EXPERIMENTS AND RECIPES
A. Experiment with gluten.
Materials.—1 cup of flour, a 10-inch square of cheesecloth, a piece of string, a pan or tin or granite plate.
Method.—Tie the flour in the cheesecloth, and wash it, preferably under the faucet, until the starch is washed out. Remove the gluten, stretch and knead into a ball. Place the ball on a pan in the oven. Note results. Note temperature of oven, if possible.
B. Experiments with yeast.
1. Materials, (a) 1 cake of yeast dissolved in 1⁄3 of a cupful of lukewarm water with water added to make 1⁄2 cupful, (b) 1⁄4 cup water and 1⁄4 cup flour stirred together + 1 tablespoonful of molasses. Divide this mixture into three parts.
Method.—Add 2 tablespoonfuls of (a) to each of two thirds of (b). Put remaining portion of (a) into a saucepan and bring it to the boiling point and then add it to the third part of (b). Number these bowls 1, 2, 3.
(1) Surround bowl No. 1 with lukewarm water and keep the water at this temperature by adding warmer water from time to time. Note result.
(2) Surround bowl No. 2 with cracked ice and salt. Note result.
(3) Surround bowl No. 3 with lukewarm water as in No. 1. Note result.
(4) Before the end of the hour remove bowl No. 2 from the ice water and surround it with water at 100° F. and watch results.
State conclusions as to effect of temperature upon the growth of the yeast cell.
2. Materials.—1 yeast cake dissolved in 1⁄2 cup of water 80° F. + 1 tablespoonful molasses. Limewater. 4 small wide-mouthed bottles, or test tubes, 4 saucers or beakers.
Method.—Fill the small bottle, cover with a saucer and invert; or the same with the test tubes. Keep the bottles at a temperature of 80° F. until they are emptied. Test for carbon dioxide with a match, and with limewater.
1. Plain bread.—You should be able to make your own recipe for plain bread from the foregoing pages. Write this out in detail.
2. Milk bread.
Proportions.
| Milk | 2 | cups |
| Butter | 2 | tablespoonfuls |
| Sugar | 1 | tablespoonful |
| Salt | 11⁄2 | teaspoonfuls |
| Yeast | 1 | cake dissolved in 1⁄4 cup lukewarm water |
| Sifted flour | 6 | cups |
Special method.—Scald milk and add to this the butter, sugar, and salt. Cool this until it is just lukewarm. Add the dissolved yeast and stir in the flour beating thoroughly. Proceed as in general directions.
3. Entire wheat bread.
Proportions.
| Scalded milk | 2 cups |
| Sugar | 1⁄4 cup |
| or | |
| Molasses | 1⁄3 cup |
| Salt | 1 teaspoonful |
| Yeast | 1 cake dissolved in 1⁄4 cup lukewarm water |
| Entire wheat flour | 42⁄3 cups |
Special method.—Add sweetening and salt to scalded milk and cool until lukewarm. Add dissolved yeast and beat in the flour. Cover with cloth and let rise to double its bulk. Again beat and turn into greased bread pans, filling half full. Let this rise to not quite double its bulk, and bake same as white bread. This mixture may also be baked in gem pans.
4. Parker House rolls.
Proportions.
| Scalded milk | 2 | cups |
| Butter | 3 | tablespoonfuls |
| Sugar | 2 | tablespoonfuls |
| Salt | 1 | teaspoonful |
| Yeast | 1 | cake dissolved in 1⁄4 cup lukewarm water |
| Flour |
Special method.—Add butter, sugar, and salt to milk. When lukewarm, add dissolved yeast cake and three cups of flour. Beat thoroughly, cover and let rise until light. Cut down and add enough flour to knead (it will take about 21⁄2 cups). Let rise again, toss on floured board and knead, pat and roll out to 1⁄3 inch thickness. Shape with a biscuit cutter first dipped in flour. Dip the handle of a case knife in flour and make a crease through the middle of each round. Brush over 1⁄2
of each piece with melted butter, fold over, and press edges together. Place in greased pan, one inch apart, cover, let rise, and bake in hot oven twelve to fifteen minutes. As the rolls rise they will part slightly, and if hastened in rising are apt to lose their shape.
5. Buns.
Proportions.
| Scalded milk | 1 | cup |
| Butter | 1⁄3 | cup |
| Sugar | 1⁄3 | cup |
| Salt | 1⁄2 | teaspoonful |
| Raisins cut in quarters | 1 | cup |
| Yeast | 1 | cake dissolved in 1⁄4 cup lukewarm water |
| Ext. lemon | 1 | teaspoonful |
Special method.—Add 1⁄2 sugar and salt to milk. When lukewarm, add dissolved yeast and 11⁄2 cups flour. Cover and let rise until light. Add butter, remaining sugar, raisins, lemon, and flour enough to make a stiff batter. Let rise, shape like biscuits, let rise again and bake. If wanted glazed, brush over with beaten egg before baking.
6. German coffee bread.
Proportions.
| Scalded milk | 1 | cup |
| Butter | 1⁄3 | cup |
| Sugar | 1⁄4 | cup |
| Salt | 1⁄2 | teaspoonful |
| Egg | 1 | |
| Yeast | 1 | cake dissolved in 1⁄4 cup lukewarm milk |
| Raisins stoned and cut in pieces | 1⁄2 | cup |
| Flour |
Special method.—Add butter, sugar, and salt to milk. When lukewarm add dissolved yeast cake, egg well beaten, flour to make a stiff batter, and raisins. Cover and let rise. When light spread in buttered pan one half inch thick. Cover and
let rise again. Before baking brush over with well beaten egg and cover with following mixture. Melt 3 tablespoonfuls butter, add 1⁄3 cup sugar and 1 teaspoonful cinnamon. When sugar is partially melted, add 3 tablespoonfuls flour and remove from fire.
Laboratory management.—For individual work or for work in groups of two, the use of 1⁄2 cup of liquid will be found to make as small an amount of dough as it is desirable to handle. In making the white bread two portions may be baked in one tin, brushing with butter where the two portions touch each other, so that the loaves will separate when baked.
Where it is necessary to hurry the process not less than 1⁄2 yeast cake should be used with this quantity.
It is impossible in an ordinary school period to complete the entire process. A number of solutions will occur to the teacher. One of these is to arrange the lessons as follows:
Lesson I.
Yeast experiments, summary, bread mixed in groups and set to rise, demonstration by teacher of kneading, using dough previously prepared.
Lesson II.
Quantity of dough set to rise by volunteer pupils before class. Dough kneaded, shaped and set to rise by pupils. Review of yeast experiments. Baking of bread.
Lesson III.
Parker House rolls or sweet breads mixed and set to rise, completed by volunteers after class.
In recipes where three risings are called for one may be omitted, if necessary.
7. Toast.—Directions for making toast will be found in Chapter IV.
To serve toast.—Toast should be served as soon as it is made, if possible, and if not must be kept hot. Fold it in a napkin. Toast may also be buttered, piled neatly on a plate, and kept hot in the oven until it is time for serving.
For milk toast the bread is cut somewhat thicker than for buttered toast. The milk is prepared by thickening, No. 1 under White Sauce. Dip each slice of toast in the thickened milk and then put the slices in a dish for serving and pour the thickened milk over. To moisten toast that is too dry, or when moist toast is wanted to serve under some other food, place it in a steamer or colander over boiling water a few minutes before
buttering it. This is much better than toast moistened with boiling water.
8. The sandwich.—The sandwich is a convenient way of serving bread and other foods away from the table, for picnics, teas, and receptions.
To prepare the bread.—Either white or brown bread may be used. Select a well-shaped loaf of fine grain that will not crumb when it is sliced. Cut off the end of the loaf, spread the loaf evenly with butter, cut a thin slice, butter again, and so on. The butter should be softened. Be careful to spread it evenly and see that it is near the edge of the bread. Sandwiches may be made either with or without the crust. If the crust is to be removed, cut it off the loaf before buttering and slicing.
The filling.—There is an endless variety of filling possible for sandwiches, from slices of meat and poultry, which make a substantial luncheon for picnics, to the dainty fillings used for afternoon teas and receptions. A crisp bit of lettuce leaf with Mayonnaise dressing is always acceptable. Cream cheese mixed with nuts and raisins is a good filling. For a sweet sandwich, jam or jelly may be spread on the slices and possibly a small amount of cream cheese put between. You can invent many combinations.
The shape of the sandwich may be oblong, triangular, or round. The round sandwich is cut with a sharp cooky cutter. The pieces remaining may be dried and used for bread crumbs. The crusts may always be utilized in this way.
9. Croutons.—Cut a slice of bread a day old 1⁄2 inch thick. Spread with soft butter, cut off the crust, put the slices in a pan, cut in cubes and set the pan in the oven until the croutons are brown.