Any experts on toasting bread?

[rush]

Hi, I love toasted bread that maintains that crunchy texture on the surface... but from my experience, it's just not that simple...

It would be great if Alton Brown had an episode on the science of toasting bread - superior method (oven, fry pan, toaster oven, toaster, etc) and superior bread (white, whole grain, wheat, rye, etc).

From my experience, I noticed that the more natural the bread, the better the crunchy texture. For example, rye bread maintains that crunchiness for the duration of the meal.

On the other hand, my favorite brand name loaf of bread is "Home Pride" white bread (butter top). Not sure why it's called "butter top," 'cause I don't taste any butter... but I love it because it's always soft and it's lovely for PB&J sandwiches.

That said, Home Pride does not hold up to toasting. The crunchy texture lasts about a minute or two, and then the bread becomes stale and tenacious... don't know what that's about. I guess white bread has been altered too much, and it just doesn't have enough of that natural goodness to maintain the crunchiness like rye bread.

However, I also buy the loaf of artisan french bread that are directly made by the bakery of the supermarkets. Even though it's white bread, the toast holds up very well. The downfall however, is that the individual slices of bread simply aren't large enough for sandwich purposes... they're more intended for dipping in soup, or spreading butter on 'em, etc. But individually, they're very small. It would work if the market could slice the loaf of bread on a bias, but they said the machine doesn't work like that...

So is there a really good secret to toasting brand name white bread? Or is it pretty much impossible, due to all the processing?

Thanks as always!

 

[Andy M.]

What are you using to toast? Toaster or toaster oven?

I use a toaster oven and find that if I leave toast in the oven after the cycle shuts off the oven, the bread drys out and becomes brittle. A a result, I take the toast out right away at the end of the cycle and set it out to cool.

 

[LPBeier]

and set it out to cool.

Oh, I could never do that!

I have to get my margarine on immediately so it melts properly into the toast!

 

[Andy M.]

Oh, I could never do that!

I have to get my margarine on immediately so it melts properly into the toast!

Of course! But, if you make toast with fresh bread, there is residual moisture in the bread. If you lay the slices of bread flat on a plate when they are hot out of the toaster, moisture will collect under the toast making it soggy.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Of course! But, if you make toast with fresh bread, there is residual moisture in the bread. If you lay the slices of bread flat on a plate when they are hot out of the toaster, moisture will collect under the toast making it soggy.

What plate?

 

[LPBeier]

Of course! But, if you make toast with fresh bread, there is residual moisture in the bread. If you lay the slices of bread flat on a plate when they are hot out of the toaster, moisture will collect under the toast making it soggy.

I have been making toast all my life and the only times it has ever been soggy is when I have taken it out of the freezer with ice crystals on it and have toasted it before thawing the bread. Maybe condensation on toast is an American thing

 

[LPBeier]

What plate?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I have been making toast all my life and the only times it has ever been soggy is when I have taken it out of the freezer with ice crystals on it and have toasted it before thawing the bread. Maybe condensation on toast is an American thing

Possibly that self-clean cycle on the toaster...

 

[Aunt Bea]

You get out what you put in. Supermarket white bread is pretty much air and water, those two items are kind of hard to toast.

 

[taxlady]

Of course! But, if you make toast with fresh bread, there is residual moisture in the bread. If you lay the slices of bread flat on a plate when they are hot out of the toaster, moisture will collect under the toast making it soggy.

I leave my bread in the toaster a little while after it's done just to avoid "toast sweat".

 

[taxlady]

The best toast is when you just lay the slices of bread straight on a wood stove. I've never tried it with white bread.

 

[rush]

What are you using to toast? Toaster or toaster oven?

I use a toaster oven and find that if I leave toast in the oven after the cycle shuts off the oven, the bread drys out and becomes brittle. A a result, I take the toast out right away at the end of the cycle and set it out to cool.

I use a fry pan.

My toaster's in the closet, so I need to make space for it.

As for the toaster oven, it's horrible. My sister got it, and it turns bread to bricks. I like that golden brown crust on the surface of my toast. Can't get that on this toaster oven, without it turning into a stone.

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

I use a toaster and a rather twee toast rack, I prefer my toast to be brown by nature and brown by design. I like my toast cold and crisp like a thick version of Melba toast, the butter has to be cold and unsalted. The twee rack facilitates this. How can anyone use limp "soldiers" to dip in a boiled egg, its just not cricket!
Here endeth my anal post of the day.
Ps cockney rhyming slang for toast is holy ghost with good reason.

 

[DaveSoMD]

Hi, I love toasted bread that maintains that crunchy texture on the surface... but from my experience, it's just not that simple...

It would be great if Alton Brown had an episode on the science of toasting bread - superior method (oven, fry pan, toaster oven, toaster, etc) and superior bread (white, whole grain, wheat, rye, etc).

There is a Good Eats episode on toast. It is called Toast Modern.

 

[pacanis]

... How can anyone use limp "soldiers" to dip in a boiled egg, its just not cricket!
...

You use your fork to push the bread into the yolk and wipe up the plate with the limp... errr... soldier
Of course, it helps if you're American and holding the fork in the "wrong" hand anyway, using your off hand to hold onto the bread.

I like my toast lightly golden and soft. Much more toasted than that is inviting crumbs all over the table (and my shirt) as I bite into it. The older the bread, the toastier the toast due to the lack of moisture in the bread. I've always preferred store bought bread for toast, but if I wanted it crispy, I would take the slices out of the bag before I started cooking breakfast so they could dry out some.

 

[Uncle Bob]

I make toast on a 12 in. cast iron griddle. I use Whole Wheat... buttered first. The buttered side sizzles when it's flipped over. Crispness is determined by time/temperature on the griddle....Extremely hot and quick will produce a crisp surface and soft inside...Medium low for a longer period will produce an over all crisper toast....Very low temperature for a long time will produce a Cracker. I usually go for the medium low toast version ~~ In fact, I'm head to the kitchen rat now!!!!

 

[taxlady]

I make toast on a 12 in. cast iron griddle. I use Whole Wheat... buttered first. The buttered side sizzles when it's flipped over. Crispness is determined by time/temperature on the griddle....Extremely hot and quick will produce a crisp surface and soft inside...Medium low for a longer period will produce an over all crisper toast....Very low temperature for a long time will produce a Cracker. I usually go for the medium low toast version ~~ In fact, I'm head to the kitchen rat now!!!!

 

[Kayelle]

I leave my bread in the toaster a little while after it's done just to avoid "toast sweat".

Toast sweat.

If I'm doing several pieces in the toaster,I avoid toast sweat by making tee pee's with the pieces, so they can't lay on a surface.

 

[taxlady]

Toast sweat.

If I'm doing several pieces in the toaster,I avoid toast sweat by making tee pee's with the pieces, so they can't lay on a surface.

Yup, me too.

I heard the term "toast seat" on Frasier. He or his dad was complaining about the other one leaving toast sweat on the counter.

 

[Andy M.]

Yup, me too.

I heard the term "toast seat" on Frasier. He or his dad was complaining about the other one leaving toast sweat on the counter.

It had to be Frasier's dad who was complaining about toast sweat. Frasier would have called it toast perspiration.