The over-proofing of the dough before baking is a weakness inherited by environment by about 99 per cent. of the operative bakers. This desire to see a large loaf at the expense of flavor and texture is caused largely by the criticism of the smaller loaf by the general public. It is an inevitable law of nature that you cannot get something for nothing. You cannot have quality, with fine texture or grain, and at the same time have a large loaf which only pleases the eye on its exterior. Either quality or quantity must be sacrificed. It is for the individual baker to say which it shall be.
And last, but not least, the cause of poor texture or grain is due to improper heat of the ovens, as without a perfect baking heat it is quite possible to spoil the most perfect dough. If the oven be too hot, causing the bread to crust before the loaf has had time to become heated through, the result will be poor grain or texture, as the gases within the loaf would be imprisoned by the crust already formed, and as these gases become more heated and light as the loaf grows hotter, they eventually follow along the lines of least resistance and break through the loaf at its weakest point of crust already formed, causing the loaf to be ill-shaped and drawn, and the grain to be uneven and furrowed. Again, if the oven be too cold, the loaf is too slowly heated to stop in time the action of fermentation, and the result would be much the same as over-proofing—open texture with inclination to be dry and crumbling.
Greek Bread.
One-half pint milk (bare measure), 1 ounce yeast, pinch of flour, 2 eggs, ½ ounce sugar. Ferment 90 degrees F.
Dough.
One pound flour, ¼ pound butter, 3½ ounces sugar, ounce ground cinnamon.
Make the above quantities into a very light dough, and allow to lie covered in warm place for 45 minutes. When ready to turn out on to the board, hand up, and pin out to little more than ¼ inch thick. At this stage sprinkle some granulated sugar over the dough, splash with little water, and bring two sides over to meet in the center, so as to entirely enclose the sugar. Pin out again and repeat same operation of adding sugar and folding over. The dough will now require to be pinned out to ¼ inch thick, when it should be cut into strips 2½ inches wide and placed on warmed greased baking sheets. Wash with milk, sprinkle over a good layer of granulated sugar, and place into the prover containing little steam. When ready bake in hot oven, allow to cool, then cut into small square pieces, according to size required.
