Bagels are chewy because they are boiled before they are baked: possibly the only bread that is made in this way, aside from some varieties of bread Pretzels. Dough made with yeast is formed into rings and allowed to rise. When the dough has risen, the rings are dropped for a few seconds into boiling…
Bread
Baker’s Blade
A baker’s blade (aka lame) is a sharp cutting implement used to make decorative slashes in bread dough without pressing the dough down and deflating it. The slashes also serve the function of directing steam out of the bread while baking.
Biscuits
Biscuits used to be rations for soldiers and sailors. The word literally comes from the French “bis” plus “cuit”: “bis” meaning twice, and “cuit” meaning cooked. The item was cooked, sliced and then cooked again, to remove as much moisture as possible to make it more spoilage resistant. You ended up with a hard, dry…
Bread
Bread is a carbohydrate-rich food baked from a dough made from flour (typically wheat flour) mixed with a liquid, typically water or milk. Bread can be used as a food item in itself, eaten out of hand, or used as an ingredient in other dishes such as sandwiches, bread pudding, bread sauce, etc. Types of…
Bread Bins
A bread bin (aka bread box) is a solid container in which fresh bread is stored at room temperature. They come in many different shapes, sizes and designs. Some people think they are old-fashioned; many people still swear by them.
Bread Crumbs
Bread Crumbs can be made from any type of bread. There are two types of bread crumbs, fresh and dried. Which is used when depends on the effect that is wanted. See separate entries for fresh and dried bread crumbs, with appropriate substitutes and equivalents for each. Cooking Tips You should never have to buy…
Bread Flour
Bread flours are mainly milled from hard wheat, which gives them a high protein content which produces a high level of gluten for raising bread. “Bread flour is made from hard wheat and the higher gluten content creates volume and a chewier product desirable for loaves of breads and pizza crusts. Bread flour is not…
Bread Improvers
Bread Improvers is a generic term for items that help improve the quality of a loaf of bread. Two of the best known ones are Ascorbic Acid (aka good old vitamin C), and Alpha Amylase (an enzyme which helps to break down starch.) Other items include gluten flour (aka Vital gluten), and in France, broad…
Bread Knife
A bread knife is a long knife with a serrated (or “scalloped”) cutting edge. What a bread knife will do is enable you to slice bread without squishing it. Its large serrations allow it to grip the crumb and the crust of bread to cut it, without having to press down on the bread to…
Bread Pans
Bread pans are pans primarily used for baking bread in. They are typically in a rectangular shape. They can also be used for quick breads such as banana breads, or for meatloaf.
Bread Recipes
Just about every cuisine makes and loves bread, in some form.
Buns
Buns are small, hand-sized, sweetened bakery items usually made from a flour, often with a leavener, either yeast or a chemical leavener. They are usually dome-shaped, with a flat bottom, and may or may not be iced. They are usually round, though, they can be longish instead. The word “Bun” now has many definitions to…
Dutch Crunch Topping
Dutch crunch topping is a term for a topping applied to either desserts or breads. It comes out crunchy or crusty. How sweet it is will depend upon its intended application.
Flat Breads
Flat Breads © Denzil Green Flat Breads are breads that are made with little or no yeast or leavener. Most of these breads are very old in origin, and most hail from the Middle East or South-East Asia. They also take advantage of the softer wheats, which can’t develop the same amount of yeast-bubble-trapping gluten…
Knead
Knead © Randal Oulton To Knead is to “work” and stretch a piece of dough. The purpose is to develop the gluten in the flour used in the dough. It causes the dough to get smoother and more elastic. It is done mostly with yeast-risen doughs. The resultant elasticity gas emitted by the yeast to…
Penny Loaf Day
The 11th of March is Penny Loaf Day. On this day, loaves of bread have been handed out for hundreds of years in Newark, Nottingham, England.
Proof Box
A proof box is a sealed space that provides an environment in which you can control the humidity and temperature in which yeast-risen baked goods can rise more effectively. Humidity control Many people at first blush think the prime function of a proof box is to provide a higher temperature, but in fact, the most…
Punch Down
In food terms, Punch Down can mean two means. The first mean involves dough, or more precisely, forcing the air (technically, C02) out of risen dough. You don’t actually punch the dough — you might hurt your wrist against the work surface. You either press the dough down, or knead it gently several times. The…
Quick Breads
Quick breads are breads that are made with chemical leaveners such as baking soda or baking powder instead of yeast. The chemical leaveners give a faster rise than yeast, thus the name “quick breads.” Quick breads have only been possible since the advent of chemical leaveners. Cooking Tips Quick breads should not be kneaded; the…
Rolls
A roll is a small, baked, streamed or griddled unsweetened, leavened bread. The shape can be round, square or long.
Sandwich Bread (Light)
Sometimes, you just want a slice of home-baked, plain old-fashioned sandwich bread. This recipe is very easy to make, and just happens to be lower in calories than most other recipes.
St Zita’s Day
The 27th of April is St Zita’s Day. She is the patron saint of bakers, because angels reputedly baked bread for her.
Toast Day
Toast Day is celebrated on the last Thursday in February. Today’s challenge: have toast appear at every meal of the day, breakfast, lunch and dinner!
Unleavened Bread
Unleavened bread is bread that is made with nothing in it to make it rise: that is, no leavening, be it a chemical leavener, a yeast or a starter dough. Well-known examples are chapati, matzo and Mexican tortillas. Not all flat breads, however, are necessarily unleavened. In Church services, Western Christianity uses unleavened bread, whereas…