Bread is a staple food of Europe, the Middle East and India that is prepared by baking, steaming or frying dough. The primary ingredients are flour and water. Salt, fat and a leavening agent such as yeast are usually used too. There are many types of breads which may contain other ingredients: milk, egg, sugar, spice, fruit (such as raisins), vegetables (such as onion), nuts (such as walnuts) or seeds (such as poppy seeds). Nice to eat!Fresh bread is prized for its taste and texture, and retaining its freshness is important to keep it appetizing. Bread that has stiffened or dried past its prime is said to be stale. Modern bread is often wrapped in paper or plastic film, or stored in an airtight container such as a breadbox to keep it fresh longer. Bread that is kept in warm, moist environments is prone to the growth of mold. It becomes stale more quickly in the low temperature of a refrigerator, although by keeping it cool, mold is less likely to grow.The inner, soft part of bread is referred to as the crumb, which is not to be confused with small bits of bread that often fall off, called crumbs. The latter term is in common use, while crumb is an esoteric word used mainly by culinary professionals. The outer hard portion of bread is referred to as the crust.

Sourdough starter is a tricky ingredient to work with, but can make some of the best tasting breads you'll ever eat. This article takes some of the mystery out of the process and helps you get consistent results.

The work of Peter Callesen, who lives and works out of Copenhagen, has been catching my eye as of late. What I find so smart and compelling about it, beyond the obvious mastery of the technique, is the fact that the process of making is revealed by leaving what's cut.

Make your own sourdough!Making bread at home is incredibly rewarding.Homemade bread is almost always going to taste great; but to make really outstanding bread, you need to take a few steps to slow the bread making process down, and sourdough baking is a great way to do this.

Processed food, from potato chips and cookies to yogurt and white bread, are loaded with sugars that cause the body to believe that it is hungry, which makes people feel compelled to consume more calories and conserve energy. Sugar makes the body produce more insulin, which blocks hormones that would normally tell the brain to stop eating.

"After a good many trials and errors, I thought of a chair which finish is uncertain until it has been baked in a kiln and of its making process, and named it after a food that everybody in the world is familiar with."