| DO THE FINAL TOUCHES BEFORE BAKING FOR YEASTED BREADS: After you turn on the oven to preheat, it is time to give some finishing touches. Use a clean, soft pastry brush to apply a thin coating. Here are some of my favorites. Glazing Before Baking: When applying a finishing touch before baking, be careful not to "glue" the loaf to the rim of the loaf pan or the baking sheet. This will make it difficult to remove the loaf from the pan after baking. If it does, use a sharp knife to the bread from the pan's sides if it does. Glazing After Baking: Transfer the loaf or rolls to a wire cooling rack, then apply the prepared finishing touch using a soft brush while the bread is still warm. This is done to add flavor to the bread and to soften the texture of the crust. GLAZES: Egg Wash: will give a shiny, golden look to the crust as well as make a harder crust. This is my favorite. Beat together 1 egg or 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon of water. (1 whole egg will impart more color because of the yolk.) Apply it right before baking. If you forget, you can brush your loaf five minutes before it's ready to come out of the oven. |
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| Egg White Wash - Seeded Breads: Poppy, caraway, sesame seed or rolled oats are eye-appealing and tasty toppings. Poppy seeds produce a crunchy and nutty flavor in the bread. Sesame seeds are small oval-shaped seeds of the sesamum family. They are pearly white in color and produce a rich, toasted nut flavor. Whisked egg whites make a great "glue" and are used to glue one piece of dough to another. Take 1 or 2 large egg whites beaten with 1 teaspoon water and brush on the bread dough before baking. Let it set a second and then reapply and immediately sprinkle on your seeds. You could try patting the seeds down gently. The egg white wash acts as a glue. Butter: adds flavor and a nice brown soft crust to your bread. Brush top of loaf with about 2 tablespoons softened butter. Honey: gives it a soft, sweet, sticky dark brown crust to a sweet dough if a few tablespoons honey are brushed on top of a loaf before baking. For a soft, sweet, sticky crust, brush a baked, still-warm bread from the oven with honey. Milk: you'll get a slightly soft or tender crust, with a golden color if you brush loaves with warm milk before baking. For a slightly sweeter glaze, dissolve a little sugar in it. Olive Oil: adds flavor and makes a nice golden crust with a slight shine. Do so immediately before and after baking. Salted Water: makes for a light shine and crisp golden crust. Mix together 1 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons water. Brush on right before popping in the oven. Cornstarch Glaze: For a chewy crust with a sheen, brush the dough with a mixture of cornstarch and water that has been cooked until translucent and then cooled. Professional bakers also use this glaze. Combine 1/2 cup cold water and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. In a small saucepan, with a small whisk, stir together water and cornstarch. Heat mixture to a gentle boil. Stir, reduce heat, until mixture thickens and is translucent. Cool. Brush on loaf about 10 minutes before baking is finished and again 3 minutes before bread is completely done. |
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FOR FRENCH, SOURDOUGH OR SPONGE ARTISAN BREADS: Slashing: The scoring of some breads before baking is done for a couple of reasons. First, for a beautiful visual appearance and second, this scoring allows the dough to expand quickly during baking so it reaches its maximum volume. It also prevents a "blow out" from happening if bubbles appear under the crust and then burst. Slashing was used historically to also give a distinctive slash to a bread baked along with others in a French communal oven. Since the bread of each household would be mixed with others, a distinctive slash was one way to tell the loaves apart. For regular and large-sized breads: After the shaped Sourdough or Sponge dough rises, glaze and slash top 3-4 times with sharp knife, lightly sprayed with vegetable oil, to prevent dragging. Cut each about 1/4 inch deep at a 30 degree angle. To slash small breads, such as rolls, you can snip a crisscross with kitchen shears. Cut the dough about an inch deep into each roll. You can also slash it if desired. Steam: For a crisp crust on a rustic or sourdough loaf, brush or lightly spray with water. Heat a pan in the oven while preheating and add hot water after you place the loaf in the oven. Quickly shut the door. |
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