Bread Recipes: Bread Basics

In the West and among other societies that prefer bread over rice, bread is the staple food.

Bread's history dates back from the Neolithic period for which, as historians assert, grain pastes made from roughly grinded cereal were discovered deliberately or accidentally by prehistoric people. Descendants of these early breads are apparently made from various grains such as the Indian chapatti, North American johnnycake and Mexican tortilla.

The same goes with the leavened bread, which later became the source of leavened bread recipes that we now enjoy.

In history, it is noted that prehistoric people first discovered leavened breads. This seem logical since any bread, if rested in air will gain air-borne yeast. While leavening is likely to root from ancient knowledge, the earliest findings we have are of ancient Egyptian origin.

There were so many possibilities of gathering yeast from air. The most basic of which entail the exposure of uncooked bread in air to harvest yeast. In some regions, early forms of fermentation were employed to create lighter breads. Such is the case of incorporating beer foam into the bread. Another form of leavening bread includes the production of grape juice and wheat paste to induce fermentation. However, among those regions that produce neither beer nor wine usually make use of a sort of sourdough starter by making use of dough left a day before.

Bread is normally prepared by steaming, baking and frying. The basic ingredients include water and flour for which salt is sometimes added. Leavening agents in the form of yeast and other synthetic leavening agents are incorporated into the mixture to create softer and lighter breads. For decorative purpose and added flavors, seeds and slices are often mixed.

Depending on the region where the type of bread is consumed varying choices of toppings are used. These include nut butter, sweet spreads (preserved or not) such as marmalade, jam or honey, and other savory spreads. These spreads may also be used as enclosures to several layers of breads such as for sandwiches.

While most bread are eaten after baking, people can often choose to reheat it by means of toasting. Breads can be served from any temperature ranging from hot to refrigerated.

As the basic ingredients, water and flour are usually the main parameters in all bread recipes for producing good and bad breads and varying bread texture and crumb. For professional bakers, they normally use Bakers' Percentage for their bread recipe formulations in measuring ingredients. This process works by measuring weight rather than volume, which is more effective (and useful) for dry ingredients.

Flour, a grain product that was grounded to powdery consistency is always the component that provides the structure for all breads. Flour comes in many forms including barley, rye and maize but the most typical ingredient used is the wheat flour that has considerably higher percentage of gluten. Gluten is the component that gives volume, elasticity and sponginess to bread.

Water or other forms of liquid seem to be the primary agent in turning the flour into paste or dough. Depending on the bread recipe, the volume of liquid required can vary from 1:3 ratio, one being the liquid and the other parts as flour.

Leavening on the other hand is a method for incorporating gas into the batter or dough mixture. This may be done organically or chemically such as the case of yeast and baking powder or soda.

With the evolution of the bread come great innovations on the types for which the bread came. All variations are possible due to these three and other supplementary ingredients.

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