Bread Box
A good bread must have a crisp crust, an attractive golden colour and a soft crumb. Growing stale too quickly is a sign of bad quality, as are tastelessness and insipidity. A good quality bread can be kept for up to a fortnight in a box, preferably of wood (never in a plastic bag). If it is cut, it should be stored with the crust side against wood (or a slab of marble); bread freezes well if it is hermetically packed. In France the baquette is the most popular bread, but a wide variety of wholemeal and white breads are available as well as many regional variations.
Anadama: An early American
yeast bread flavored with cornmeal and molasses. Legend says this bread
was created by a New England farmer plagued by a lazy wife who served him
the same cornmeal molasses gruel every day. One morning, the disgusted
farmer grabbed the bowl of gruel, tossed in some flour and yeast, and
began stirring like crazy, all the while muttering angrily, "Anna, damn
'er!"
Babka: Traditional Polish
Easter bread. Serve as a coffee cake for breakfast or with tea. Orange
zest and raisins make this Polish Easter bread a special treat. Babka is a
rich yeast raised cake bread. A successful babka, the pride of every
Polish/Ukrainian homemaker, is rich, tender, fine textured and very light.
Traditionally, this bread is baked in tall round baking pans. Coffee cans
can be lined with baking parchment and used instead. (See Recipe)Babovka (Poppyseed Rings): A
Czech specialty. Delicious and easy to make.
Bagel: The first bagel rolled
into the world in 1683 when a baker wanted to pay tribute to Jan Sobieski,
the King of Poland. King Jan had just saved the people of Austria from an
onslaught of Turkish invaders. The King was a great horseman, and the
baker decided to shape the yeast dough into an uneven circle resembling a
stirrup. The Austrian word for "Stirrup" is beugel.Baguette: A French bread that
has been formed into a long narrow cylindricla loaf. It sually had a crisp
brown crust and a light, chewy interior. Traditionally this bread was
cooked in a long metal pan shaped like two half cylinders joined along one
side. Each compartment is about three inches wide and fiftenn inches
long.Banana Bread:
(See Recipe)Bap: A soft yeast roll with a
characteristic floury finish. Baps are popular mainly in Scotland, where
they are served as hot breakfast rolls.Barm brack; Barmbrack: An Irish
bread with raisins or currants and candied fruit peel. It is generally
slathered with butter and served as a tea accompaniment. Literally
translated it means "yeast bread", although it is not always made with
yeast.Bâtarde: The name for
this bread literally translated means "bastard," culinarily bâtarde
refers to a traditional white loaf of bread that's slightly larger than
and similat to a French baguette.Bath Bun: Said to have
originated in the English town of Bath in the 18th century, this sugar
coated yeast bun is studded with candied fruit and currants or golden
raisins can also be used.Batter Bread: A yeast bread
that is formed without kneading. It begins with a very thick batter that
often requires extra yeast and, in order to stretch the gluten so the
bread will rise effectively, always demands vigorous beating (which can be
accomplished with an electric mixer). The mixture should be stiff enough
for a spoon to stand up in. A batter bread's texture won't be as refined
as that of a bread that has been kneaded but the results are equally
delicious.Black Bread: Almost black in
color, this European peasant bread gets its hue from a variety of
ingredients including dark rye flour, toasted dark bread crumbs, molasses,
cocoa powder, dark beer and coffee. It's a hearty, full flavoured loaf
that, depending on the baker, can be lightly sweet.Blini: This bread is hailing
from Russia, blini (singular, blin) are small, yeast raised buckwheat
pancakes that are classically served with sour cream and caviar or smoked
salmon.Boston Brown Bread: Rye and
wheat flour, cornmeal and molasses flavour this dark, sweet steamed bread.
It often contains raisins and is the traditional accompaniment for Boston
baked beans.Boule: French for "ball",
referring culinarily to a round loaf of white bread. Also called
miche.Brioche: A fresh brioche can be
served with jelly or other preserves to accompany tea or coffee, or with
pâté or hor d'oeuvre. The tops of the small ones can easily
be pulled away, giving space for a sweet or savory filling. Brioche dough
can also be used for wrapping other ingredients such as beef for
boeuf-en-croute, a salmon filling for a koulibiaca, or a spicy garlic
sausage. (See Recipe)Bruschetta: From the Italian
word bruscare meaning "to roast over coals", this traditional
garlic bread is made by rubbing slices of toasted bread with garlic
cloves, then drizzlingthe fread with extra virgin olive oil. the bread is
salted and prepared, then heated and served warm. (See Recipe)
Challah: Served on the Sabbath,
holidays, other ceremonial occasions and for everyday consumption, challah
is a traditional Jewish yeast bread. It's rich with eggs and has a light,
airy texture. though it can be formed into many shapes, braided challah is
the most classic form. You can add 1 cup raisins or golden raisins to the
dough just before shaping and then make the loafs into round braids for
Rosh Hashanah.Chapati; Chapatti: An
unleavened pancakelike bread from India, usually made from a simple
mixture of whole wheat flour and water. The dough is rolled into thin
rounds and baked on a griddle. Pieces of chapati are torn off and used as
a scoop or pusher for many East Indian dishes. (See Recipe)Chapon: A small piece from end
of French loaf, a slice, or a cube of bread that has been rubbed over with
a clove of garlic, first dipped in salt. Placed in bottom of salad bowl
before arranging salad. A chapon is often used in vegetable salads and
gives an agreeable additional flavour.Ciabatta: Recently ciabatta has
become a widely favored bread in North America. The literal meaning of
ciabatta in Italian is slipper, which identifies its shape. It is
difficult to determine the region in Italy where ciabatta was first
created. Profumo di Pane by Erika Pignatti indicates that ciabatta
probably originated in Trentino, even though the breads of the region are
predominately rye and whole wheat varieties, indicating that it has become
popular and is produced outside of Trentino today. At least one type of
ciabatta can be found in nearly every region of Italy. The classic
ciabatta from the area encompassing Lake Como, has a crisp crust, a
somewhat soft, porous texture, and is light to the touch. The ciabatta
that is found in Tuscany, Umbria, and The Marche varies from bread that
has a firm crust and dense crumb, to bread that has a crisper crust and
more open texture.Clover Leaf Roll:
Cornbread: An all American
quick bread that substitutes cornmeal for most (or sometimes all) of the
flour. It can include various flavourings such as cheese, scallions,
molasses and bacon. Cornbread can be thin and crisp or thick and light. It
can be baked Southern style in a skillet or in a shallow square, round or
rectangular baking pan. some of the more popular cornbreads are
Hushpuppies, Johnnycakes and Spoon Bread.Cornell Bread: The Cornell
formula to enrich bread was developed in the 1930s at New York's Cornell
University. It consists of 1 tablespoon each soy flour and nonfat milk
powder plus 1 teaspoon wheat germ for each cup of flour used in a bread
recipe. These enrichments are placed in the bottom of the measuring cup
before the flour is spooned in.Corn Pone: Extremely popular in
the southern United States, corn pone is an eggless cornbread that is
shaped into small ovals and fried or baked.Croissant: The origin of this
flaky, buttery rich yeast roll dates back to 1686, when Austria was at war
with Turkey. In the dead of the night a group of bakers, hearing Turks
tunneling under their kitchens, spread the alarm that subsequently led to
the Turkish defeat. In turn, the vigilant bakers were awarded the
priviledge of creating a commemorative pastry in the shape of the crescent
on the Turkish flag. Croissant is the French word for "crescent".
Originally, the croissant was made from a rich bread dough. It was not
until the early 1900's that a creative French baker had the inspiration to
make it with a dough similar to puff pastry and so a classic was born.
Croissants can be made with buttered layers of yeast dough or puff pastry.
They are sometimes stuffed (such as with a stick of chocolate or cheese)
before rolled into a crescent shape and baked. Croissants are generally
thought of as breakfast pastries but can also be used for sandwiches and
meal accompaniments.Crostini: Meaning "little
toasts" in Italian, crostini are small thin slices of toasted bread, which
are usually brushed with oilive oil. The word also describes
canapés consisting of small slices of toast with a savoury topping
such as cheese, shrimp, pâté or anchovies. sometimes crostini
refers to the equivalent of a crouton used for soups and salads. (See Recipe)Crouton: A small piece or cube
of bread that has been browned, either by sautéing or baking.
Croutons are used to soups, salads and other dishes. They are available
packaged either plain or seasoned with herbs, cheese, garlic and so on. (See Recipe)Crumpet: Hailing from the
British Isles, crumpets are small, yeasy raised breads about the size of
an English muffin. The unsweetened batter is poured into special
crumpet rings (which have been arranged on a griddle), then baked
on stovetop. The finished crumpet has a smooth, brown bottom and a top
riddled with tiny holes. Crumpets are toasted whole (unlike English
muffins, which are split) and spread with butter and jam, a
desired.
Dumplings: Savoury dumplings
and small or large mounds of dough that are usually dropped into a liquid
mixture (such as soup or stew) and cooked until done. Some are stuffed
with meat or cheese mixtures. Dessert dumplings most often consist of a
fruit mixture encased in a sweet pastry dough and baked. they are usually
served with a sauce. Some sweet dumplings are poached in a sweet sauce and
served with cream. (See Recipe)
English Muffin: This round,
rather flat (about 3 inches in diameter by 1 inch high) "muffin" is made
from a soft yeast dough that, after being formed into rounds, is baked on
a griddle. It can be made at home but is readily availible commercially in
an assortment of flavours including sourdough, whole wheat, raisin,
cinnamon and cornmeal. English muffins are halfed before toasting. In
order to produce a surface with the proper peaks and craters (which adds
to their crunchy texture and provides plentiful pockets for butter and
jam). English muffins must be fork split and gently pulled apart. Using a
knife to cut them in half will not produce the desired result. (See Recipe)
Fallue: A type of brioche that
was traditionally made in Normandy for the feast of Epiphany. Long and
narrow, with transverse markings, it is made with a mixture of flour,
softened butter, cream, egg yolks, lightly whisked egg whites, sugar syrup
and a small quantity of baking powder. Fallue is also known as brioche
coulante or sometimes gâche
améliorée.Ficelle: A long thin loaf of
French bread. This bread is the same as French bread except longer and
thinner. Ficelle is French for "twine" or "string", referring culinarily
to a long, very thin loaf of French bread, about half the size of a
baguette.Flat Bread; Flatbread;
Flatbrod: These traditional Scandinavian crisps are thin,
crackerlike breads usually made with rye flour. Many are also based on
combinations of flours including wheat, barley or potato. Flat breads
(flatbrod in Norwegian) are most often served with soups, salads or
cheeses.Flûte: A long thin French
roll, weighing about 4 ounces, midway between a baquette and a ficelle in
size. Flûtes are usually split in half and grilled (broiled) for
croûtes, served with soups and broths.Focaccia: This Italian bread
begins by being shaped into a large, flat round that is liberally brushed
or drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt. Slits cut into the
dough's surface may be stuffed with fresh rosemary before the bread is
baked. Focaccia can be eaten as a snack, or served as an accompaniment to
soups or salads. (See Recipe)Fougasse: One of the oldest of
French pastries. It was originally a pancake made of fine wheat, unleaened
and cooked under the cinders in the hearth. Nowadays they are usually
rustic dough cakes baked in the oven, sometimes salted and flavoured and
usually made for Christmas or for Twelth Night. The fougassette,
which is made of brioche dough, is a speciality of the Nice area. this
small fougasse is shaped like a plaited loaf and flavoured with orange
flower water and saffron. It sometimes contains candied citron.French Bread: A light, crusty,
yeast raised bread made with water instead of milk. The dark brown,
intensely crisp crust is created by brushing or spraying the loaf's
exterior with water during the baking process. French bread comes in many
shapes, including the classic long, thin baguette, rounds and flat
ovals.Friendship Bread:
Fruitcake: Traditional winter
holiday cakes made with an assortment of candied fruit, nuts, spices and
usually liquor or brandy. Fruitcakes can have a moderate amount of cake
surrounding the chunky ingredients, or usually enough to hold the fruits
and nuts together. dark fruitcakes are generally made with molasses or
brown sugar and dark liquor such as bourbon. Dark coloured fruits and
nuts, such as prunes, dates, raisins and walnuts, may also contribute to
the blend. Light fruitcakes are generally made with grulated sugar or
light corn syrup ans light ingredients such as almonds, dried apricots,
golden raisins, etc. Fruitcakes are baked slowly and, after cooling,
usually covered with a cheesecloth moistened with liquor or brandy and
tightly wrapped in foil. Stored in this manner, they have tremendous
staying power and, providing they are occasionally remoistened, can be
kept for years. (See Recipe)Fry Bread: This specialty of
many Southwest Indians (mainly Navajo and Hopi) is made of flour, water or
milk and salt. It's formed into very thin rounds, deep fried and served
hot. It can be eaten with savory foods or drizzled with honey and enjoyed
as a sweet.
Garlic Bread: Said to have been
invented during the late 1940s boom of Italian American restaurants,
garlic bread consists of Italian or French bread slices, spread on both
sides with garlic butter and heated in the oven. There are many
variations, including bread brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with
minced garlic and herbs. It can also be broiled or grilled.Gingerbread: This sweet dates
back to the Middle Ages, when fair ladies presented the rather hard, honey
spiced bread as a favour to dashing knights going into tourament battle.
In those days, gingerbread was intricately shaped and decorated, sometimes
with gold leaf. Today, gingerbread generally refers to one of two
desserts. It can be a dense, ginger spiced cookie flavoured with molasses
or honey and cut into fanciful shapes (such as the popular gingerbread
man). Or, particularly in North America, it can describe a dark, moist
cake flavoured with molasses, ginger and other spices. This gingerbread
"cake" is usually baked in a square pan and often topped with lemon sauce
or whipped cream. (See Recipe)Grissini: Italian bread sticks.
Long, thin and crunchy, they are made from a dough containing butter or
oil and sometimes eggs or malt. They were first made in Turin and are
either eaten as appetizers or served with soup or pasta dishes.
Hardtack: Also called ship
biscuit and sea bread , this large, hard biscuit is made with an
unsalted, unleavened flour and water dough. After it's baked, hardtack is
dried to lengthen shelf life. It's been used at least since the 1800's as
a staple for sailors on long voyages. (See
Recipe)Herb Bread:
Hot Cross Bun: Traditionally
served on Good Friday, these small, lightly sweet yeast buns contain
raisins or currants and sometimes chopped candied fruit. Before baking, a
cross is slashed in the top of the bun. After baking, a confectioners'
sugar icing is used to fill the cross.Hushpuppies: This southern
specialty is a small cornmeal dumpling, flavoured with chopped scallions,
deep fried and served hot. Hushpuppies are a traditional accompaniment for
fried catfish. Their name is said to have come from the fact that, to keep
hungry dogs from begging for food while the rest of the dinner was being
prepared, cooks used to toss scraps of the fried batter to the pets with
the admonition, "Hush, puppy!"
Irish Soda Bread: This classic
Irish quick bread uses baking soda (as the name implies) as its leavener.
It's usually made with buttermilk and is speckled with currants and
caraway seed. Before baking, a cross is slashed in the top of the loaf.
The purpose of the cross, legend says, is to scare away the devil. (See recipe)Italian Bread: Almost identical
to French bread, with the exception of its shape, which is shorter and
plumper than the French baguette. The top of the Italian bread is
sometimes sprinkled with sesame seed.
Johnnycake; Johnny Cake,
Jonnycake: Thought to be the precursor of the pancake, the
johnnycake dates back to the early 1700's. It's a rather flat griddlecake
made of cornmeal, salt and either boiling water or cold milk; there are
strong advocates of both versions. Today's johnnycakes often have eggs,
oil or melted butter and leavening (such as baking powder) added. Some
renditions are baked in the oven, more like traditional cornbread. Also
called hoe cake or hoecake.
Kaiser Roll:
Khachapuri: Similar to the
Italian calzone, khachapuri is a yeast dough "package" filled with cheese
and baked until the bread is golden and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
This Russian specialty hails from Georgia (formerly of the USSR) and comes
in various forms, from round to football shaped, and from a simple and
flat to that of a pleated turban design. It's generally served hot or at
room temperature.Kugelhopf: (Pronunciation:
KOO-guhl-hopf) This German specialty is a sweetened yeast bread with
currants and almonds baked inside. It's usually shaped in a ring and
served at breakfast.Kulich: Also known as "Russian
Easter bread", Russians serve this rich, sweetened yeast bread at Easter.
It typically has raisins in it and icing on top. Some substitutes would be
panettone, brioche, or Kugelhopf.
Lahvosh; Lavosh: A round, thin,
crisp bread that's also known as Armenian cracker bread. It comes
in a soft version, as well as in various sizes, ranging from about 6 to 14
inches in diameter. Lahvosh is available in Middle Eastern markets and
most supermarkets. It is the bread used to make the popular aram
sandwich.Limpa Bread: This Swedish bread
is delicious because it is usually flavoured with molasses, anise seed and
orange peel. This bread is similar to and can be substituted by
pumpernickel.Longuet: A long cylindrical dry
bread roll cooked in a gutter shaped tin. The fact that it is made with a
little fat and sugar and is cooked in a slow oven, givesit its
characteristic crumbly texture and enables it to be stored for a long
time.
Manaeesh:
Mandelbrot: From the German
words mandel (meaning "almond") and brot (meaning "bread"),
this Jewish favorite is a crisp almond bread that is eaten as a
cookie.Matzo; Matzoh: Matzo is a
Hebrew word that means "unleavened bread." The Bible commands Jews to
commemorate the exodus from Egypt by eating matzo - and no leavened bread
- for the eight days of Passover. Thousaands of years of rabbis have come
up with long explanations for how to observe that seemingly simple
commandment. For ritually observant Jews, it means that just about
anything with a grain base that hasn't been rabbinically certified as
suitable for Passover will be removed from the house for the eight days.
And many recipes that use regular flour or bread will be reformatted to
use Passover matzo or matzo meal, which is nothing but ground up Passover
matzo.There are only a few acceptable deviations from the standard recipe:
Egg matzo is acceptable fare for children, the ill and the elderly. And
whole-wheat matzo is suitable for anyone who thinks regular matzo isn't
quite crunchy or dry enough.Miche: Pure wheat bread that
was originally made for well-to-do citizens and then gradually became the
daily bread of the rural areas. Originally a small loaf (the word comes
from the Latin micca, meaning "morsel" or "crumb"), it became
larger when used as the standard family loaf and is now a round loaf,
weighing 2 1/2 to 6 1/2 pounds.Monkey Bread: A sweet yeast
bread formed by arranging small clumps of dough (which are usually dipped
in melted butter) in 3 or 4 overlapping layers in a pan. The pan can be
round, oblong or tube shape. After baking, the clumps cling together to
form a solid loaf. Monkey bread can be sweet (flavoured with raisins,
nuts, cinnamon and sugar) or savory (often made with grated
cheese).Mouillette: A small finger
shaped piece of fresh or toasted bread which dipped into the yolk of a
soft boiled egg and then eaten (the white is then eaten with a small
spoon). The fingers of bread can be buttered and dipped in a finely
chopped parsley, tarragon, or chervil.Muffin: A small cake like bread
that can be made with a variety of flours and aften contains fruits and
nuts. Most American style muffins fall into the quick bread category and
are leavened with either baking powder or baking soda. The yeast raised
type, such as English muffin, is generally finer in texture. These small
breads are usually made in a muffin pan (also called muffin tin), a
special baking pan with 6 or 12 cup shaped depressions that hold the
muffin batter. Each standard muffin cup is about 2 1/2 inches in diameter.
There are also giant muffin pans with 3 1/4 inch cups, miniature muffin
pans (gem pans) in which the diameter of each indentation os 1 1/4 to 2
inches and muffin top pans, which are about 4 inches in diameter and only
1/2 inch deep. Muffins can be sweet or savoury and though they were once
considered breakfast or tea fare, are now also served with lunch and
dinner. (See Recipe) (More Information)
Naan; Nan: An East Indian,
white flour flat bread that is lightly leavened by a natural yeast starter
developed from airborne yeasts. Naan is traditionally baked in a tandoor
oven. A flattened round of dough is placed on a cloth puff that is used to
slap the bread directly onto the side of the special high heat oven. In
less than 60 seconds, the bread puffs slightly, browns on the side
touching the oven wall and takes on a light smoky flavour. The bread is
speared with a skewer and removed from the oven wall to be served
hot.
Pancake: As one of humankind's
oldest forms of bread, the versatile pancake has hundreds of variations
and is served for breakfast, lunch and dinner and as appetizers, entries
and desserts. Pancakes begin as a batter that is poured into rounds,
either on a griddle or in a skillet, and cooked over high heat. These
round cakes vary in thickness from the wafer thin French
crêpé to the much thicker American breakfast pancake (also
called hotcake, griddlecake and flapjack). Many
countries have specialty pancakes such as Hungarian palacsinta and Russian
blini. (More Information)Panettone: A large round
Italian cake that is a specialty of the city of Milan. Panettone is made
from a raised dough enriched with egg yolks (which gives it its colour)
and contains raisins and candied orange and lemon peel. This dough is
placed in a cool oven to rise and then cooked in a cylindrical mould.
Traditionally Christmas fare, this cake is also eaten for breakfast, with
coffee and it is sometimes served as a dessert, accompanied by a liqueur
wine.Panko: Bread crumbs used in
Japanese cooking for coating fried foods. They're coarser than those
normally used in the United States and create a deliciously crunchy crust.
Panko is sold in Asian marketsPao Duce: Portuguese sweet
bread.Pappadam; Poppadum: A wafer
thin East Indian bread made with lentil flour. This tortilla like bread
can be unseasoned (as preferred in southern India) or variously flavoured
with red or black pepper, garlic or other seasonings, as in northern
India. Pappadams are available in Indian markets in various sizes
and flavours. Deep fried pappadams puff up to almost double their
original size. Grilling them over an open flame will give them a smoky
flavour.Paratha: This flaky East Indian
bread is made with whole wheat flour and fried on a griddle. Parathas
range from the simple to the exotic. The basic version simply has ghee
(clarified butter) brushed between multiple layers of dough that are then
folded and rolled out again. This technique creates a flaky bread
resembling puff pastry. More exotic versions of paratha are stuffed with
various vegetables, fruits, herbs or spices.Parker House Rolls: Parker
House Rolls get their special shape by making an off-center crease in a
round piece of dough and then folding in half. The rolls were named for
the Parker House Hotel in Boston where they were served during the late
1800s. The restaurant was proclaimed as the first American restaurant to
have an a la carte menu available all hours of the day.Peasant Bread:
Pita: Also called pocket
bread, this Middle Eastern flat bread can be made od white or whole
wheat flour. Each pita round splits horizontally to form a pocket into
which a wide variety of ingredients can be stuffed to make a sandwich.
Throughout the Middle East, pitas are served with meals or cut into wedges
and used as dippers for dishes such as baba ghanouch and
hummus. Pita bread is available in Middle Eastern markets and in
most supermarkets. (See recipe)Pizza Dough: (See Recipe)
Poori; Puri: This deep fried
bread is round, flat and unleavened. It's made with whole wheat flour,
water and ghee or other fat. The dough is almost identical to that for
chapati. Poori is very popular in northern India as well as in neighboring
Pakistan.Popover: A puffy, muffin size
bread with a crisp brown crust and a somewhat hollow, moist interior.
Basic popovers begin with a simple batter of eggs, milk, butter and flour.
The high proportion of liquid in the batter creates steam that leavens the
bread. Popovers may be baked in muffin tins or special popover pans, which
have extra deep cups. The name is said to come from the fact that as the
batter bakes and expands, it "pops over" the sides of the cup shaped
indentations. Popovers can be plain or variously flavoured with items such
as cheese, spices and herbs.Pretzel: The pretzel can be
traced back to the Romans, although the twisted lose knot shape is thought
to have been introduced in the early part of the 7th century. The first
North American commercial pretzel factory was established in 1861 in
Lititz, Pennsylvania. There are two main types of pretzel, hard and crisp
or soft and chewy (the older or the two forms). The latter is often sold
hot with mustard by street vendors from their pretzel carts. They can be
sprinkled with coarse salt or not and shaped in the form od knots, sticks,
or rings. Crisp pretzels are available in many sizes, shapes and even
flavours (such as rye) in supermarkets. (See
Recipe)Profiteroles: They are small
(bite-size) filled buns of choux pastry with either a sweet or savory
filling. They are probably French originally, or thename at least is. The
word originated in French as diminutive form of "profit," and so
etymologically means "small gains" - and indeed it may to begin with have
denoted "a little something extra" cooked along with the master's main
dish as part of the servants' perks. Alexander Barclay, in his Eclogues
(1515) writes "to toast white shivers (slices of bread) and to make
profiteroles, and after talking oft time to fill the bowl."Pueblo Bread; Pueblo Adobe
Bread: A Native American bread made by the pueblo dwelling
Indians of the Southwest and baked in the adobe ovens common to their
dwellings. The bread's made from unbleached flour, salt, yeast, water,
lard or shortening and sometimes sugar and/or eggs. A hot fire is started
in the adobe oven and allowed to burn out. The ashes are immediately
removed and the bread is then baked.Pugliese Bread:
Pullman: A pullman pan is a
loaf pan with a lid that slides across the top to seal the dough inside.
The dimensions are usually 13x4x4 inches. The bread is generally compact
since it is trapped within the pan. It makes good slicing bread for
sandwiches.Pumpernickel: Rye bread
originating from Westphalia and now manufactured throughout Germany and
sometimes in Alsace. very solid and almost black in colour, pumpernickel
is made with leaven and coarsely crushed pure rye; abroad, it is often
sold, packaged, in very thin slices. as it has a fairly pronounced
flavour, it is eaten with smoked sausage, marinated fish and
cheese.Puri Puri are a delicious
alternative to chapati and use exactly the same dough. To ensure they puff
up when cooking, keep flicking the oil over the top hwile the puri are
frying. (See Recipe)
Raisin (Sultana):
Roti: An unleavened griddle
baked bread from India, usually made with whole wheat flour. The roti is
finished over an open flame for 10 to 15 seconds, a technique that causes
it to fill with steam and puff up like a balloon.Rye Flour (Bread): Milled from
a hardy cereal grass, rye flour contains less gluten (protein) than
al-purpose or whole-wheat flour. For that reason, it won't produce a well
risen loaf of bread without the addition of some higher protein flour. Rye
flour is also heavier and darker in colour than most other flours, which
is why it produces dark, dense loaves. There are several different types
of rye flour, the most common of which is medium rye flour, available in
most supermarkets. Light or dark rye flours, as well as pumpernickel flour
(which is dark and coarsely ground), are available in health food stores
and some supermarkets. (See Recipe)
Sally Lunn: This rich, slightly
sweet yeast bread was brought to the Colonies from England and
subsequently became a favorite in the South. There are several tales as to
its origin, the most popular being that Sally Lunn, an 18th century woman
from Bath, England, created this delicate cakelike bread in her tiny
bakery for her prominent patron's tea parties. Those original Sally Lunns
were baked as large buns, split horizontally and slathered with thick
clotted cream.Salt-Rising Bread: A bread
popular in the 1800's, before yeast leavening was readily available. It
relies on a fermented mixture of warm milk or water, flour, cornmeal,
sugar and salt to give it rising power. Salt rising bread has a very
smooth texture with a tangy flavor and aroma.Scone: A small round cake made
of raised dough. Originating in Scotland, it is soft and light inside and
has a brown crust. Scones are eaten for breakfast or for tea, usually
served hot, split in half and buttered. they used to be traditionally
cooked on a griddle (or gridle), a thick flat iron with a handle, placed
on top of the stove (or, originally, on the fire). Nowadays they are more
often baked in the oven. (See Recipe)Semoline Bread: Every village
on Sardinia makes its own special breads, and its rumored that there are
five hundred different kinds on the island. This particular one comes from
the area around Cagliari and was originally a holiday bread. It is now
available every day. Formed into semicircles and called cocoeddi, it is
made from a simple starter named biga, which gives the bread its special
aroma, flavour and texture by producing a second fermentation. The starter
can be kept in the refrigerator up to five days or can be frozen; before
being used, it should be brought to room temperature, which takes about
three hours.Soda Bread: A quick bread that
is leavened with baking soda combined with an acid ingredient, usually
buttermilk. Irish soda bread is the best known of this genre. This is a
traditional Irish bread that is made with whole-wheat flour or white flour
or oatmeal (sometimes raisins are included). It is round loaf with a cross
cut in the top and it has a velvety texture and unusual smoothness quite
unlike yeast bread. It is sliced paper-thin and buttered. Traditionally,
soda bread was baked over a peat fire in a three-legged iron pot that can
be raised or lowered over the fire. Glowing peat sods put on top of the
pot gave an even heat for baking.Sourdough; Sourdough Bread: A
bread with a slightly sour, tangy flavour created by using a special yeast
starter as the leavener. San Francisco is known for its superior sourdough
bread and many food stores in the area sell packages of dry sourdough
starter for home bread bakers. Though most sourdoughs are made from all
purpose flour, there are many delicious variations including those made
from whole wheat or rye flour.Spoon Bread; Spoonbread: A
puddinglike bread usually based on cornmeal and baked in a casserole dish.
Spoon bread is generally served as a side dish and, in fact, is soft
enough that it must be eaten with a spoon or fork.Steamed Bread: Boston brown
bread is probably the most famous steamed bread North America. This type
of bread is made by placing a batter in a covered container on a rack set
over gently boiling water in a large pot. The pot is covered and the bread
steamed for about 3 hours. It can also be made in a pressure cooker in
about half the time. The bread doesn't require a special container in
which to be steamed a 12 ounce coffee can covered with aluminum foil works
nicely. The characteristic texture of steamed breads is moist and
tender.Sticky Buns:
Stollen: Germany's traditional
Christmas yeast bread, stollen is a rich, dried fruit filled loaf that is
often topped with a confectioners' sugar icing and decorated with candied
cherries. It's shaped like a folded oval and somewhat resembles a giant
parker house roll.
Tortilla: A thin pancake made
of cornmeal, an important item of the diet in Latin American countries. It
was named by the Spanish conquistadors: in Spanish cookery, a tortilla is
a flat omelette, usually filled with salt cod or potatoes, which is cut
into quarters like a cake (the word has the same origin as torta, a
tart).
Waffle: The honeycombed surface
of this crisp, light bread is perfect for holding pockets of syrup.
Waffles are made by pouring a light batter onto one side of a waffle iron,
a special hinged cooking utensil with two honeycomb patterned griddles.
The second side is closed over the batter and the waffle is cooked until
browned and crisp. Belgian waffles, which are often heaped with fresh
strawberries and whipped cream, are made on special waffle makers with
particularly large, deep grids. Waffles are popular not only for
breakfast, but for desserts as well. Savory waffles can be topped with
creamed meat or vegetable mixtures. (More
Information)
Yorkshire Pudding: A British
specialty made of a batter of egg, flour and milk, which is traditionally
baked in the fat of roast beef, for which it is the classic accompaniment.
Fat from the cooked roast is poured into a shallow ovenproof dish and the
pudding batter is then added; it is cooked in the oven until well risen,
crisp and brown and served with the roast, together with gravy, roast
potatoes, a green vegetable, mustard and horseradish sauce. (See Recipe)
Zahtar Bread: Popular
throughout Turkey and North Africa, zahtar is a spice blend comprised of
sesame seeds mixed with powdered sumac and dried thyme. It is sprinkled
over meats and vegetables, or mixed with oil as a spread for bread. Zahtar
can be found in Middle Eastern markets.Zucchini Bread: (See Recipe)Zwieback: This German word
translates to "twice baked" and refers to bread that is baked, cut into
slices and then returned to the oven until very crisp and dry. Zwieback,
which has a hint of sweetness to it, is popular for its digestibility and
is often served to younger children or to people who have digestive
problems. It can be available commercially in most stores or
supermarkets.