Of course, we all know that wheat grown under certain conditions varies, and, as the climate and soil differ, so does the gluten, as is exampled between comparison with a soft and a strong flour. In the same way it applies to milk. The composition of fat in new milk is determined by the breed, climate, food and health of the cow. A really rich milk would produce as much as ¾ ounce to 1 ounce of fat to the pint, especially just now, when the animals are kept up and fed pretty well. They give less milk, but it is much higher in quality. In summer, when there is plenty of grass, the cows give more milk, and, on the whole, more fat, but the percentage is not so high as it is just now. In Holland, for instance, milk is poor, and more deficient in fat, because the pastures are more moist and watery. Whether the various fancy brown breads do or do not carry out, as they are reputed to do, all the properties accorded to them I am not prepared to say. Time must be given for a suitable trial, and if they are are not found suitable we must turn our attention to something else. A milk loaf of a favorable quality is generally being inquired for, but I am sorry to have to record that the majority of bakers do not treat it with the same respect that they accord to its rivals. Its rivals are sold under certain conditions. You must not adulterate it in any sense, for if you do you are liable to prosecution. But the old milk bread is not standardized as to its composition, and there is hardly a bread-maker who does not sell “milk bread.” I may also safely venture to say that the milk added to the bread is as varied in quantity as there are purveyors of the commodity. There is no stipulated or understood quantity, and in consequence the quality of the loaf suffers.

During my experience I have known and seen bread sold as “milk bread” which had never seen the sight of milk, but, on the other hand, there are other bakers who are most particular and have the most liberal quantity of milk, the result being they produce a beautiful and most honest loaf. I have seen other bakers who put in about six quarts of milk, and the bread is made up in fancy shapes and weights, and styled fancy bread. There is no recognized standard for the quantity of milk used per sack. Whether it is of sufficient importance to the trade that such a loaf should be made and sold is another matter. But I wish to put before you the value of milk in bread-making, and also to emphasize the benefits which, in my opinion, are derived from bread made with the addition of milk. I have eaten brown bread which has set up irritation in the stomach, but this has never happened to my knowledge when the bread has been made with good sweet full cream milk. I am convinced if this milk bread were kept before the public, made, of course, from the proper ingredients and in proper proportion, there would be no doubt as to the best loaf to be obtained at fancy prices, a loaf which would leave the baker an equal, if not better, profit than we obtain to-day for our fancy browns. In 1908, at the London Exhibition, for the first time, a milk powdered loaf won the first prize in the milk bread competition, and thus beat the new milk itself. That bread looked very nice, and its color was excellent, the weight sent in being about 2 pounds. It is true there is no recognized standard shape for milk bread, so several shapes were sent in, the competitors seeming to satisfy themselves to produce an ordinary loaf with milk in it. I do not know whether it would be possible for the manufacturers to suggest lines upon which shape and quality could be combined to produce a standard milk loaf. I do not know whether I am asking too much, but in time it would not amount to anything more than asking for a cottage loaf, a crumby or tin loaf. If manipulated and produced properly, it would increase it dietetic value, and be a different commodity, with changed properties, and yielding nourishment in a new and concentrated form.

Dry Milk.

I do not say that the combination I have spoken of is a correct one or not, but I do not think it should beat the use of full cream milk, for I have always noticed a distinctive delicate flavor with the new milk in comparison with the dried article, and I did not intend to treat of dried or condensed milk, but only of new milk, skimmed milk and separated milk. To make my subject more complete, I will, after all, first touch upon dried milk. This is a very useful and unvarying commodity. It is fairly quick in solution in warm water, and is convenient, especially in cases where really good dairy milk is scarce or unobtainable. Its fat and sugar are more or less varied, or practically nil, and as dried milk is minus lactic acid, the flavor being sometimes interfered with by evaporation, I cannot recommend it in preference to good new milk. Of course, with a little doctoring, you may improve some faults, but the delicate flavor of new milk is not so pronounced.

Condensed Milk.

I will now pass on to condensed milk. Sweetened condensed milk is a most desirable substance from an economic and handy point of view. It may be used in water alone or in conjunction with separated milk. Of course, you use it for what it is worth. If used separately, milk fat, or some other fat, such as good sweet lard or neutral fat, will have to be used to make up the deficiency, the usual quantity being about one small tin and 3 ounces of fat per gallon of water.

Buttermilk.

We will now pass on to buttermilk, which you all know is very useful in the manufacture of soda and powdered goods, as the lactic acid already formed has the property of softening the gluten in the flour, thereby rendering the goods soft and mellow. As, however, I am concerned with bread-making, we will leave the powdered goods alone. I have had some very good results from condensed milk by keeping it active, and not allowing it to lag. It seems to have a bleaching effect, and from a nutritive point of view comes very near to new milk. Again, the proteids of the milk and mineral matter are practically digested by the action of the lactic organisms, and new milk undergoes no change during fermentation in the dough. The changed condition in the buttermilk is of great advantage, and lactic acid adds flavor to bread made with compressed yeast. There is no reason to suppose that bread made with buttermilk will go sour sooner than that made with fresh milk if the fermentation is managed properly. To use buttermilk in bread-making the milk must be fresh—not more than twenty-four hours old. Old milk will not do, and when fermentation is started the dough must be attended to and baked in a good oven. Of course, I am not going to advise a novice to use buttermilk, or he would most probably be doomed to failure, but I have indicated the possibilities of the use of buttermilk. I will give you an analysis of buttermilk and also of new milk. New milk contains 4.0 per cent of fat, 3.6 of proteids, 4.5 milk sugar, 9.7 of ash or mineral matter, 87.2 per cent. of lactic acid. Buttermilk has the following proportions: Fat 0.8, proteids 3.7, milk sugar 3.8, ash or mineral matter 0.7, H₂O 90.85, lactic acid 0.85. The production of lactic acid is limited to the proportion of milk sugar present. I have not made large quantities of bread with buttermilk, but have treated certain quantities as a hobby to try what I could really do with it, and the results were quite satisfactory.

Skimmed Milk.

Now we will consider skimmed milk, or separated milk. We must bear in mind they have very little fat, though the milk sugar is retained; it is simply fresh milk minus the cream. As butter-fat is about 4 per cent. of the total milk, often less, the fat can be replaced by lard or any neutral fat. They are really as good, and the public in any case will hardly give you credit for having used butter. A quart of separated milk, containing 2 ounces of sweet lard or neutral fat, will make nearly as good bread as fresh milk. Do not get the idea that it will be thinner, and therefore use more fat than is necessary. One gallon of separated milk and 7 ounces of fat equals one gallon of fresh milk. Lard and neutral fats only affect the texture and shortness, and even butter added as a fat does not give that mild flavor imparted when the full cream is used.

New Milk.

I will deal lastly with new milk, and its advantages in comparison with the last named. The composition of new milk consists of 87 per cent. of water, 5 of milk sugar, 4 of fat, and about 3½ of albuminoids, the rest being mineral matter. The effect of added milk to bread in place of water is, other things being equal, to increase its nutriment. Providing the bread is worked on a short and quick system, as it should be, it will get a bloom, with a rich crumb, color and even texture. The crust will be thin and fine, and the flavor will be most appetizing. Although the table just given is the average composition of milk, there are variations. The casein and albumin are the nitrogenous constituents of the milk, and may be regarded as flesh-formers. The fat consists of stearine, and other constituents which give to butter its characteristic flavor. Milk sugar or lactose is the only carbohydrate present in starch. The ash consists chiefly of phosphates of lime and potash. Taking the figures given, it can be said that new milk has from three to four times the value of separated milk, and, taking a careful valuation, we get, say, 1s. per gallon of new milk and 3d. for separated. Of course, where large quantities of new milk are bought there would be a corresponding reduction in the price. I get it by the ten gallons; there is no transit to pay, and no second handling is required, the milk coming direct from the farm to the bake-house. The excessive fat per gallon in new milk is worth 9d. per gallon above separated milk, which would cost 3d. The value of a standard sample would be as follows: New milk—Fat 3.5, non-fat 9.0, total solids 2.5. Separated milk—Fat 0.3, non-fats 9.0, total 9.3, value 3d. Taking as a maximum quantity eight gallons of new milk per sack, and as a minimum quantity six gallons, the price of the loaf would be higher. To assist in cases where a large quantity of milk is used the dough must be softer because of the binding effect of the milk. Taking into account the added solids, we should have a larger output per sack, together with a better loaf, one of high dietetic value, while the milk and butter contained in it would improve the flavor, texture, color and physical properties of the crumb. Evenness of texture and cleverness of loaf make a better crumb color, the effect most noticeable with added milk, being due to the percentage of fat present. As a comparison, take 1 ounce of butter with 10 pounds of flour, as against 1 quart of milk. The butter or fat gives a very fine texture and thin crust, whilst the milk results in a better bloom, owing to the unfermentable sugar of milk. Of all milks, fresh full cream is best, and ought to be used with water in equal proportions, as half milk and half water give excellent results.

Miscellaneous.

A good idea followed by many is weighing the ingredients required for as many custard pies used in a week or two. For instance, if you make 4 pies a day, or 24 a week, weigh the required amount of sugar, starch, salt and mace, mix and sift together and put away in a can or box, and every time you make 4 pies weigh off one pound, or four ounces to each pie. This saves time in weighing, and does away with the guessing of the salt and flavor, which is hard in small mixes. The same is done with pumpkin pies, adding to the whole amount the required spices. This enables you to make a uniformly spiced and tasting pumpkin pie, which is the most important feature of it.

Recipe for Preserving Rhubarb for Pie.

The following is a recipe for preserving rhubarb for pie purposes, and it is simple and cheap. Take the rhubarb and cut it in pieces, and put it in fruit jars, filling them with water, and thereby keeping it all winter, or as long as you want it, and when you get ready to use it, it is all ready for use, after sugar, etc., is added.