Archaeology of Bread

 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 CHALLAH? Traditionally this is a loaf of braided bread baked to celebrate the Jewish sabbath.  The classic recipe is a leavened bread consisting of egg, water, flour, yeast and salt.  However the name has become a generic term for any bread used in Hebrew rituals.  The word comes from the Torah where […]

 WHAT IS A KHACHAPURI? Also called Georgian cheese bread or Christmas pie, this recipe is traditionally served on January 7th.  This pastry is a sinfully delicious recipe that involves melted cheese and a sunny side up egg on top!  Yeasted dough is molded into a football shape, and a mix of fresh and older, sharper […]

 WHAT IS A CROUTON? Much like French toast, croutons are a great way to both recycle stale bread and add some character to your salad!  The word itself comes from the French word croûte or crust (as in bread).  During Medieval times soup was often served in sops or pieces of stale bread.   Today stale bread […]

 WHAT IS CHRISTMAS BREAD? Several countries have variations on this theme but Germany with Christmas stollen and Norway with Julekake are the most well known.  This recipe is a popular holiday alternative to fruitcake.  In general oats, butter and egg are mixed with zest and candied fruits and baked.  Historically in the city of Dresden […]

 WHAT IS A BAZLAMA? This is a traditional flat bread native to Turkey.  In appearance it’s similar to an Indian naan.  In their native Turkey, villages will cook them over a wood fire.  Interestingly the size of the wood fire is not consistent, and varies in proportion to the size of the family.  Much like […]

 WHAT IS AN AREPAS? Arepas are also known as corn pancakes.  For thousands of years, this Latin American recipe has consisted of maize kernels soaked, ground then formed into patties and cooked.  Created several hundred years ago by the Timoto-Cuica, this recipe was a staple among the tribes of Venezuelan and Colombia.  Today this pancake […]

WHAT IS CORNSTARCH? It’s also called corn flour though technically the two are different.  The starch comes from the corn kernel which is ground into a fine powder.  Much like arrowroot, it’s a popular thickening agent in many recipes both in Europe and Asia.  The process to make it was invented in the 1800’s in […]

 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 […]