Milk for making bread is scalded in order to kill any organisms that might develop under the favorable conditions offered and thus give the bread a bad flavor.

The best temperature for the growth of yeast is 75° to 90° F. Below 40° to 60° F. yeast will not grow. It is killed at 140° F. Therefore, the liquid is cooled until it is lukewarm before the yeast is added.

Sponge Method

For the sponge method of mixing bread, sufficient flour is used to make a batter. This is 1 1/2 cups of flour to 1 cup of liquid. The mixture is set aside until the surface is covered with bubbles. Sufficient flour to make a dough is then added. The sponge method is followed frequently when dry yeast is used. Yeast plants grow rapidly in a thin batter, and as they are not in an active state in dry yeast cakes, the batter makes possible a quick growth of yeast. With compressed yeast the sponge method is unnecessary.

Straight-Dough Method

For the straight-dough method, sufficient flour to make a dough is added as soon as the yeast has been added to the liquid. The dough is removed to a floured board and is kneaded until it is smooth and elastic, and until it will not stick to an unfloured board. Kneading is for the purpose of thoroughly mixing all the ingredients, developing the elasticity of the gluten, and incorporating air into the dough.

Mixing Bread By A Machine

If three or more loaves of bread are being made, a bread-mixer saves time and labor. If the correct proportion of flour to liquid is used, and the mixing is continued until the dough is smooth and elastic, the same result will be obtained by machine-mixing as with equal care by hand-mixing. Frequently too much flour is used. This causes slow rising, and if the dough is made into loaves before the rising is complete, the resulting bread will be compact and inferior in other respects.