waste of flour involved
is still appalling. These are figures compiled by government experts,
and they should give pause to every housekeeper who permits a slice of
bread to be wasted in her home.

Another source of waste of which few of us take account is home-made
bread. Sixty per cent. of the bread used in America is made in the
home. When one stops to consider how much home-made bread is poorly
made, and represents a large waste of flour, yeast and fuel, this
housewifely energy is not so commendable. The bread flour used in the
home is also in the main wheat flour, and all waste of wheat at the
present time increases the shortage of this most necessary food.

Fuel, too, is a serious national problem, and all coal used in either
range, gas, or electric oven for the baking of poor bread is an actual
national loss. There must be no waste in poor baking or from poor care
after the bread is made, or from the waste of a crust or crumb.

Waste in your kitchen means starvation in some other kitchen across
the sea. Our Allies are asking for 450,000,000 bushels of wheat,
and we are told that even then theirs will be a privation loaf. Crop
shortage and unusual demand has left Canada and the United States,
which are the largest sources of wheat, with but 300,000,000 bushels
available for export. The deficit must be met by reducing consumption
on this side the Atlantic. This can be done by eliminating waste and
by making use of cereals and flours other than wheat in bread-making.

The wide use of wheat flour for bread-making has been due to custom.
In Europe rye and oats form the staple breads of many countries, and
in some sections of the South corn-bread is the staff of life. We have
only to modify a little our bread-eating habits in order to meet the
present need. Other cereals can well be used to eke out the wheat, but
they require slightly different handling.

In making yeast breads, the essential ingredient is gluten, which
is extended by carbon dioxide gas formed by yeast growth. With the
exception of rye, grains other than wheat do not contain sufficient
gluten for yeast bread, and it is necessary to use a wheat in varying
proportions in order to supply the deficient gluten. Even the baker's
rye loaf is usually made of one-half rye and one-half wheat. This is
the safest proportion for home use in order to secure a good texture.

When oatmeal is used, it is necessary to scald the oatmeal to prevent
a raw taste. Oatm