A Treatise on Baking

Reproduced on the FAQ for alt.bread.recipes website

Salt

[ACH Foods, Inc., the copyright owner, has graciously permitted the reproduction of A Treatise on Baking, by Julius E. Wihlfahrt, in HTML format on the alt.bread.recipes FAQ Web site. You may link to it but you may not republish it in any other venue without written permission of ACH Foods, Inc.]

Chapter III

SALT

SALT

I. SCIENTIFIC DEFINITION OF THE WORD SALT

From a strictly scientific standpoint, salts represent a certain class of substances or chemical compounds produced by the action of an alkali on an acid. In other words if an acid and alkali are mixed tog-ether they neutralize each other and form a new substance known as a salt.

II. COMMON SALT OR SODIUM CHLORIDE

While there are hundreds of different kinds of salts which are well known to the chemist, the mere word “salt” in ordinary language refers to one particular salt, namely sodium chloride, which is the common salt universally used by every one as a food in order to supply the body tissues and fluids with the salt which they require.

This is the “salt” which is used in bakery products, salted butter, salted meats, and a multitude of other foods as well as for seasoning or flavoring in connection with practically every meal.

Salt is naturally present in many every day foods and has been recognized by man since very early times as an indispensible article of diet,—necessary in order to sustain life and health.

III. SOURCE OF SALT

Nature has supplied us with salt in great abundance. It is found deposited in the earth in the form of salt beds and also dissolved in the water of the ocean, salt seas and lakes.

IV. METHODS OF OBTAINING SALT FROM NATURAL SOURCES

A. THE MINING OF ROCK SALT

In some sections of the United States and foreign countries, salt is “mined” from deposits of salt known as salt beds located below the surface of the earth, often at a depth of several hundred feet. Salt is secured from these mines in rather large irregular pieces and is known as rock salt which is crushed, graded, used as such largely for the curing of hides, as food for cattle, and for many general industrial purposes.

Occasionally rock salt is obtained in a very pure state but usually contains small amounts of clay, and other impurities when mined. In order to render this salt suitable for edible purposes, it is first necessary to put it through a careful process of purification in order to remove any objectionable substances which would impart an undesirable color or flavor to the salt.

B. SALT OBTAINED FROM SALT BRINES

A very large part of the salt used in this country is removed from the natural salt beds by first dissolving the salt in water so as to form a very strong salt solution known as brine. This is done by drilling down a six or eight inch hole until the salt deposit is reached. A pipe large enough to fit this hole is driven into the salt bed and inside of this another pipe about half as wide is driven down still further into the deposit of salt. Fresh water is forced into the outer pipe and soaks down thru the salt bed, dissolving considerable of the salt together with some impurities. The salt water thus produced is known as “artificial” brine and is pumped up through the inner pipe. In this way salt is removed from the underground deposit, without the necessity of constructing a mine. In certain localities, however, “natural” brine is obtained by merely boring into natural salt wells, which furnish a convenient source of salt.

In addition to common salt, both artificial and natural brines contain a small amount of other mineral substances,—some of which impart an objectionable bitter or biting taste. The brine is evaporated in such a manner that these impurities may be separated out. Eventually practically all of the water of the brine is driven off by evaporation,—leaving the salt in crystallized form. This is then dried, sifted and graded. In general the size of the salt crystals secured can be more or less controlled by the method of evaporation employed. The salt sold for edible and baking purposes today is highly refined and free from objectionable substances. It is exceedingly pure and snow white in color.

C. SALT SECURED FROM OCEAN, SEA AND SALT LAKES

In certain foreign countries, usually where the climate is dry and hot, as well as in California and Utah, salt is recovered from the water of oceans, salt seas and lakes. The salt water is first collected in large shallow open ponds or vats so that it will cover a large surface. The water is slowly evaporated by the heat of the sun until finally the salt crystallizes and separates out. Because of the use of the sun’s rays for this purpose salt thus produced is often called “Solar Salt.” At various stages of the evaporation or concentration process, impurities separate out from the brine and are removed by passing the strong salt solution from one pond or vat to another. Finally salt begins to crystallize out of the highly concentrated brine, and continues to do so until practically all of the water has disappeared by evaporation. This salt is then collected, further purified, dried, crushed, sifted and graded.

V. FUNCTION OF SALT IN BAKERY PRODUCTS

A. PALATABILITY IMPROVED BY SALT

One of the most important functions of salt is its ability to improve the taste and flavor of all the foods in which it is used. Without salt in a dough batch, the resulting bread would be flat, insipid and lacking in flavor. The noticeable improvement in palatability brought about by the presence of salt is only partly due to the actual flavor of the salt itself. Improved palatability promotes the digestibility of food, and because of this,—salt enhances the nutritive value of bakery products. From the standpoint of palatability the most pronounced effect of salt is its peculiar ability to intensify the flavor created in bread as a result of yeast action on the other dough batch ingredients which are blended together in the loaf. This results in bringing out that characteristic taste and flavor of good bread which is so eagerly sought for by the discriminating housewife. The best flavored bread is obtained by the maintenance of cool dough temperatures,—the liberal use of salt and sufficient yeast to bring about the necessary softening of the dough and the production of a light loaf in a reasonably short fermentation time.

B. EFFECT OF SALT ON DOUGH FERMENTATION

The effect of salt on the dough batch and the panary fermentation process is discussed in Chapter XI, Section two, entitled “Dough Fermentation and Conditioning.” However, it may be well to repeat briefly that while the action of yeast is responsible for the fermentation of the dough, it is the salt present which helps to govern or control this activity. Although the amount of salt used in bread doughs tends to lessen the rate of yeast activity, its ability to prevent the development of any objectionable bacterial action or “wild” types of fermentation is much more pronounced. In this way salt when used in proper amounts aids in checking the development of any undesirable or excessive acidity in the dough batch.

Thus it is seen that salt performs a very valuable function in bread making. It governs the important changes involved in the conditioning of the dough, affords protection against any undesirable action in the dough and in general assists in the promotion of a normal, healthy panary fermentation process which is necessary in order to secure a finished product of high quality.

C. EFFECT OF SALT ON GLUTEN—TEXTURE AND GRAIN OF PRODUCT

Salt has a binding or strengthening effect on gluten and thereby adds strength to any flour. The additional firmness imparted to the gluten by the salt, enables it to hold water and the gas, carbon dioxide, more efficiently and to expand nicely without tearing. This results in a finer grained loaf of superior texture. While salt has no direct bleaching effect on bread, the fine grain and thin cell walls produced give the crumb of the loaf a whiter appearance.

D. EFFECT OF SALT ON CRUST COLOR

By lessening the destruction of sugar in the dough, salt indirectly assists in the promotion of a deeper crust color.

VI. USE OF SALT IN A BREAD DOUGH

Because of the very important action of salt in bread making, it is essential that liberal quantities of refined high grade salt should be used.

The average amount is about 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 pounds to every hundred pounds of flour. Some authorities recommend that the amount of salt used should be based on the actual quantity of water employed in making up the dough batch, namely about 1/2 ounce to every pound of water.

The upper limit of the quantity of salt which can be successfully used is usually governed by the taste of the resulting loaf. During the hot summer months, many bakers find it of advantage to use slightly more salt than in the winter as a safeguard against the development of any undesirable changes in character of the dough fermentation. With new or “green” flour a slight increase in the amount of salt employed is usually advisable. In general, more salt is required with softer than with harder flours.

In bread made by the Sponge and Dough Method it is advantageous to use a small portion of the salt in the sponge part where it is valuable in strengthening the gluten.

Salt is usually first dissolved in the bulk of water along with the sugar and malt extract before mixing into the dough. It is very important to see that the salt is not dissolved in that portion of the water in which the yeast is dissolved, before incorporation into the dough batch.

VII. STORAGE OF SALT

Salt is very stable and will not spoil under ordinary conditions. However, it may have a slight tendency to absorb moisture and to get somewhat lumpy or hard. Therefore it is advisable to store it in a clean, cool, dry place. Inasmuch as salt can absorb odors, the storage room employed should be quite free from any odors which might be taken up and carried by the salt.