QUICK BREAD MIXTURES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 August 1938, Page 8

QUICK BREAD MIXTURES

BATTERS AND DOUGHS. USEFUL HINTS FOR THE COOK. i Quick bread mixtures such as bis- , cuits, griddle cakes, and muffins are , made from a combination of flour, milk, fats, and leavening agents. Some batters are made light, simply by the addition of eggs and the beating in of air which forms bubbles that expand when heated; also, by moisture being changed into steam when placed in a very hot oven, which causes the egg albumen to harden almost instantly, thereby preventing the escape of heated air. The baking of popovers illustrates this. Since flours vary in the amount of moisture they absorb, it is difficult to give an exact quantity of liquid to be used in quick breads and pie crust. Biscuits, shortcake and pie crust belong to the same family. Biscuits are the easiest of the three to make. For this reason we recommend that you

make them several times before attempting to make shortcake and pie crust. It is necessary to accustom your hands .to quick bread doughs. The technique of rubbing lard into flour requires practice. Essential points in making biscuits: 1. Your hands should be cold and well covered with the flour in the mixing bowl. 2. Rub the lard lightly between your hands. 3. Do not press hands together. There is a vast difference between rubbing and squeezing lard into flour. 4. Keep dipping your hands into the flour and rubbing the lard lightly until it feels crumbly. 5. With a spoon, slowly add liquid to the flour until dough is the consistency of modeling clay.

When you have the reached the point where you can mix biscuits and have them in the oven within 10 minutes you are certainly ready to approach the next problem which is shortcake. Shortcake. The method of making shortcake is the same">as biscuits with the exception that 1 tablespoon of sugar is added to each cup of flour and 1 extra tablespoon of lard for every 2 cups of flour. The dough is rolled to l-3rd in. thickness and baked.in two layers, one on top of the other. T&ese layers should be brushed over with melted butter before being placed one on top of the other so they will split open easilywhen baked. You need have no anxiety about pie-crust making when you have mastered both biscuits and shortcake. Pie crust differs somewhat from biscuit dough. It has no leavening agent and contains more shortening. The liquid used is ice water. The volume of lard is many times larger than that used in biscuits and shortcakes. Handling the extra amount of shortening with the flour is apt to be difficult for the beginner. Pie Crust. Essential points in making pie crust:

1. Have ingredients very cold. 2. Use only ice water. 3. Instead of rubbing the lard with the fingers cut it into the flour by using two knives, holding one in' each hand and cutting the lard criss-cross fashion, until it is well broken up. 4. Slowly add ice water until dough leaves edge of bowl and is stiff enough to roll. 5. Pie crust dough is improved by keeping it in refrigerator several • hours before rolling it into pie crusts, but this is not necessary. Be on guard against adding too z much liquid to any of these doughs for it will necessitate extra flour being used and the finished product will be tough and coarse. The generous amount of lard used in pie erust dough is what makes the crust crisp and flaky when baked. Pastry board and rolling pin should be floured. Doughs that are rolled on pastry boards, such as biscuits, shortcakes, pies and cookies, should never be turn- . ed over. Always keep floured side of dough toward pastry board. Start rolling from centre out. Do not roll edges of crust first. Do not put too much pressure on the rolling pin for it will cause dough to stisk to pastry board.

Griddle Cakes. Essential points in making griddle cakes, waffles and popovers: 1. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. 2. Beat eggs and add milk. 3. Gradually add liquids to dry in- - gredients, stirring until the batter is smooth. 4. Add melted butter. 5. Do not add liquid too rapidly or you will have a lumpy batter. Muffins. Muffin making leads to cake making. The process of mixing is the same. Cakes require more butter and are baked at a lower ..temperature. Being a successful muffin maker assures one of becoming a good cake maker. Essential points in maffin making: 1. First grease muffin pans. 2. Have all ingredients measured and sifted. 3. Cream butter thoroughly with a wooden spoon. 4. Slowly add sugar. 5. Add beaten eggs. 6. Add flour and baking powder sifted together, alternately with milk, adding some of the flour first. 7. Stir quickly and pour into muffin pans, filling two thirds full. 8. Bake in moderate oven about 30 minutes. Quick Loaf Breads. Quick loaf breads such as date, nut and orange are made practically the same as muffins. The breads require more flour and are baked at lower temperature to permit the expansion of batter before a crust forms on top; also to allow bread to bake through before crust becomes hard. Measure acids, such as orange juice, in glass cups. Dust nuts and fruits with a little of the measured flour and add last to batters. Grease bread, muffin, popover and cake pans with lard, not butter.