Work to a smooth elastic dough. This takes usually about ten minutes, after the flour is worked into the dough. Place in a greased bowl and then turn over the dough to coat with shortening. This prevents a crust from forming on the dough. Set aside to raise for two hours and then pull the sides down to the centre of the dough and punch down. Turn the dough over and let raise for one and one-quarter hours.
THE CARE OF THE BREAD AFTER BAKING
The jar, crock or box in which the bread is kept should be scrupulously clean. It should be scalded and aired one day every week in winter and three times weekly during the spring, summer and early fall. Keep the fact in mind that the bread kept in a poorly ventilated box will mould and spoil and thus be unfit for food.
Place the freshly baked bread on a wire rack to thoroughly cool before storing. Do not put old bread in the box with the new baking. Plan to use the stale bread for toast, dressings, bread and cabinet puddings, croutons and crumbs.
THE FOOD VALUE OF BREAD
Wheat contains the sixteen needed elements for nutrition, and when made into palatable bread, it forms about 40 per cent. of our total food requirements. Stale bread digests much easier than fresh bread for the reason that when thoroughly masticated in the mouth the saliva acts directly upon the starchy content. Fresh bread, unless thoroughly chewed, so that it may be well broken up, becomes a hard, pasty ball in the stomach, which requires that organ to manufacture the additional gastric juices to break up this dough ball.
Bread from one to three days old easily digests. Graham and whole wheat breads contain a larger percentage of nutriment than the white breads.
OVEN TEMPERATURE
Many housewives feel that it is impossible to secure accurate results in baking in the gas range; this is due to the fact that few women really understand the principle of baking with gas.
To secure a slow oven, light both burners and let them burn for five minutes; then turn both of them down low, turning the handle that controls the flow of gas two-thirds off. This will maintain a steady even heat. A slow oven requires 250 to 275 degrees Fahrenheit of heat. A moderate oven is 350 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit of heat. It can be obtained by burning both burners of gas range for eight minutes and then turning them down one-half to maintain this heat.