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More about bread
Bread preparation
Bread preparation has changed over time – from crushed cereals mixed with water into porridge, baked, round and flat small loafs to leavened dough, which the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians knew how to prepare centuries before Christ. Mostly, bread was prepared from dough to which some leftover dough from previous baking was added. It was not until the 17th century that the invention of the microscope allowed us to determine the substance responsible for fermentation and, consequently, leavened dough. With the deliberate use of yeast, bread became soft, light and supple. Yeast is composed of fungi, which require food in the form of sugar and starch for their growth and development. A by-product of their feeding is a gas – carbon dioxide. In preparing dough lactic acid bacteria can be used too. The dough can be prepared by directly adding all ingredients at one time and then kneading them together. Alternatively, we first prepare the yeast mixture, while the final kneading follows after resting and maturation in several stages. Bread made from such dough is more aromatic and preserves its freshness longer.
Before shaping it in its final form the dough should rest for some time. After it gets the desired shape, it will rise due to the gas that develops when bubbles of carbon dioxide are caught in the glutenous structure of the dough. Once the dough rises, parts of it are baked in a bread oven for 15-60 minutes at a temperature of 200-300 degrees Celsius, depending on the weight, dough composition and shape.
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