About Bread
Bread is a staple food of European, Middle Eastern and Indian cultures which is prepared by baking, steaming, or frying dough.
Bread consists minimally of flour and water; salt is present in most cases; and usually a leavening agent such as yeast is used. Breads may also contain some amounts of sugar, spices, fruit (such as raisins, pumpkin or bananas), vegetables (like onion or zucchini), nuts, or seeds (such as caraway, sesame or poppy seeds). There are a wide variety of breads, with preferences differing from region to region.
Fresh bread is prized for its taste and texture, and retaining its freshness is important to keep it appetizing. Bread that has stiffened or dried past its prime is said to be stale. Modern bread is often wrapped in paper or plastic film, or stored in airtight containers such as a breadbox to keep it fresh longer. Bread that is kept in warm moist environments is prone to the growth of mold. It becomes stale more quickly in the low temperature of a refrigerator, although by keeping it cool, mold is less likely to grow.
Bread can be served ranging anywhere from room temperature to hot. Once baked, bread can subsequently be toasted. Bread is most commonly picked up and eaten with the hands, although some applications of bread are more easily eaten with the aid of a utensil such as a fork. It can be eaten by itself or as a carrier for another, usually less compact food. Bread may be dunked or dipped into a liquid (such as beef gravy or olive oil), topped with various spreads, both sweet and savory, or serve as the enclosure for the ubiquitous sandwich with any number of meats, cheeses, vegetables or condiments inside. Across the world, bread is the preferred vehicle for many toppings that vary from culture to culture, such as:
butter—”bread and butter” has become a famous phrase connoting a duo.
nut butters such as peanut butter
fruit-based spreads such as jam, jelly, apple butter or marmalade
molasses, maple syrup or honey
liverwurst or other forms of pâté
cream cheese or other soft processed cheese spreads, such as The Laughing Cow
yeast-based spreads such as Marmite or Vegemite
hummus, refried beans and other bean-based spreads
prepared salads, such as tuna, chicken, egg or ham salad, and a myriad other foods
toast with butter and cinnamon
tortillas form of bread found long ago-today used in tacos, quesadillas, etc.
garlic
Formulation
The amount of water and flour are the most significant measurements in a bread recipe, as they affect texture and crumb the most. Professional bakers use a system of percentages known as Bakers’ Percentage in their recipe formulations, and measure ingredients by weight instead of by volume. Measurement by weight is much more accurate and consistent than measurement by volume, especially for the dry ingredients.
Flour is always 100%, and the rest of the ingredients are a percent of that amount by weight. Common table bread in the U.S. uses approximately 50% water, resulting in a finely textured, light, bread. Most artisan bread formulas contain anywhere from 60 to 75% water. In yeast breads, the higher water percentages result in more CO2 bubbles, and a coarser bread crumb. One pound (500 g) of flour will yield a standard loaf of bread, or two french loaves.