The 1918 Fanny Farmer Cookbook

centre,

and prevent further rising; loaf should continue rising for first fifteen minutes of baking, when

should begin to brown, and continue browning for the next twenty minutes. The last fifteen

minutes it should finish baking, when the heat may be reduced. When bread is done, it will

not

cling to sides of pan, and may be easily removed. Biscuits require more heat than loaf bread,

should continue rising the first five minutes, and begin to brown in eight minutes. Experience

the best guide for testing temperature of oven. Various oven themometers have been made,

but

none have proved practical. Bread may be brushed over with melted butter, three minutes

before removal from oven, if a more tender crust is desired.

Care of Bread after Baking

Remove loaves at once from pans, and place side down on a wire bread or cake cooler. If a

crisp crust is desired, allow bread to cool without covering; if soft crust, cover with a towel

during cooling. When cool, put in tin box or stone jar, and cover closely.

Never keep bread wrapped in cloth, as the cloth will absorb moisture and transmit an

unpleasant taste to bread. Bread tins or jars should be washed and scalded twice a week in

winter, and every other day in summer; otherwise bread is apt to mould. As there are so many

ways of using small and stale pieces of bread, care should be taken that none is wasted.

Unfermented bread is raised without a ferment, the carbon dioxide being produced by the

use of soda (alkaline salt) and an acid. Soda, employed in combination with cream of tartar,

for

raising mixtures, in proportion of one−third soda to two−thirds cream of tartar, was formerly

to a great extent, but has been generally superseded by baking powder.

used

Soda bicarbonate (NaHCO3) is manufactured from sodium chloride (NaCl), common salt

cryolite.

Baking powder is composed of soda and cream of tartar in definite, correct proportions,

mixed with small quantity of dry material (flour or cornstarch) to keep action from taking

place.

If found to contain alum or ammonia, it is impure. In using baking powder, allow two

teaspoons

baking powder to each cup of flour, when eggs are not used; to egg mixtures allow one and

one−half teaspoons baking powder. When a recipe calls for soda and cream of tartar, in

substituting baking powder use double amount of cream of tartar given.

Chapter IV − BREAD AND BREAD MAKING