Archaeology of Bread

 WHAT IS BAKING SODA? Also known as sodium bicarbonate or bicarb soda, baking soda is a leavening agent (meaning it makes your dough or batter rise).  With a white, crystalline appearance, it needs both liquid and an acidic ingredient to start working.  The soda produces small bubbles of carbon dioxide gas which become trapped in […]

 WHAT IS CREAM OF TARTAR? Cream of tartar is the scientific name for potassium bitartrate.  Basically this is an acid that’s actually a by-product of making wine.  Most often used to help egg whites keep their firm texture when being whipped, it has other uses such as leavening bread or cleaning household items or even […]

 WHAT IS A GRAHAM CRACKER? The graham cracker is made from coarse ground whole wheat flour.  This means that the bran, endosperm and germ are all milled as well.  The brown coloring is due to the fact that the flour is unbleached.  Religious in nature like Ezekiel wheat bread, it was invented by Sylvester Graham […]

 WHAT IS YEAST? Believe it or not, it’s a type of fungus closely related to mushrooms!  Their scientific name basically translates as “sugar-eating fungus.”  After consuming the sugar, the yeast then excretes carbon dioxide and ethyl alcohol back into the dough a.k.a. fermentation.  This is crucial to the rising of the bread.  The gas that […]

 WHAT IS DAMPER LOAF? Also known as bush bread or seedcake, this soda recipe was popular with early Australian settlers.  The dough is simple and easy to make.  Stockman who herded cattle in remote areas would bake the bread in the ash remnants of their daily campfire.  When the damper bread sounded hollow it was […]

 WHAT IS CUBAN BREAD? Most similar to soft Italian breads like ciabatta in texture, this square loaf shaped bread has no scoring and uses a small amount of fat and enriched dough.  It has a paper thin outer crust and soft, flaky interior.  The use of lard however means that cuban bread doesn’t last for […]

 WHAT IS COBB BREAD? This small, oval loaf of white bread has a thick crust with a diamond shape pattern on top.  The classic version fits in the palm of both hands and was originally made with whole wheat flour.  It was a simple, working man’s bread ideal when used for a lunchtime sandwich.  Originally […]

 WHAT IS A CROISSANT? This puff pastry was invented in Paris by Austrian Chef August Zang in the 1800s.  A descendant of the Austrian kipferl, this viennoiserie (means “things of Vienna”) pastry is a yeast-leavened dough.  In between each layer is an additional layer of butter (called lamination).  During baking the butter solid becomes gaseous, forcing […]

 WHAT IS A BRIOCHE? While technically a French Viennoiserie (pastry) recipe, little to no sugar is used in this pain.  The bread is loaded with butter and egg which gives it an almost creamy taste.  Yeast is used which allows the dough to aerate (yielding a lighter, more tender texture).  Think of it as a […]

 WHAT IS A CRUSTY BLOOMER? This loaf of bread is long with rounded ends and several parallel slashes on top (at an angle).  Much like a sourdough it’s hard and crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside.  A traditional recipe favored by English bakeries, this dense bread is often used in sandwiches or […]

 WHAT IS A BAGEL? Originally known as a beigel in its native Poland, these gluten bracelets are beloved all over the world.  An Ashkenazi Jewish delicacy, these breads are unique in that they’re cooked for several minutes in boiling water (malted) before being baked.  When placed in the oven, water quickly evaporates from the bread’s […]

 WHAT IS CIABATTA BREAD? This Italian classic is not as old as you might think.  It’s the Italian version of a French baguette whose name means “slipper.”  Despite the name, ciabatta is a long, flat rectangular bread filled with irregularly shaped holes.  This Italian loaf is made from a mix of white and rye flour.  […]

WHAT IS A NAAN? The name itself is based on the Persian word for bread.  A leavened dough with a squashed oval shape, it’s often made in a clay oven.  Originally a delicacy for rich noble families, today in the poorer parts of Asia this flatbread is often made on the inside of used metal […]

 WHAT IS A TORTILLA? This Spanish version of a French crepe is made from either corn or wheat flour.  Like an Indian chapati, it’s unleavened and was invented long before Europeans arrived.  Made in Mexico since 10,000 B.C. it was a food served to both peasants and kings.  Back then, other vegetables like squash were […]

WHAT IS CORNBREAD? Having a self-explanatory name doesn’t make it any less tasty.  This Native American delicacy is a gluten-free leavened bread (though the yeast is optional).  Today this food more then any other is an icon of southern cuisine in the United States.  Dry corn kernels are ground into a coarse meal that are […]

WHAT IS A BRUSCHETTA? What pain perdu (French toast) is to bread recycling in France, bruschetta is to Italy.  This more savory take is an antipasto (appetizer) that is is rubbed with olive oil and garlic and then grilled.  Then a variety of simple toppings are added and much like a Spanish tapas, served as […]

WHAT IS EZEKIEL SPROUTED WHEAT? Ezekiel bread is based on a Biblical recipe named after the Jewish prophet of the same name.  Around 600 B.C. he spent a year planning the siege of Jerusalem while eating only this bread. “Take also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils and millet, and spelt and […]

WHAT IS A BAGUETTE? This long, thin loaf of bread is famous for having a nice hard crust with a chewy interior.  It’s second only to cheese in being an icon of French food.  The word itself means “stick” or “wand”.  However by European standards the baguette is a relatively recent fad.  Prior to the […]

WHAT IS A PITA? This whole wheat flatbread has been a Middle Eastern favorite for over 4,000 years!  While often described as unleavened, it’s actually a yeast leavened bread.  That combined with the water turning to steam is what gives the pita its hollow pocket.  In the Middle Ages it was what sliced bread is […]

WHAT IS A PRETZEL? This is, simply put, one of the most awesome inventions in the history of mankind.  Yes people can’t stop raving about fire, religion, the wheel, the printing press, or penicillin.  Blah, blah, blah.  Those are all life-changing inventions, but don’t let the humble nature of the pretzel fool you! vs. Fire […]