An introduction to... Bread
In this third installment of our series on cooking fundamentals, Cat Black moves on to look at bread, a food that is both utterly familiar and yet endlessly diverse.
By Cat Black
Bread, and its creation, is fundamental to food, farming and culture in much of the world. While not the only core staple food – in parts of Asia rice takes that place – it is so synonymous with our ideas around food and being fed, that phrases such as ‘break bread’ and ‘our daily bread’ simply stand for sharing and having food. This symbolism extends even into faith and religion – Orthodox Jewish custom includes the breaking and blessing of bread. In the Christian tradition, bread stands in for the body of Christ, and there are crosses displayed on the top of Easter buns.
The cultivation of wheat to make bread, along with other key grains, is central to the development of agriculture. And therefore, to the settling of humans into communities and place. Cattle can follow if you are nomadic, crops cannot. Bread is woven into communities, cultures and civilisation. It is then no surprise that every culture and cuisine has its bread. There are loaves for every day, loaves for celebration. There are quick loaves to be made with nothing but flour and water, such as Australian Damper. And there are loaves that take days – such as this 60-Hour Sourdough – and that is assuming you already have a mature Sourdough Starter. There is Pumpernickel to top with finely sliced smoked salmon, a Crusty Roll to dip in hot soup, and golden shiny-skinned Brioche to accompany your first coffee of the day.
Whatever time you have, whatever your level of patience or interest, whether you like your bread fluffy and white, or dark and tangy, making your own bread is not only possible but one of the kitchen’s great joys. Fresh from the oven, with no adornment, toasted the next day with a good slathering of quietly melting butter, nothing tastes better than homemade bread.
Once you are underway with your bread-making journey, you will find that you are in very good company. And there are many chefs and food writers ready to spur you on. Take a look at our Bread Bookshelf for further inspiration. Happy baking!
Bread: Core recipes
The world of bread baking is infinite, which can seem a bit daunting if you are a newbie baker. We have a wealth of recipes, and whole books, to get stuck into once you are confident with your baking, or even just to drill down into a particular bread you want to explore. For example, search Challah, to find a host of recipes to try along with reference materials about the egg-enriched Jewish sabbath bread. But to get you started with bread, here are seven core recipes. From the simplest, a quick, yeast-free Irish soda bread, to a basic white loaf, and a basic wholemeal loaf. Sourdough is not just for lockdown, and if you want to start exploring the tangy, complex tastes of wild yeasts and the development of the perfect sourdough crumb, there is a recipe here for that all important starter, and a great sourdough loaf. The world of enriched doughs is epitomised by brioche, that deceptively light, buttery dough, that takes yeast-risen dough into a different, more indulgent world, and tastes of heaven. Take a look around, sniff fresh bread in the air, and if you like what you see explore our other bread collections.
Flatbreads are some of our most delicious breads, and very gratifying to make. The name explains what they have in common – they are all flat – and although some contain yeast, such as Middle Eastern lavash and pitta, many are unleavened, like Indian rotis. They are ideally suited to rapid cooking in the fierce heat of a wood-fired oven, in a tandoor, or on a hot griddle (or tawa). The latter is easiest to replicate in a domestic kitchen, and the open flame of a gas hob can stand in for the direct flame used to finish off chapatis (the phulka). Flatbreads are particularly prevalent in Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern cooking, and are ideally suited to scooping up a mouthful of an aromatic tagine or spiced curry.
Flaxseed Rye with an Old Bread Soaker from Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes by Jeffrey Hamelman
Rye grain was cultivated later than wheat, but produced for centuries the main bread-making flour in Northern Europe. Like wheat flour, rye flour can be lighter or darker, depending on how much of the outer layers of bran remain. Rye does have the same gluten-forming proteins as wheat, but to a lesser degree, so rye bread can be dense. Rye has its own complex flavor, is the preferred flour of many bakers, and is at the heart of the characteristic complex taste of many traditional Northern European loaves. It can also be mixed with wheat flours to create a lighter loaf but with some rye taste. From the light rye loaf you would choose for a classic salt beef sandwich, to the glory of a deep dark pumpernickel, rye bread is worth exploring.
Just as bread is our everyday food, it can put on its party clothes and join in the celebrations. With richer doughs, or sweet additions such as dried fruits or chocolate added to the mix, breads take the ordinary to the special. For a winter seasonal treat bake a Christmas Wreath, or the much beloved Italian treat Panettone. At Easter (or anytime) try this sweet-spiced Easter Tea Ring. Or simply bake any number of delicious combinations into your loaf to give breakfast, or teatime, a lift. A plain loaf with dried fruit or nuts can be a wonderful accompaniment to cheese.
We all know the story of how the Earl of Sandwich asked for meat between two slices of bread, as he was hungry and didn’t want to get his hands dirty or leave the gaming table, hence inventing the sandwich. Very ingenious. And certainly, bread is used for sandwiches, wraps and the like the world over. But many cultures also bake tasty inclusions and fillings into their loaves – a meal in one, or the basis for an extra special sandwich. The cheese breads of Georgia and Italy are especially prized, a super-charged take on bread and cheese. In India, look to the Naan for a bread that can readily lend itself to all manner of spiced and savory fillings.
Traditional Pretzels with Horseradish Mustard Dip from Gabriel Kreuther: The Spirit of Alsace by Gabriel Kreuther
Small hand-sized breads are made in many cultures. Easily portable, and with plenty of that all-important crust, they are more than simply smaller versions of a full loaf. Pretzels and bagels are famous for their chewy crumb, and their shiny surface with its particular texture – the result of boiling prior to baking. Whether dipping in soup, or filling with lox and schmear, there is a bread roll to suit.
Gluten is the thing that makes the stretch and chew of bread’s crumb. It is innate in wheat, and is developed when the dough is kneaded. However for those with coeliac it can be very dangerous if ingested. It is entirely possible to make great bread without gluten. It will be texturally different, and needs some care. Store bought gluten-free bread has improved immeasurably, as more of us adopt a gluten-free diet. But this is where making the bread at home makes all the difference. When gluten free bread is fresh, with ingredients from your home kitchen, you can produce a truly delicious loaf. Be sure to buy flour that is gluten-free, as many grains not labelled wheat still contain gluten. Always check the label or ask in store.
If you are taking the time to make your own bread, or even if you have leftover store-bought bread, there is no need for any waste. Bread is such a universal food that recipes using stale bread abound. Thrifty cooks the world over are inventive with their precious loaves, whether that means a scattering of crunchy breadcrumbs for texture, or building an entire dish around it. From the simple but glorious Italian tomato dish Pappa al Pomodoro, to the Lebanese Fatoush Salad, rich, fresh, and more expensive ingredients are extended by the inclusion of bread, and balanced by its starchy presence. The dessert course is equally inventive – find here several versions of the comforting classic Bread & Butter Pudding. Or try the unusual sounding and surprisingly wonderful Brown Bread Ice Cream.
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We speak to Niloufer Mavalvala about Parsi cooking, the fusion cuisine which is the subject of her cookbook quartet
Cat Black brings together a beginner’s guide, showing many different ways to make use of this versatile grain