Top 10 Breads of the World

front of bread

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Across the globe, breads of all shapes and sizes are a staple part of cultural cuisine. Traceable back to pre-historic times, bread is one of the oldest forms of fare, and to this day is one of the most comforting. We take a culinary journey round the world to discover some of the best breads the planet has to offer.

Bagel 

A dense and doughy, ring-shaped snack that is said to originate from 16th Century Poland. Boiled and then baked, these wheat-based bread products were often given as a gift to women in childbirth. Since the middle of the 19th Century, they’ve been sold in the Brick Lane area of London, and they were brought to the US by Polish-Jewish migrants. Traditionally served with cream cheese and lox, or salt beef and mustard, a shipment was even taken into space on the 2008 shuttle!

individual rolls Top 10 Breads of the World

Brioche 

A rich and buttery Viennoiserie, this Gallic delicacy is light and pillowy, with a fine, shiny crust. Often embellished with fruit or chocolate chips, this flexible foodstuff is great at breakfast or as dessert, but can also be served toasted to accompany foie gras or soup. Hailing from Norman origins, a region famous for the quality of its butter, its name derives from the French verb broyer, which means to break or grind.

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Meyer Lemon Cranberry Scones

meyer lemon cranberry scones

Once I had discovered I liked fresh cranberries, I stocked up. Fortunately cranberries keep very well, so I made sure to buy plenty just in case I had a sudden cranberry craving.

Not long after I had bought the cranberries did I find myself wanting to bake something delicious….

I pondered what would go well with the cranberries. After thinking about some of the flavors I used in the candied cranberries, I decided to go with something citrusy.

meyer lemons Meyer Lemon Cranberry Scones

I went with scones because I recently made some organic pumpkin scones that went over well. There are so many different varieties of scones, and they are so conveniently sized!

I made a huge batch of these scones and sent some home with my boyfriend over Thanksgiving. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the bright flavor from the Meyer lemon zest and fresh cranberry combo.

And you would not believe how long they kept the fresh baked smell.

1 scone Meyer Lemon Cranberry Scones

I ate my scones with coffee – a perfect start to any day! [Read more...]

Organic Pumpkin Scones

Re-edited Organic Pumpkin Scone 1

Remember that huge pumpkin I pureed? Well, I finally used the last of it. Don’t get me wrong, I still love pumpkin, but I am done with it until next fall.

I wanted to challenge myself to try something new with my final batch of pumpkin. I settled on scones.

Making scones can be a little intimidating the first time. I had trouble getting the dough to the right consistency, with out over working it and building up the gluten.

Re edited Pumpkin Scones Ingredients  Organic Pumpkin Scones

Gluten: aka the protein that gives dough it’s cohesiveness.

My scones ended up a little tough and dry the next day. But I overworked my dough a bit.

As long as you handle your dough properly your scones will turn out perfectly! But, if they do happen to turn out a bit dry, toasting and butter brings them back to life.

This was a great recipe to introduce me to the scone making process. If you have never made scones, you should start with this recipe. (And keep an eye out for more coming soon!) [Read more...]

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