Loafing Around Trivia Quiz

Answer: boule

This is my favorite bread shape because it is so easy to form. The name comes from the French word for "ball". This shape makes a wonderful bread bowl for soups or dips.

Answer: bagel

Bagels turn out better if you use high gluten flour, because this makes them chewy. The ring shape lets them cook evenly throughout, so you don't end up with an underdone middle and a rock-hard outer edge. It also came in handy in olden times since bagels could be threaded on a string or a stick to haul them to market.

Answer: salt

A leavening agent is what makes the dough rise. Breads made without a leavening agent are known as flatbreads.

Answer: bench flour

Before you dump your dough out to knead it, you need to sprinkle a generous amount of flour on the surface. Otherwise, it will stick like crazy, to the surface and to your hands. I was taught to knead until the dough feels like a baby's bottom.

Answer: brioche

Brioche is a luxurious bread that you haul out for the relatives at holidays. Several eggs and a little sugar go into the dough which makes it rich and sweet. Nuts and dried fruit are sometimes added, too.

Answer: magnesium sulfate

Quick breads are just that - quick. They do not need to sit and rise, but can be mixed up, dumped in a pan, and baked. They don't use yeast, so they need something else to make them not be a brick, such as baking powder or baking soda or both. Many beer bread recipes are quick bread recipes where the yeast in the beer acts as a leavener.

Answer: base

Creating a sponge allows the flour to hydrate and adds complexity to the flavor. Biga is the Italian name for this starter/sponge. My favorite bread recipe involves a sponge that sits out on the counter overnight. I am also fond of an Italian rustic bread recipe where the biga sits in the refrigerator overnight. Both create rustic-style breads with thick crust and fluffy interior.

Answer: peel

A peel is absolutely necessary for placing a rustic loaf (no pan) into the oven. The peel allows you to transfer the soft loaf of dough into the oven without wrecking the shape. It also lets you put it further back into the oven. A little flour or cornmeal sprinkled on the peel helps it slide off into the oven or the loaf can rest on a piece of parchment paper.

Answer: To allow steam generated during baking to escape without blowing open the top of the loaf.

When the heat of the oven hits the dough, the moisture inside converts to steam and expands; it has to escape. Slitting the top of the loaf lets you decide where the steam will come out, as opposed to just letting the crust blast open wherever it wants. This is also called scoring the bread.

Answer: It reacts to moisture in the dough and heat in the oven

Baking powder contains a pair of acids. One starts working in the bowl when the liquids are added which is why you must not leave the dough sitting out for hours and hours after the baking powder goes in. The second reaction is triggered by the heat of the oven.