Corn flakes are made from the starchy part of the maize kernel. The starch of corn itself has little value for the bread baker in its crude form. It is insoluble in cold water, and can only be dissolved by the disintegration of the organized structures of the granules.

On being boiled with water it forms a gelatinous looking mass, and dissolves.

When examined after boiling the starch granules are seen to have broken up, a small part remaining in the liquid as minute insoluble particles.

In this condition starch is very susceptible to the action of the bodies known as ferments.

Bearing this in mind, this same change takes place in the process employed in the manufacture of corn flakes, that is, the crude starch granules have become completely gelatinized.

The value of gelatinized starch as formed in corn flakes, especially when used in connection with a small quantity of malt extract or malt flour, is not sufficiently understood by many bakers, and it is hoped that these few remarks will make the matter clearer and be of interest to all bakers who are desirous to increase their knowledge in the works of their chosen vocation.

It has conclusively been shown in text-books, that cooked starch, i. e., corn flakes, are more susceptible to “saccharification,” that is, sugar is sometimes called saccharum or saccharine matter, hence the term which is applied to this change that the starch thus undergoes. This conversion is due to the ferment known as diastase found in malt and has the power to convert the gelatinized starches of the corn flakes into maltose. Maltose, on the other hand, is changed by the ferment zymose, contained in yeast, into glucose.

This body is of interest to the baker as being the ultimate form to which all sugars are changed, and in this state is readily broken down into carbonic acid gas and alcohol, which causes doughs to rise. It follows then that corn flakes are a very valuable article to the baker on account of its gelatinized starch, its low cost, absolute sterility, its purity, and, above all, its great moisture-absorbing qualities.

Its use in connection with malt may eliminate the use of cane sugar entirely, and still furnish all the saccharine necessary to give bread the desired sweet flavor and taste. In order to make this clear, the result of the following experiments will corroborate the above statement. After the bread was baked and dried and ground the quantities of reducing sugar were determined by chemical test:

No. 1—100 gm. flour, 58 c. c. water, 2.5 gm. cane sugar gave 5.5 gm. saccharine.

No. 2—100 gm. flour, 56 c. c. water, no cane sugar, gave 3.9 gm. saccharine.

No. 3—100 gm. flour, 62 c. c. water, .125 gm. malt, 3 gm. corn flakes, gave 5.4 gm. saccharine.

The different quantities of water were increased to give dough equal viscosity.

It must be remembered, in making comparisons from this table, that the saccharine matter in the bread is produced in one instance, by the action of the diastase contained in the malt extract, in the other by the action of the enzymes in the flour upon the partial disrupted starch granules of the flour itself, and in the third instance by the cane sugar used.

The results obtained from these experiments are interesting and worthy of careful consideration, inasmuch as ? gm. of malt with 3 gm. of corn flakes (perfectly gelatinized starch) produced practically as much saccharine matter as when 2½ gm. of cane sugar was used. In other words furnishes the bread sufficient saccharine matter at the least possible cost. In addition to this the corn flakes absorbed twice its weight of moisture in the dough, thereby increasing bulk, a decided gain to the baker.

For the sake of argument, it is admitted that the same chemical action takes place when using any other highly starchy product which has been cooked. Corn flakes, however, eliminates any necessity for previous boiling, since it is already prepared in its manufacture and is very sensitive to the attack of diastasic action.

It is also a fact that some of the starch in the flour, which has become disrupted during the milling, is gelatinized by the heat of the oven during baking, giving diastase opportunity to convert some of the starch into sugar. But since raw starch does not gelatinize until the temperature has reached 150 degrees F., which temperature is already higher than the most favorable one for diastasic action, and the intervening time during which the temperature of the baking is increased to 175 degrees F. (a killing temperature for diastase), is very short, a relatively small amount of the gelatinized starch is converted and the baker therefore is compelled to add the more costly article, cane sugar, in order to produce the desired amount of saccharine matter in his bread. This fully explains the difference of saccharine matter found in experiments No. 2 and No. 3.

It further shows that bread containing gelatinized starch as found in corn flakes is fully as good a sugar producer as when using cane sugar, and, as before said, at the smallest possible cost.

To produce the maximum amount of sugar from corn flakes the proportions of malt extract and corn flakes as given, should be mixed in about two gallons of tepid water for each barrel of flour to be made into dough at a temperature of about 140 degrees F. Allow it to remain at this constant temperature for 1½ hours. In this time nearly all of the gelatinized starch of the corn flakes has become converted into maltose. In practice this would show that if 100 lbs. of cane sugar at a cost of $5 be used in bread work the same saccharine matter could be supplanted by using 116 lbs. of corn flake, a price of about $3.50 plus 18c worth of malt, making a total cost of $3.68, and shows a saving of $1.32 where 100 lbs. of sugar is employed.

Corn flakes, besides furnishing saccharine matter, has other advantages. It contains some mineral salts and proteids which are very acceptable nitrogenous foods and readily assimilated by the yeast, causing a rapid and vigorous fermentation.

They also prepare and soften the gluten, giving to the doughs that much desired velvety feeling, and the maximum expansion in the oven. Corn flakes and malt extract may also be used as a short ferment and makes it possible to decrease the amount of yeast usually used without affecting the quality of the bread.

A formula for pan bread which has been used for years and is giving good results is as follows:

Water, 1 qt.; malt extract, .40 oz.; salt, 1 oz.; corn flakes. 1 oz.; lard, 1.75 oz.; yeast, .33 oz.; dry milk, .75 oz.; flour, 3 lbs. 7 oz.

Of course, this can be increased to any amount.

The directions are: Take ? part of the water to be used at temperature of 82 degrees F. and in it dissolve the corn flakes, malt extract and yeast. Let this stand 20 minutes to ferment. It will have risen considerably in this time and fallen; then add it to the balance of the ingredients and make dough.

Corn flakes give color to the crust, is an absorber of moisture, retains it and keeps bread fresh, and inasmuch as it has no pronounced flavor of its own will not predominate or cover up the flavor obtained from good wheat flour and correct fermentation.

This would indicate a third good quality of corn flakes, that is, used simply as a filler for its value as a water absorber only.

While the above tables indicate the use of 6 lbs. of corn flakes to a barrel of flour, satisfactory results have been achieved when 10 lbs. have been added per barrel of flour.

Much depends, however, where corn flakes are used simply as a filler, upon the strength of the flour.

To conclude, I have tried to show that corn flakes can be used in three different ways.

First as a sugar producer, secondly as a yeast saver, and thirdly as a means to increase bulk and leave it to each individual baker to adopt either method, and trust to have been instrumental in telling something that may be of value, if not to every baker, at least to some.