LEFT-OVER BREAD
97. Bread that has become stale need not be wasted, for there are many uses to which it may be put. As such bread has lost much of its moisture, it is desirable for toast, for it browns more quickly and makes crisper toast than fresh bread. Thick slices of it may also be cut into cubes or long, narrow strips and then toasted on all sides, to be served with soup instead of crackers. Still another use that can be made of stale bread is to toast it and then cut it into triangular pieces to be served with creamed dishes or used as a garnish for meats, eggs, and various entrées. Left-over toast may also be cut in this way and used for these purposes.
98. The ends of loaves, crusts trimmed from bread used for sandwiches, or stale bread or rolls that cannot be used for the purposes that have been mentioned can also be utilised, so none of them need be thrown away. If such pieces are saved and allowed to dry thoroughly in the warming oven or in an oven that is not very hot, they may be broken into crumbs by putting them through a food chopper or rolling them with a rolling pin. After the crumbs are obtained, they should be put through a coarse sieve in order to separate the coarse ones from the fine ones. Such crumbs, both coarse and fine, may be kept for some time if they are put into jars or cans.
It is a very good plan to keep a supply of bread crumbs on hand, for there are numerous dishes that require the use of bread in this form. For instance, bread crumbs are used for all kinds of scalloped dishes; for making puddings, such as bread pudding, brown Betty, etc.; for stuffing fish, fowl, and such vegetables as tomatoes and peppers; for covering the top of baked dishes, such as various egg and cheese dishes; for breading steaks and chops; and for covering croquettes or oysters that are to be fried. They may also be added to muffins, griddle cakes, and even yeast-bread dough. With so many uses to which bread crumbs can be put, no housewife need be at a loss to know how to utilise any scraps of bread that are not, for some reason, suitable for the table.
BREAD
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
(1) Mention the ingredients required for bread making.
(2) From what kind of wheat is bread flour usually made?
(3) (a) What is gluten? (b) Why is it necessary for the making of bread?
(4) (a) What is meant by a blend flour? (b) When is its use indicated?
(5) How may the kind and quality of flour be judged in purchasing it?
(6) (a) What is yeast? (b) What things are necessary for its growth? (c) What temperature is best for its growth?
(7) (a) What is produced by the growth of yeast? (b) What part does this play in bread making?
(8) What determines the quantity of yeast to use in bread making?
(9) (a) What will hasten the bread-making process? (b) What will retard it?
(10) Give the general proportions of the main ingredients used for making a loaf of bread.
(11) What are the advantages of: (a) the long process of bread making? (b) the quick process?
(12) What is: (a) a sponge? (b) a dough?
(13) (a) Why must bread dough be kneaded? (b) How is it possible to tell when dough has been kneaded sufficiently?
(14) At what temperature should bread be kneaded?
(15) How should bread be cared for after it is removed from the oven?
(16) What points are considered in the scoring of bread?
(17) What part of bread making may be done in a bread mixer?
(18) What are the differences in time and oven temperatures in baking rolls and bread?
(19) Mention briefly the procedure in making rolls, buns, and biscuits.
(20) Score a loaf of bread you have made and submit the points as you have scored it.