Rensselaer Union, Volume 1, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 May 1869 — How to Make Toast. [ARTICLE]

How to Make Toast.

The philosophy of making toast should be understood in order to make it well. It is not merely in a brown outside that good toast consists, though this is the great distinguishing point,: and is of benefit. There is something relishable in a fine brown crust, whetner of toast or in the loaf. It is formed by the changing of the starch Into dextrine or gum, and hence the odor or flavor of toast and of fresh-baked bread. — r We then desire to get this flavor. But more. The inside of the slice is changed from stale to fresh or new bread. This in consequence of the steam which is engen dered by the heat, inflating the moisture, and expelling it from the gluten, driving it into the starch which has assumed a hard or glassy appearance, and converts it into mucilage again. In this state, hot from the fire, it should be eaten,.whether softened on the outside with cream, or taken dry with butter. There is in toast a great advantage over fresh-baked bread in point of health. The germs of ferment die in old bread, especially if permitted to become dry er kept long. lu new bread the heat, 212®, is not sufficient to destroy the spores. Hence, in toast, you eat new bread without the evil attending the newly-baked loaf. Heat evaporates moisture, in bread as well as elsewhere. The moisture therefore that escapes from toast leaves the bread light and soft and porous' inside, very delicate. Set aside, like bread, it will soon cool, the gluten reabsorb moisture, leaving the starch to dry and stiffen' again. And Boussingault, in repeated experiments^found that this change, from light to stale bread, may go on almost indefinitely with no other change or injury, to the bread, so that old bread may be almost as good as new, and repeatedly. In toasting, Soy. r’s rule is probably the best—at least we find it so. First,, warm yoor bread well, by ■ehanging' -die sides of the slice. When well heated through, brown as is desired. Tbere should/be rather little than much browning, and the slices, should be quite thin, say a quarter to three-eigi sos an inch; no more. ,But do not sco i, avoid that in all cises. Thepbilosoph" in brown'ng is to takfc your time, ana not intercut your efforts till you are d< Bst accumulates, keep in a' do'not longer than M i as sooh -us 'possible, .and kt- hi Wanted to be used at > plaiT of to*sfc is a rarity, and ‘iff For few tbints those who are accustomed’ meal It islight, dt-’ geetiWe, and ‘relisha ole,' and is net very expensive. A cup of tea (or coffee), with a baked Bpitzenburg, or a dlah of craft.

berries, or other oub-aeiil fruit, in addition,, will make a eattefoctory meal to a reasonable man, especially if not a bard working man. It is the author’s and artist’s favorite meal— Prairid Farnur. •