The Art and Science of Bread Making

Bread making dates back over 30,000 years. Initially, grains were just chewed. Fermentation was a happy accident, leading to the first leavened breads in Egypt around 4,000 BCE.

Leavening bread involves fermentation. Yeast consumes sugars, releasing carbon dioxide and alcohol, causing dough to rise. Sourdough utilizes wild yeast and lactobacilli, creating a distinct taste through a longer fermentation.

Different cultures use various grains for bread. Wheat, rye, barley, corn, and rice are common. Ancient grains like spelt, emmer, and einkorn are gaining popularity for their nutritional profiles and flavors.

Kneading dough develops gluten, which gives bread structure and chewiness. The process aligns gluten strands, creating a strong network that traps gases from yeast, allowing the bread to rise properly.

The first rise, or bulk fermentation, is crucial for flavor and texture. A second rise after shaping can improve texture further. Some artisan breads may undergo long, cold fermentations for complex flavors.

Baking bread isn't just about applying heat. Steam in the oven's early stages ensures the crust remains thin and stretchy, allowing for maximum expansion. The Maillard reaction imparts a golden color and rich flavor.

Cooling isn't just a waiting period. It's essential for texture and flavor development. The crust sets, the crumb stabilizes, and moisture redistributes. Slicing bread too soon can lead to a gummy texture.

In 1939, a bakery explosion in London was so powerful it shattered windows over a mile away, due to a yeast over-fermentation mishap.