Making Dough
Melt the fat (if lard or compounds are used), dissolve the sugar and salt in the water, then add them to the sponge and work them thoroughly, tearing the sponge to pieces and working it until you have the whole a smooth mass, then add the flour (in portions), enough to make a fairly stiff dough, and work it thoroughly until you have a smooth, dry dough. Work the dough same as when making a straight dough. Keep the dough covered and at a temperature of not less than 80 deg. F. When the temperature of the shop is below that, and the dough is to be taken in two or three hours, both the sponge and the dough must be kept above 85 deg. F. While a little chill would not affect a dough, still it would delay it considerably. Chilling retards the growth of the yeast, and after the dough has been chilled it will take some time to raise its temperature to continue the growth of the yeast cells.
There are various ways of hurrying doughs, a few of which are as follows: By using a little more yeast than ordinarily, and by making a soft dough, and by reducing the quantity of salt, and by keeping both the sponge and the dough at a high temperature. When using a larger per cent. of yeast than ordinarily, watch both the sponge and the dough, and take them young (just as soon as they are ready), or lactic (souring) fermentation will take place. Don’t use too much yeast. Too much yeast will give the baked product a peculiar taste, and will compel you to be very careful in the handling of the dough, especially so in warm weather.