Anyone that has dined with us is aware of my love for bread. Good bread! Many a restaurant server has received my scorn when they have attempted to remove uneaten bread from the table. Rick Easton, the James Beard award nominated owner of the Bread & Salt Bakery in Jersey City, New Jersey, has coauthored with journalist Melissa McCart “Bread and How To Eat It” (Knopf).
This is a book about bread. How to make it and how to eat it. Home cooks will discover everything they need for baking their own bread (although Easton strongly recommends you frequent your local bakery), things to make with bread (bread meatballs, pasta with bread crumbs and cauliflower), things to eat with bread (greens and beans), and, of course, the ultimate guide to sandwiches including one with anchovies I am looking forward to trying. There are lots of great photographs, detailed recipes and bread-making instructions. At the end of the book, there are two pages of resources on recommended products.
Charlyn Fargo Ware is a master bread maker and teaches bread making for Lincoln Land Community College Community Education. Her full-time gig is as a registered dietician at SIU School of Medicine. I asked her, why bread? Her reply was, “I've always loved bread. I love the challenge of making it from scratch, getting my hands full of flour and working out the day's frustrations by kneading it.”
I followed up by asking if bread was healthy. “The healthiest bread is bread made from whole wheat flour — full of fiber — rather than from white flour (fiber removed). Mixing whole grains is another great way to boost the fiber content. Fiber makes us feel full, helps our microbiome, keeps us regular and even helps lower cholesterol.” Finally, I asked what to look for when purchasing bread amongst all the choices at the grocery store. “When it comes to bread you purchase, look for bread that has whole wheat listed as the first ingredient. And look for at least 2-3 grams of fiber per slice. That's an easy way to know it's a healthy bread. Think of bread like potatoes — it's not the potatoes that are unhealthy, it's what is added to the potato — the butter, sour cream, bacon and cheese. Adding butter and jelly to bread can add calories fast.
The authors recommend when purchasing a loaf of bread (never sliced for it will dry out faster) consider “color of the crust.” Is it blond or brown or reddened? Are there gradients of color? Slow, cold fermentation allows the conversion of more of the starch to sugar, which allows for caramelization, giving the crust a rich, honey color. When you see smooth, pale breads it’s often the result of a very fast process. It is important to purchase a good bread knife and always slice it at home. Remember, as soon as you slice bread it starts to dry out.
Essential ingredients for making bread according to the authors are;
- Flour. They advise using organic stone milled high extraction flour. “If you don’t have some assurance that the wheat has not been treated, pesticides and fungicides can be ground up with the wheat berries and you will be eating it. Some brands to look for are King Arthur, Bob’s Red Mill or Central Milling.”
- Salt. They suggest trying salts from different seas to see which you prefer. Look for the least refined that does not contain any anti-caking agents. I was surprised to read that they do not recommend kosher salt as it is close to 100 percent sodium chloride that provides a “pure salinity that is possible only through chemical refinement.”
The authors write that a sandwich is probably the most popular way to eat bread. When choosing bread for sandwiches they recommend considering the texture and structure of the bread. “Ask yourself, will I be able to bite through this sandwich?” Hard crusted loaves can be “too thick and the interior too soft “to provide the right construction. If using this type of bread, they suggest cutting it and serving it open face. Also ask yourself if the bread will adequately “stand up to the intended fillings.”
The authors include how to prepare bread and chocolate, two of my personal favorite food groups. One variation is to “butter a piece of good bread, toast it, then grate your favorite chocolate on top, and let it melt a little onto the warm bread. Top ii off with strong olive oil and maybe a little salt.”
My thanks to Charlyn Fargo Ware for her assistance and Amy from Knopf. I close with the following quote.
“Bread is like the sun. It rises in the yeast and sets in the waist.” Author unknown
About
Lincoln Land Community College offers credit programs in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management and Baking/Pastry, and non-credit cooking and food classes through LLCC Community Education.
Cooking or food questions? Email epicuriosity101@llcc.edu.