POTATO FLOUR AND BREAD
Potato flour is a yeast food. It contains gelatinized starch, sugar, dextim amides and mineral matter, all of the bodies are yeast nutrients, the first-named being converted into sugar by a ferment in the yeast. The analysis of pure imported potato flour should approximately show as follows: Water, 10.69 per cent.; protein, 6.59 per cent; fat, 0.23 per cent; nutritious extractive matter, 78.73 per cent; fibre, 1.18 per cent; ash, 2.58 per cent, making in all a total of 100 per cent.
The extractive matter is mostly carbo-hydrates (sugar). The ash, the mineral matter, mostly phosphates.
We have here three important bodies for yeast production—carbo-hydrates, protein and phosphates, and the last two, moreover, act as powerful stimulants. Owing to these facts, the writer thinks a closer acquaintance about the use of potato flour will be of some interest to the progressive bread baker.
It is often said that formerly, before the introduction of compressed yeast, when potato ferments were mostly used, that bread was superior in flavor and keeping qualities than most of the bread baked at present.
Furthermore, bakers of to-day find it absolutely necessary to add large quantities of sugar, lard and often milk to their dough to overcome the effect that compressed yeast has brought about. It is not the writer’s intention to belittle the value of compressed yeast, as this product is now an inseparable commodity in the bakeshop.
It is, however, possible to get back the advantages obtained from the old potato ferment process by the judicious use of pure potato flour.
It eliminates entirely the old cumbersome method of boiling and mashing potatoes, scalding flour and setting away the ferment until ready for use, for five or six hours. Pure potato flour used in connection with a small quantity of diastasic malt extract will accomplish results gratifying to the baker and assist in cutting down cost of production.