Bread is an important food for consumers. We buy it every day and consume it at every meal. The term bread not only gives food its name, but it also stands for food as a whole and for livelihood. This becomes clear in the vernacular, who speaks of earning his bread or standing in wages and bread. Many cultures have always attributed magical properties to bread. Bread and salt are symbols of hospitality and a source of energy. When moving into a new apartment, the bread should bring wealth, fertility, and health to the tenant. Crossing the bread three times on the underside before cutting is a Christian ritual that expresses the trinity of God. This ritual is to bless the bread and thank God.
Benefits of Bread
Bread today is available in more than 300 varieties. There is white bread, brown bread, and many more which have numerous benefits as per the material from which they are made. But in general, the benefits of bread can be as follows:
1. Add energy
Besides being practical and small in size, bread is also able to provide more power to the body. This is of course because bread contains quite a lot of carbohydrates in it. It is known, in a piece of bread has a carbohydrate content of 37 grams for our bodies. So this one food is very suitable to eat in the morning for breakfast as well as boost stomach to be able to indulge in the morning until noon. Because it tastes bland, maybe you should add fillings such as milk, jam, or sugar to this bread to make it more delicious to eat.
2. There is Fiber
Fiber in bread is very functional in digestive problems so that the digestive system can be healthier.
Fiber changes the gastrointestinal tract, especially the small and large intestines. It plays an important role in preventing lifestyle diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cancer. There is no healthy diet without enough fiber. In addition, thanks to its many substances, it promotes the production of the proper amount of saliva and gastric juice in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, bread contributes to the normal functioning of the entire gastrointestinal tract. Bran bread, the use of which is largely obligatory for fiber, is desirable to include in your diet. However, do not overeat with it, since a lot of fiber can also be harmful.
3. Can Overcome Calluses Occurrence
In addition to containing beneficial ingredients, it turns out that you can use bread to treat skin problems. Here has been noted that, you just need to soak the bread in vinegar and then place it on the foot that has been callused for the night so that the callus is gone from your feet.
4. There is Calcium for Bone Health
This healthy food turns out to have a calcium content that is very sufficient in maintaining bone health and can prevent osteoporosis. For those of you who want healthy , you should consider consuming daily bread.
5. Bread provides many opportunities to diversify your daily diet
There are dozens of types of this product in stores, and even more options are offered to us by a homemade bread machine, with which we can bake the kind that we need or like best. You can choose between whole grain or bran, yeast-free, white, rye, from mixed flour. Anyone can choose an option for themselves, their taste needs, energy, and health.
6. Bread contains protein
This information is often overlooked and even considered trivial. Protein is the main building component of body tissues. The same applies to bread, since the same grains contain easily digestible protein. In addition, milk or whey proteins can be used in the preparation. This makes bread a very good source of protein. The best protein that is digested is the protein of oats, rye, and wheat. The benefit of rye bread is also that rye bread protein is easily absorbed by people. On average, bread contains from 4 to 10-15% protein, which will satisfy even 20-35% of the average person’s daily protein requirement.
How do you choose good bread?
Simple. Don’t get carried away by cheap bread. A well-made example of baking followed the right recipe, added the appropriate doses of each ingredient, and respected the fermentation times. These conditions combined result in a better quality and longer-lasting bread. The crust must be crispy, thick, and make that crunchy noise that Ratatouille teaches in the homonymous film. The thicker the crust, the more protection the crumb has, which must be fluffy. However, each bread behaves differently. Pieces of bread that contain fat in their composition, such as butter or oil, or too much sugar, last longer.
Is it still hot? Don’t try to keep it that way.
Closing a hot loaf so you don’t lose the heat is a big mistake. If you want to enjoy the warm bread, you will have to eat it right away. If the idea is to serve it later, then let it air until it cools down completely before serving or storing. The steam released by the bread freely accommodated in the common supermarket plastic bags forms the ideal environment for fungi that cause mold to develop happily.
In general, there are three things to keep in mind when storing bread:
- A room temperature of 18 to 22 degrees is ideal.
- The bread should be stored in such a way that air can circulate, preferably in a breathable bread box. If there is an air jam, the moisture released from the bread can cause mold to form quickly.
- It must be protected from drying out.
How to store bread after baking?
Bread was called father and breadwinner, and a house in which there is no smell of pastries was considered poor. The bread was worshiped like the sun, and in ancient times it replaced gold. People have always carefully preserved bread, a symbol of prosperity, trying not to make it moldy and not to become stiff, since it was considered a great sin to throw out the father and breadwinner. Some ways were used in the ancient times to preserve bread which is still followed.
1. Storing bread in cloth or paper
Our ancestors wrapped bread in a linen towel or canvas so it kept its freshness and taste for a long time. Some housewives knew special secrets on how best to store bread so that no crumbs would be lost. They placed the loaf in white cloth or paper so that it remained soft and tender all week so every family always had fresh pastries without daily worries by the stove.
- Saving bread without using cloth and paper
- A great way is a plastic bag in which holes are made, but the second time it is not recommended to use the bag. The bread wrapped in cellophane remains soft for five days.
- Fresh pastries can be stored in a tightly closed pan if you put an apple in it – in this case, fragrant and lush buns will delight you for at least 2-3 days.
- To keep the bread fresh for a long time, there is such an old way: you need to cut a hole loaf or loaf of bread not from the edge, but from the middle. After dividing the loaf in half, cut the desired number of slices from the middle, and fold the remaining parts tightly with slices to each other, and store. Thus, the bread remains as if protected on both sides and does not stale longer.
2. Using bread box
Our grandmothers knew where to store bread in the kitchen – of course, in the bread box, since no plastic bags would replace this valuable kitchen device. Bread bins are made of plastic, wood, and stainless steel, and the best material for them is metal, since it has good thermal properties and does not absorb odors. Plastic is not durable, and you need to carefully care for a wooden bread box so that it does not become damp.
However, In contrast to stainless steel and plastic, bread boxes made of natural materials can absorb moisture. Wooden boxes have an antibacterial effect due to the naturally occurring tannic acid in the wood. They also absorb the moisture from the bread, but no longer release it. Therefore, they are very suitable for bread storage. So that the bread in the wooden box does not dry out too quickly, pack it in a paper bag. This improves the air circulation in the crate and the bread stays fresh longer.
There is also a lump of clay or ceramic bread pot that absorbs water over its unglazed surface and transports it to the outside. A practical example of a bread storage made of ceramic is the Roman pot. The floor inside is glazed and therefore easy to clean, while the unglazed lid ensures the necessary air exchange. The clay not only absorbs moisture from the bread – it returns it when necessary. This makes this material ideal for bread storage, provided that the Roman pot is not completely glazed. Then, like the plastic and stainless steel models, it needs air holes for air exchange. The glaze also takes away the effect of moisture return.
In a good bread box, baked goods can be stored for a week, if white and black bread is kept separately, since rye loaves have a higher humidity. For this reason, it is recommended to buy a bread box with two or three sections, and if you have a regular model, then keep the bread in plastic bags. It is advisable to remove crumbs from the breadbasket every day, and once a week it should be washed and dried well. If you put a small piece of sugar, an apple slice, or peeled potato in the bread box, you can reduce the humidity and extend the life of the bread.
The place for the bread box should be carefully selected. If it was too close to the hob, the bread would quickly become moldy due to the steam. The same applies to the microwave. It is also advised against a place directly at the window: the air draft ensures that the bread loses moisture more quickly and becomes dry.
3. Refrigerator
If you bought a lot of bread and you need to leave for a few days, you can safely leave the bread in the refrigerator. At a low temperature, bread is not prone to mold and remains fresh for a long time, if you follow some rules. Such as:
- In the refrigerator, it is better to store bread in a plastic bag with openings, in a fabric bag, or paper packaging that reliably protects products from extraneous aromas and maintains optimal humidity.
- If you put a pinch of salt in gauze in each bag, it will not become a catch of mold bacteria, even if the refrigerator turns off.
- For the freezer, it is better to cut the bread into pieces and pack it in portions in foil. How much bread can be stored in the refrigerator depends on the temperature – in the freezer, it will lie perfectly for a month, and on the top shelf of the refrigerator – about three weeks.
- It is strongly recommended not to store bakery products in the refrigerator that have already begun to deteriorate, otherwise the fungus will spread to other products. Also, do not put hot baked goods in the refrigerator, as the compressor may fail.
- It’s best to keep bread wrapped in a linen napkin in a juniper or birch biscuit, as these materials are excellent natural antiseptics. Try not to buy or bake bread for the future, and then there will be no problem where to get fresh and tasty pastries every day. Well, if the bread is still stiffened, feed it to the birds or prepare croutons.
4. Special bags
Another modern option is special bags, which are sold in supermarkets and department stores. They consist of three layers: the top and a lining of cotton fabric, and between them is a layer of perforated polyethylene. Such bags allow you to save the useful substances of bread and its freshness for a very long time.
5. Let the bread cool down first
If you yourself have baked bread, before you put it away for storage, you should definitely completely cool it for three hours. Chilled bread is better to cut and does not crumble under a knife. Cool the bread on a wire rack, taking it out of shape and hiding it from drafts.
6. Store different types of bread separately
Black and white bread cannot be stored together, since the mixing of bread yeast leads to spoilage: the bread begins to mold. In addition, white bread in this case acquires a specific smell of black. Therefore, layout different types of bread in paper or plastic bags.
7. Use of salt
A handful of salt put in a tightly closed bread box will protect bread from mold.
8. Use sealed container
It is best to keep the bread in a sealed container. You can choose to store special bread bins – for example, metal, plastic, wooden. Such containers should be tight enough and have a minimum area of ventilation openings, and they should also stand in a dry, bright place so that no mold quickly forms in the shade.
9. Store bread at room temperature
Although at first glance it seems the worst solution, bread at room temperature retains its texture best. To best store your bread, it is important to place it in a room where the temperature does not exceed 18 ° C. In the ambient air, bulky round or elongated pieces of bread will keep their freshness better than long or small pieces of bread.
Wrap it with a clean cloth and then ideally place it in a bread box or a storage box. To keep your bread fresh and crisp and not dry out, place a source of moisture next to the bread like an apple cut in half. However, contrary to popular belief, do not place it in a closed plastic bag. This environment will indeed promote the softening of the bread. Hard bread should be kept in a paper bag.
10. Accompany your bread with an apple
The apple has good virtues in the conservation of bread. Indeed, if you put your bread in an airtight box, you can place half an apple next to it. It will absorb all the moisture. However, if you don’t have it, sugar will do just fine as will the celery stalk. However, this tip disappears as and when customs. The ideal temperature is similar to that of your room, around 19 to 20 ° C.
11. Choose the right bread according to use
You know in advance that you will not run to the bakery before each meal, or even each day. In this case, learn how to choose the best bread (composition and shape) for you. Rye and wholemeal, for example, keep longer than white or country bread. Just like a round shape keeps longer than a baguette, because it has a larger surface.
12. Use of ceramic container
The best container for storing bread is a ceramic container . This in particular is effective in balancing humidity and air circulation which are fundamental both for keeping the inside of the bread soft and the crispy crust. Rarer in our area, but also a bamboo container works very well. However, avoid cramming the container with too much bread to keep the humidity level low. If you keep the bread in a container of this type, do not wrap it in paper because doing so will trap the humidity, ruining the crust more easily.
13. Double bag
Paper bag + plastic bag: To keep the bread fresh and crispy for 2-3 days, you can put it first in a paper food bag, then in a plastic bag. The humidity that the bread gives away is absorbed by the paper bag and the plastic bag will limit its exposure to the air, preventing it from becoming hard.
14. Protect the bread from the direct sun
The sun’s rays are direct enemies of the freshness of the bread: the bread will dry much faster if exposed to the sun.
15. Prefer large loaves
Large loaves last longer. Choose loaves of rustic bread: it also lasts two days longer than other types of bread.
16. Take out o the freezer in the morning
When you use it, you either take it out in the morning for the evening, so that it thaws slowly , or you pass a little in the oven. In this way the bread recovers and regains crispness, and can be consumed with satisfaction.
Use of stale bread
If the bread is still stiffened, in no case throw it away! There are ways to make it not only useful, but also very tasty.
- Cut into thin slices, dry, and serve in the form of crackers. They should be stored in clean linen bags. Rusks can also be used for breading, cooking jelly, casseroles, or eat with broth.
- If the loaf of stale bread is sprinkled with water and placed in the oven for 3-5 minutes at a temperature of 150-160 ° C, then the bread again acquires the properties of freshness.
- Another way to refresh stale bread is to place a smaller pan on a stand in a large pot of water. Put bread in it, cover, and hold over low heat until the smell of fresh bread appears.
- If a whole loaf has become stiff, it is necessary to cut it into pieces no more than one centimeter thick. Sliced pieces must be put in a colander or sieve, can be tied in a gauze bag, and arranged over boiling water at a height of 2-3 cm.
- Hot bread does not lose its freshness for a long time if it is placed in a thermos with a wide throat. In the same way, you can reanimate stale cookies, rolls, and any dough products.
- In addition, from stale bread you can cook bread – cheese – egg casserole. It is made according to the following recipe: cut the bread into small cubes. Combine butter, eggs, salt, and pepper. Beat the resulting mixture with a mixer or manually. Lubricate the mold with oil. Put crackers, pour the resulting egg mixture and wait 20 minutes until they are soaked. Sprinkle with any grated cheese on top and put in the oven for 20-25 minutes.