. If the fermentation be allowed to proceed too long, the glutinous cell walls holding the gas become weakened, the dough loses its puffy, rounded appearance and flattens or "caves in," showing that the alcoholic fermentation has passed into the acetic. The bread will be sour. Often dough that does not reach this condition is subjected to fermentation too long; and too much of the goodness of the flour - probably of the gluten - is con sumed by the yeast plants, and a dry, tasteless, chippy bread results. This is particularly the case with bread made of entire wheat flour. As a general rule, dough made with one cake of compressed yeast to a pint of liquid will double in bulk in three hours. About one hour is required for the second rising, after the dough is in the pans, and a fifth hour for baking.