Misplaced Pages

#663336

72-574: Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat ) and water , usually by baking . Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made foods, having been of significance since the dawn of agriculture , and plays an essential role in both religious rituals and secular culture. Bread may be leavened by naturally occurring microbes (e.g. sourdough), chemicals (e.g. baking soda), industrially produced yeast , or high-pressure aeration, which creates

144-515: A 14,500-year-old Natufian site in Jordan's northeastern desert. Around 10,000 BC, with the dawn of the Neolithic age and the spread of agriculture, grains became the mainstay of making bread. Yeast spores are ubiquitous, including on the surface of cereal grains , so any dough left to rest leavens naturally. An early leavened bread was baked as early as 6000 BC in southern Mesopotamia, cradle of

216-452: A certain amount of applied force. Because air pockets within this gluten network result from carbon dioxide production during leavening, bread can be defined as a foam, or a gas-in-solid solution. Acrylamide , like in other starchy foods that have been heated higher than 120 °C (248 °F), has been found in recent years to occur in bread. Acrylamide is neurotoxic , has adverse effects on male reproduction and developmental toxicity and

288-407: A coarser bread crumb. Dough recipes commonly call for 500 grams (about 1.1 pounds) of flour, which yields a single loaf of bread or two baguettes . Calcium propionate is commonly added by commercial bakeries to retard the growth of molds. Flour is grain ground into a powder. Flour provides the primary structure, starch and protein to the final baked bread. The protein content of the flour

360-472: A leavening agent (typically yeast ). Two schools of thought exist regarding the inclusion of salt or sugar. They both act to inhibit or slow yeast growth, as determined by time to proof or rise, so they are not usually included and instead are added to the final dough. Ultimately, the amounts of each ingredient, and when they are added, depend on pre-ferment and final-dough formulas. In some countries (mainly Eastern Europe, Baltic and Nordic countries) rye flour

432-404: A loose-textured mixture composed of roughly equal amounts of flour and water (by weight); " biga ", a stiff mixture with a higher proportion of flour; and "pâte fermentée", which is a portion of dough reserved from a previous batch. Sourdough is a type of bread produced by a long fermentation of dough using naturally occurring yeasts and lactobacilli . It usually has a mildly sour taste because of

504-506: A mature mother dough of many generations of age to a first-generation sponge based on a fresh batch of baker's yeast: The common, but undocumented, origin given for the term poolish is that it was first used by Polish bakers around 1840, hence its name, and as a method was brought to France in the beginning of the 1920s. "Poolish" however is an old English version of "Polish", whereas the term seems to be most used in France (where "polonais"

576-410: A special taste or texture. At one time, all yeast-leavened breads were sourdoughs. Recently there has been a revival of sourdough bread in artisan bakeries. Traditionally, peasant families throughout Europe baked on a fixed schedule, perhaps once a week. The starter was saved from the previous week's dough. The starter was mixed with the new ingredients, the dough was left to rise, and then a piece of it

648-459: A substitute for or in addition to more yeast. There are distinctly different brew types of pre-ferments designed for computer-controlled bakeries that use a rather different series of ingredients, including oxidizers, needed for continuous dough-production processes. Fermentation is sometimes performed in a warm place, or a humidity- and temperature-controlled environment. Cooler-than-room or refrigeration temperatures decelerate growth and increase

720-570: Is carcinogenic . A study has found that more than 99 percent of the acrylamide in bread is found in the crust. A study by the University of Hohenheim found that industrially produced bread typically has a high proportion of FODMAP carbohydrates due to a short rising time (often only one hour). The high proportion of FODMAP carbohydrates in such bread then causes flatulence . This is particularly problematic in intestinal diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome . While in traditional bread making

792-545: Is a fermentation starter used in indirect ‍ methods of bread making. It may also be called mother dough . A ferment and a longer fermentation in the bread-making process have several benefits: there is more time for yeast, enzyme and, if sourdough , bacterial actions on the starch and proteins in the dough; this in turn improves the keeping time of the baked bread, and it creates greater complexities of flavor. Though ferments have declined in popularity as direct additions of yeast in bread recipes have streamlined

SECTION 10

#1732765196664

864-464: Is a good source of carbohydrates and micronutrients such as magnesium, iron, selenium, and B vitamins. Whole grain bread is a good source of dietary fiber and all breads are a common source of protein in the diet, though not a rich one. Bread crust is formed from surface dough during the cooking process. It is hardened and browned through the Maillard reaction using the sugars and amino acids due to

936-409: Is also used to make a starter. Traditional Finnish rye starter consists of only rye flour and water, no sugar or yeast. Some might also use yogurt to help hasten the starter to rise. A flour-to-water ratio of 1-to-1 results in a relatively fluid ferment. Stiffer doughs, such as 2-to-1, may also be used. After mixing it is allowed to ferment for a period of time, and then is added to the final dough as

1008-465: Is growing. 2013 Rice is most commonly cooked and eaten as separate entire grains, but most other staple cereals are milled into a flour or meal that can be used to make bread , noodles , pasta , porridge and mushes like mealie pap (although both can be eaten either as grains or ground into flour). Root vegetables can be mashed and used to make porridge -like dishes such as poi and fufu . Pulses (such as chickpeas , from which gram flour

1080-606: Is leavened by Clostridium perfringens , one of the most common sources of food-borne illness. Aerated bread is leavened by carbon dioxide being forced into dough under pressure. From the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries, bread made this way was somewhat popular in the United Kingdom, made by the Aerated Bread Company and sold in its high-street tearooms . The company was founded in 1862, and ceased independent operations in 1955. The Pressure-Vacuum mixer

1152-473: Is made) and starchy root vegetables (such as canna rhizomes) can also be made into flour. Consumed in isolation, staple foods do not provide the full range of essential nutrients . The nutrient-deficiency disease pellagra is associated with a diet consisting primarily of maize , while the disease beriberi is associated with a diet of refined white rice . Scurvy can result from a lack of vitamin C , also known as ascorbic acid. One author indicated that

1224-402: Is most commonly eaten with the hands, either by itself or as a carrier for other foods. Bread can be spread with butter , dipped into liquids such as gravy , olive oil , or soup ; it can be topped with various sweet and savory spreads, or used to make sandwiches containing meats , cheeses, vegetables, and condiments . Bread is used as an ingredient in other culinary preparations, such as

1296-461: Is one of the oldest prepared foods. Evidence from 30,000 years ago in Europe and Australia revealed starch residue on rocks used for pounding plants. It is possible that during this time, starch extract from the roots of plants, such as cattails and ferns , was spread on a flat rock, placed over a fire and cooked into a primitive form of flatbread . The oldest evidence of bread-making has been found in

1368-427: Is the best indicator of the quality of the bread dough and the finished bread. While bread can be made from all-purpose wheat flour, a specialty bread flour, containing more protein (12–14%), is recommended for high-quality bread. If one uses a flour with a lower protein content (9–11%) to produce bread, a shorter mixing time is required to develop gluten strength properly. An extended mixing time leads to oxidization of

1440-417: Is the most important measurement in a bread recipe, as it affects texture and crumb the most. Hard wheat flours absorb about 62% water , while softer wheat flours absorb about 56%. Common table breads made from these doughs result 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 CO 2 bubbles and

1512-497: Is the process of adding gas to a dough before or during baking to produce a lighter, more easily chewed bread. Most bread eaten in the West is leavened. A simple technique for leavening bread is the use of gas-producing chemicals. There are two common methods. The first is to use baking powder or a self-raising flour that includes baking powder. The second is to include an acidic ingredient such as buttermilk and add baking soda ;

SECTION 20

#1732765196664

1584-473: Is the word for "Polish"). Some nineteenth-century sources use the homophone "pouliche", a French word that typically means a filly. With either spelling, the term only appears in French sources towards the last part of the nineteenth century. There is not currently any credible explanation for the origin of the term. A ferment is easy to make and usually consists of a simple mixture of wheat flour , water , and

1656-475: The Americas , Australia , and Southern Africa . This is in contrast to parts of South and East Asia, where rice or noodles are the staple. Bread is usually made from a wheat - flour dough that is cultured with yeast, allowed to rise, and baked in an oven . Carbon dioxide and ethanol vapors produced during yeast fermentation result in bread's air pockets. Owing to its high levels of gluten (which give

1728-533: The Andes —were also staples centuries ago. Oca tubers, ulluku tubers and grain amaranth are other foods that may have been historical Andean staples. Pemmican made from dried meat and fat was a staple of the Plains Indians of North America . Most staple foods are currently produced using modern, conventional farming practices. However, the production of staple food using organic farming methods

1800-663: The Prairies where the Sioux herded bison , and the Arctic , where the Sami people herd reindeer . The dominant staple foods in different parts of the world are a function of weather patterns, local terrain, farming constraints, acquired tastes and ecosystems . For example, the main energy source staples in the average African diet are cereals (46 percent), roots and tubers (20 percent) and animal products (7 percent). In Western Europe

1872-552: The Sumerian civilization, who may have passed on the knowledge to the Egyptians around 3000 BC. The Egyptians refined the process and started adding yeast to the flour . The Sumerians were already using ash to supplement the dough as it was baked. There were multiple sources of leavening available for early bread. Airborne yeasts could be harnessed by leaving uncooked dough exposed to air for some time before cooking. Pliny

1944-625: The developing world , accounting for roughly 40 percent of the food eaten by half the population of sub-Saharan Africa . Roots and tubers are high in carbohydrates , calcium , and vitamin C , but low in protein . Cassava root , for example, is a major food staple in the developing world, a basic food source for around 500 million people. With economic development and free trade, many countries have shifted away from low- nutrient-density staple foods to higher-nutrient-density staples, as well as towards greater meat consumption . Some foods like quinoa —a pseudocereal grain that originally came from

2016-561: The lactic acid produced during anaerobic fermentation by the lactobacilli. Longer fermented sourdoughs can also contain acetic acid , the main non-water component of vinegar. Sourdough breads are made with a sourdough starter. The starter cultivates yeast and lactobacilli in a mixture of flour and water, making use of the microorganisms already present on flour; it does not need any added yeast. A starter may be maintained indefinitely by regular additions of flour and water. Some bakers have starters many generations old, which are said to have

2088-647: The pith of the sago palm tree ), and large, fleshy fruits (e.g. breadfruit , breadnut , coconut and plantains ). Staple foods may also include processed food products (depending on the region) such as olive oil , coconut oil , and sugar . Generally, staple foods are those eaten in bulk that supply energy to humans, predominantly in the form of sugars and carbohydrates , and so are mainly plant-based, as meats and eggs are predominantly protein and fat , though dairy products provide all these. However, not all places are suitable for agriculture , and so pastoralism can be favoured instead, as it has

2160-536: The straight dough process , the sourdough process , the Chorleywood bread process and the sponge and dough process . Professional bread recipes are stated using the baker's percentage notation. The amount of flour is denoted to be 100%, and the other ingredients are expressed as a percentage of that amount by weight. Measurement by weight is more accurate and consistent than measurement by volume, particularly for dry ingredients. The proportion of water to flour

2232-521: The Elder reported that the Gauls and Iberians used the foam skimmed from beer , called barm , to produce "a lighter kind of bread than other peoples" such as barm cake . Parts of the ancient world that drank wine instead of beer used a paste composed of grape juice and flour that was allowed to begin fermenting, or wheat bran steeped in wine , as a source for yeast . The most common source of leavening

Bread - Misplaced Pages Continue

2304-559: The FODMAPs that cause discomfort can be broken down during a rising time of four hours. In the study, whole-grain yeast doughs were examined after different rising times; the highest level of FODMAPs was present after one hour in each case and decreased thereafter. The study thus shows that it is essentially the baking technique and not the type of grain that determines whether a bread is well tolerated or not. A better tolerance of bread made from original cereals can therefore not be explained by

2376-499: The advantage that animals can live off of land unsuitable for agricultural crops and consume the local plant matter that is otherwise inedible to humans and convert that into foods - meat , offal , fat , eggs and milk - that humans can eat. Animals can therefore provide staples to human diets in inhospitable ecosystems such as deserts , steppe , taiga , tundra , and mountainous terrains . Specific examples include herding in regions such as Mongolia where sheep are herded,

2448-556: The best thing since " sliced bread ". The expression "to break bread with someone" means "to share a meal with someone". The English word "lord" comes from the Anglo-Saxon hlāfweard , meaning "bread keeper." Staple food Early agricultural civilizations valued the crop foods that they established as staples because, in addition to providing necessary nutrition , they generally are suitable for storage over long periods of time without decay. Such nonperishable foods are

2520-403: The bread is baked in an oven . Many breads are made from a " straight dough ", which means that all of the ingredients are combined in one step, and the dough is baked after the rising time; others are made from a " pre-ferment " in which the leavening agent is combined with some of the flour and water a day or so ahead of baking and allowed to ferment overnight. On the day of baking, the rest of

2592-421: The crumb and the overall texture by stabilizing and strengthening the gluten. Some artisan bakers forego early addition of salt to the dough, whether wholemeal or refined, and wait until after a 20-minute rest to allow the dough to autolyse . Mixtures of salts are sometimes employed, such as employing potassium chloride to reduce the sodium level, and monosodium glutamate to give flavor ( umami ). Leavening

2664-482: The desired age or minimal number of refreshments, following a refreshment schedule that may include acceleration of time intervals leading into the final dough, then is added to the final dough. When maintaining a starter's existing weight, it is advised to discard 60% (or more) of the starter, replacing that discarded dough with new dough. If an increased amount of starter is required, simply add new dough. 40-parts-to-60-parts of old-dough-to-new-dough by weight, or 2-to-3,

2736-568: The development of gluten in breads by coating and lubricating the individual strands of protein. They also help to hold the structure together. If too much fat is included in a bread dough, the lubrication effect causes the protein structures to divide. A fat content of approximately 3% by weight is the concentration that produces the greatest leavening action. In addition to their effects on leavening, fats also serve to tenderize breads and preserve freshness. Bread improvers and dough conditioners are often used in producing commercial breads to reduce

2808-699: The dough is allowed to autolyse . Water, or some other liquid, is used to form the flour into a paste or dough. The weight or ratio of liquid required varies between recipes, but a ratio of three parts liquid to five parts flour is common for yeast breads. Recipes that use steam as the primary leavening method may have a liquid content in excess of one part liquid to one part flour. Instead of water, recipes may use liquids such as milk or other dairy products (including buttermilk or yogurt ), fruit juice, or eggs. These contribute additional sweeteners, fats, or leavening components, as well as water. Fats, such as butter, vegetable oils, lard, or that contained in eggs, affect

2880-407: The dough rises for several hours, industrial breads rise for a much shorter time, usually only one hour. However, a sufficiently long rising time is important to break down the indigestible FODMAP carbohydrates. Some flours (for example, spelt , emmer and einkorn ) contain fewer FODMAPs, but the difference between grain types is relatively small (between 1 and 2 percent by weight ). Instead, 90% of

2952-457: The dough sponginess and elasticity), common or bread wheat is the most common grain used for the preparation of bread, which makes the largest single contribution to the world's food supply of any food. Bread is also made from the flour of other wheat species (including spelt , emmer , einkorn and kamut ). Non-wheat cereals including rye , barley , maize (corn), oats , sorghum , millet and rice have been used to make bread, but, with

Bread - Misplaced Pages Continue

3024-448: The dough's temperature and the added amount of viable yeast, often expressed as a bakers' percentage. Spontaneous sourdough starters take, at a minimum, several days, and are subject to many variables. To make a sourdough starter from scratch, the minimum-needed ingredients are flour, water, and time. This starter is maintained with daily feedings or refreshments of fresh flour and water or, new dough. It ferments at room temperature until

3096-424: The dough, which gives the finished product a whiter crumb, instead of the cream color preferred by most artisan bakers. Wheat flour, in addition to its starch, contains three water-soluble protein groups ( albumin , globulin , and proteoses ) and two water-insoluble protein groups ( glutenin and gliadin ). When flour is mixed with water, the water-soluble proteins dissolve, leaving the glutenin and gliadin to form

3168-500: The elements (alongside wine ) of the Eucharist , and in other religions including Paganism . In many cultures , bread is a metaphor for basic necessities and living conditions in general. For example, a "bread-winner" is a household's main economic contributor and has little to do with actual bread-provision. This is also seen in the phrase "putting bread on the table". The Roman poet Juvenal satirized superficial politicians and

3240-534: The exception of rye, usually in combination with wheat flour as they have less gluten. Gluten-free breads are made using flours from a variety of ingredients such as almonds, rice, sorghum, corn, legumes such as beans, and tubers such as cassava. Since these foods lack gluten, dough made from them may not hold its shape as the loaves rise, and their crumb may be dense with little aeration. Additives such as xanthan gum , guar gum , hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), corn starch , or eggs are used to compensate for

3312-484: The gas bubbles that fluff up bread. In many countries, commercial bread often contains additives to improve flavor, texture, color, shelf life, nutrition, and ease of production. The Old English word for bread was hlaf ( hlaifs in Gothic : modern English loaf ) which appears to be the oldest Teutonic name. Old High German hleib and modern German Laib derive from this Proto-Germanic word, which

3384-510: The ingredients are added, and the process continues as with straight dough. This produces a more flavorful bread with better texture. Many bakers see the starter method as a compromise between the reliable results of baker's yeast and the flavor and complexity of a longer fermentation. It also allows the baker to use only a minimal amount of baker's yeast, which was scarce and expensive when it first became available. Most yeasted pre-ferments fall into one of three categories: " poolish " or "pouliche",

3456-997: The intense heat at the bread surface. The crust of most breads is harder, and more complexly and intensely flavored, than the rest. Old wives' tales suggest that eating the bread crust makes a person's hair curlier. Additionally, the crust is rumored to be healthier than the remainder of the bread. Some studies have shown that this is true as the crust has more dietary fiber and antioxidants such as pronyl - lysine . Doughs are usually baked , but in some cuisines breads are steamed (e.g., mantou ), fried (e.g., puri ), or baked on an unoiled frying pan (e.g., tortillas ). It may be leavened or unleavened (e.g. matzo ). Salt , fat and leavening agents such as yeast and baking soda are common ingredients, though bread may contain other ingredients, such as milk , egg , sugar , spice , fruit (such as raisins ), vegetables (such as onion ), nuts (such as walnut ) or seeds (such as poppy ). Methods of processing dough into bread include

3528-545: The lack of gluten. In wheat , phenolic compounds are mainly found in hulls in the form of insoluble bound ferulic acid , where it is relevant to wheat resistance to fungal diseases. Rye bread contains phenolic acids and ferulic acid dehydrodimers . Three natural phenolic glucosides, secoisolariciresinol diglucoside , p-coumaric acid glucoside and ferulic acid glucoside , can be found in commercial breads containing flaxseed . Glutenin and gliadin are functional proteins found in wheat bread that contribute to

3600-425: The loss of a particular aroma in the baked bread. To allow room for the pre-ferment to rise, the ingredients are mixed in a container at least four or five times their volume. This is about the point in time when some process similarities of yeast pre-ferments to sourdough or levain starters begins to diverge. The typical amounts of time allotted for the yeast pre-ferment period may range from 2–16 hours, depending on

3672-437: The main staples in the average diet are animal products (33 percent), cereals (26 percent), and roots and tubers (4 percent). Most of the human population lives on a diet based on one or more of the following staples: cereals ( rice , wheat , maize (corn), millet , and sorghum ), roots and tubers ( potatoes , cassava , yams and taro ), and animal products such as meat, milk, eggs, cheese and fish. Regional staples include

SECTION 50

#1732765196664

3744-461: The nutritional value of some staple foods are negatively affected by higher levels of carbon dioxide , as occurs in climate change . The following table shows the nutrient content of 10 major staple vegetable foods in raw form on a dry weight basis to account for their different water contents. Raw grains are not edible and cannot be digested, so they must be cooked, sprouted, or otherwise prepared for human consumption. In sprouted and cooked form,

3816-911: The only possible staples during seasons of shortage, such as dry seasons or cold temperate winters, against which times harvests have been stored. During seasons of surplus, wider choices of foods may be available. Staple foods are derived from either plant or animal products that are digestible by humans and can be supplied in substantial quantities. Common plant-based staples include cereals (e.g. rice , wheat , maize , millet , barley , oats , rye , spelt , emmer , triticale and sorghum ), starchy tubers (e.g. potato , sweet potato , yam and taro ) or root vegetables (e.g. cassava , turnip , carrot , rutabagas ), and dried legumes ( lentils and beans ). Animal-based staples include various types of meat (typically livestock and poultry ), fish , eggs , milk and dairy products (e.g. cheese ). Other staple foods include sago (derived from

3888-484: The original cereal itself, but rather by the fact that traditional, artisanal baking techniques are generally used when baking original cereals, which include a long dough process. The study also showed that a long rising time also breaks down undesirable phytates more effectively, flavors develop better, and the finished bread contains more biologically accessible trace elements . Bread can be served at many temperatures ; once baked, it can subsequently be toasted . It

3960-433: The plants rye , soybeans , barley , oats , and teff . Just 15 plant crops provide 90 percent of the world's food energy intake (exclusive of meat), with rice , maize , and wheat comprising 2/3 of human food consumption. These three are the staples of about 80 percent of the world population, and rice feeds almost half of humanity. Roots and tubers, meanwhile, are important staples for over one billion people in

4032-425: The process on a commercial level, ferments of various forms are widely used in artisanal bread recipes and formulas. In general, there are two ferment varieties: sponges , based on baker's yeast , and the starters of sourdough , based on wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria . There are several kinds of pre-ferment commonly named and used in bread baking. They all fall on a varying process and time spectrum, from

4104-744: The public as caring only for " panem et circenses " ( bread and circuses ). In Russia in 1917, the Bolsheviks promised "peace, land, and bread." The term " breadbasket " denotes an agriculturally productive region. In parts of Northern , Central , Southern and Eastern Europe bread and salt is offered as a welcome to guests. In India , life's basic necessities are often referred to as "roti, kapra aur makan" (bread, clothes, and house). Words for bread, including "dough" and "bread" itself, are used in English -speaking countries as synonyms for money . A remarkable or revolutionary innovation may be called

4176-462: The reaction of the acid with the soda produces gas. Chemically leavened breads are called quick breads and soda breads . This method is commonly used to make muffins , pancakes , American-style biscuits , and quick breads such as banana bread . Many breads are leavened by yeast . The yeast most commonly used for leavening bread is Saccharomyces cerevisiae , the same species used for brewing alcoholic beverages. This yeast ferments some of

4248-798: The relative nutritional and anti-nutritional contents of each of these grains are different from that of the raw form of these grains, as shown. Potatoes also must be cooked, but should not be sprouted. The highlighted values show the highest nutrient density among these 10 staples. Other foods, consumed in smaller quantities, may have nutrient densities different from these values. raw yellow dent corn raw unenriched long-grain white rice raw hard red winter wheat raw potato with flesh and skin raw cassava raw green soybeans raw sweet potato raw sorghum raw yam raw plantains unofficial Bread starter A ferment (also known as bread starter )

4320-412: The same pattern. Water is mixed with flour, salt and the leavening agent. Other additions (spices, herbs, fats, seeds, fruit, etc.) are not needed to bake bread, but are often used. The mixed dough is then allowed to rise one or more times (a longer rising time results in more flavor, so bakers often "punch down" the dough and let it rise again), loaves are formed, and (after an optional final rising time)

4392-545: The structure of bread. Glutenin forms interconnected gluten networks within bread through interchain disulfide bonds. Gliadin binds weakly to the gluten network established by glutenin via intrachain disulfide bonds. Structurally, bread can be defined as an elastic-plastic foam (same as styrofoam ). The glutenin protein contributes to its elastic nature, as it is able to regain its initial shape after deformation. The gliadin protein contributes to its plastic nature, because it demonstrates non-reversible structural change after

SECTION 60

#1732765196664

4464-415: The structure of the resulting bread. When relatively dry dough is worked by kneading , or wet dough is allowed to rise for a long time (see no-knead bread ), the glutenin forms strands of long, thin, chainlike molecules, while the shorter gliadin forms bridges between the strands of glutenin. The resulting networks of strands produced by these two proteins are known as gluten . Gluten development improves if

4536-443: The sugars producing carbon dioxide . Commercial bakers often leaven their dough with commercially produced baker's yeast . Baker's yeast has the advantage of producing uniform, quick, and reliable results, because it is obtained from a pure culture . Many artisan bakers produce their own yeast with a growth culture. If kept in the right conditions, it provides leavening for many years. The baker's yeast and sourdough methods follow

4608-421: The time interval, while slightly warmer temperatures accelerate growth and decrease the time interval. Too warm a temperature slows growth, while even higher temperatures will kill the yeast. Death of the yeast cells occur in the range of 50–60 °C (122–140 °F). When cooling a levain or sourdough pre-ferment, if the dough temperature drops below 10 °C (50 °F) it affects the culture and leads to

4680-471: The time needed for rising and to improve texture and volume and to give antistaling effects. The substances used may be oxidising agents to strengthen the dough or reducing agents to develop gluten and reduce mixing time, emulsifiers to strengthen the dough or to provide other properties such as making slicing easier, or enzymes to increase gas production. Salt ( sodium chloride ) is very often added to enhance flavor and restrict yeast activity. It also affects

4752-632: The time taken to produce a loaf. The process, whose high-energy mixing allows for the use of grain with a lower protein content, is now widely used around the world in large factories. As a result, bread can be produced very quickly and at low costs to the manufacturer and the consumer. However, there has been some criticism of the effect on nutritional value. Bread is the staple food of the Middle East , Central Asia , North Africa , Europe , and in European-derived cultures such as those in

4824-434: The use of breadcrumbs to provide crunchy crusts or thicken sauces; toasted cubes of bread, called croutons , are used as a salad topping; seasoned bread is used as stuffing inside roasted turkey; sweet or savoury bread puddings are made with bread and various liquids; egg and milk-soaked bread is fried as French toast ; and bread is used as a binding agent in sausages , meatballs and other ground meat products. Bread

4896-450: The water from the inner surface of the bubbles within the dough. The steam expands and makes the bread rise. This is the main factor in the rising of bread once it has been put in the oven. CO 2 generation, on its own, is too small to account for the rise. Heat kills bacteria or yeast at an early stage, so the CO 2 generation is stopped. Salt-rising bread does not use yeast. Instead, it

4968-506: Was borrowed into some Slavic ( Czech : chléb , Polish : bochen chleba , Russian : khleb ) and Finnic ( Finnish : leipä , Estonian : leib ) languages as well. The Middle and Modern English word bread appears in other Germanic languages , such as West Frisian : brea , Dutch : brood , German : Brot , Swedish : bröd , and Norwegian and Danish : brød ; it may be related to brew or perhaps to break , originally meaning "broken piece", "morsel". Bread

5040-533: Was later developed by the Flour Milling and Baking Research Association for the Chorleywood bread process . It manipulates the gas bubble size and optionally the composition of gases in the dough via the gas applied to the headspace. Bread has a significance beyond mere nutrition in many cultures because of its history and contemporary importance. Bread is also significant in Christianity as one of

5112-498: Was saved to be the starter for next week's bread. The rapid expansion of steam produced during baking leavens the bread, which is as simple as it is unpredictable. Steam-leavening is unpredictable since the steam is not produced until the bread is baked. Steam leavening happens regardless of the raising agents (baking soda, yeast, baking powder, sour dough, beaten egg white) included in the mix. The leavening agent either contains air bubbles or generates carbon dioxide. The heat vaporises

5184-405: Was to retain a piece of dough from the previous day to use as a form of sourdough starter , as Pliny also reported. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all considered the degree of refinement in the bakery arts as a sign of civilization. The Chorleywood bread process was developed in 1961; it uses the intense mechanical working of dough to dramatically reduce the fermentation period and

#663336