Bread, cakes, and biscuits / collected and described by S. Beaty-Pownall.

  • Beaty-Pownall, S.
Date:
1902
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Bread, cakes, and biscuits / collected and described by S. Beaty-Pownall. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    31/216
    will continue to contract and expand for years without alteration. Its degrees may be compared with M. Gouffe’s test thus : Paper burnt a chocolate or deep brown equals 450° on the “ Eagle” thermometer, a “ hot” oven. Paper burnt a cigar or lighter brown equals 400° on the “ Eagle ” thermometer, or a “ quick ” or “ sharp ” oven. Paper burnt a deal brown equals 350° on the “ Eagle ” thermometer, or a “ moderately quick ” oven. Paper burnt a lighter deal brown equals 300° on the “ Eagle” thermometer, or a “ steady ” or “ soaking ” oven. Paper burnt a very faint yellow equals 250° to 275°, or a “slack ” oven. Bread should be put into a hottish oven at first, say 350°, which must then be allowed to slacken down to 320°. Remember that the thermometer, being on the door, is always a little cooler than the interior of the oven, so allowance must be made for this. One word more re the storing of bread. Abroad, thrifty housewives bake a good batch of bread at a time, instead of, as we do, making it fresh and fresh; yet their bread shows little, if any, trace of such storage. Having baked their bread, they dust an empty flour sack (kept for the purpose) with fresh flour, and in this they set the loaves so that the top crusts come together; then, when in the course of packing the undersides must necessarily touch, they strew in a good handful of flour before putting in the next layer of loaves. The sack thus packed is then hung up in a cool, dry, and airy place where it can swing freely till the bread is needed. The day before a loaf is wanted it is taken out, the flour well dusted off it, and it is set in the cellar to stand till the next day, when it is ready for use. Bread will keep this way a fortnight, or even more. Stale bread, or cake, may be perfectly freshened by dipping it in water, water and milk, or milk only, according to its kind, and then setting it in an oven till hot through. c 2