26. PRELIMINARY PREPARATION OF INGREDIENTS.--Before the mixing of the
ingredients that are to be used in the batters and doughs of hot breads
is begun, all that are needed for the recipe selected should be
collected and properly measured. Always sift the flour that is to be
used for this purpose. This is a rule that never varies with regard to
flour to be used for any dough mixture or as a thickening agent. Then,
to prevent the flour from packing too solidly, measure it by dipping it
into the cup with a spoon. To obtain the proper amount, heap the cup and
then level it with the edge of a knife. Measure with a spoon whatever
dry leavening agent is called for, and be sure that it does not contain
any lumps. If salt, sugar, and spices are to be used, measure them
carefully. Mix the leavening agent, the salt, the sugar, and the other
dry ingredients with the flour by sifting them together once or twice.
Measure the butter or other fat by packing it in the spoon and then
leveling it with a knife. Be particular in measuring the liquid, using
neither more nor less than is called for. Regarding this ingredient, it
should always be remembered that when a cupful is required, a half-pint
cup full to the brim is meant and that any fraction of a cupful should
be measured with the same exactness.
27. COMBINING THE INGREDIENTS.--The manner in which a batter or a dough
is mixed is very important, for much of the success of the finished
product depends on the order in which the various steps are
accomplished. Two general methods of combining the ingredients for such
mixtures have been devised and either of them may be followed, because
they produce equally good results.
In one of these methods, the fat is worked into the dry ingredients and
the liquid then added. As eggs are usually considered a liquid
ingredient, they are beaten and added to the rest of the liquid before
it is mixed with the dry ingredients. However, if eggs are to be used
for leavening, only the yolks are added with the liquid ingredients, the
whites being beaten separately and folded in last.
The other method is used only when the mixtures are to contain a small
quantity of fat. In this method, all the liquid ingredients, including
the eggs, are first mixed together. Then the dry ingredients are
combined and sifted into the liquid. The fat is melted last and beaten
into the dough mixture. If the mixture to be handled is a stiff one, the
fat should be put in cold, for adding melted fat makes the dough soft
and sticky and therefore difficult to handle.