Better Browning on Bread | Cook's Illustrated (2024)

FAQs

How to get a nice brown crust on bread? ›

It sounds obvious, but bread generally needs to be baked at a high temperature. A golden-brown, glossy crust is achieved when sugars and amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) in the dough react together at high temperatures in the oven. For a simple dough of flour, water, salt and yeast, bake at 220 – 225C.

What are the best techniques for creating dark color and shine on bread crusts? To create dark, burnished crusts on their loaves, professional bakers brush milk, egg, or water onto the surface of the risen dough before baking.

Try using a lower rack position if your baked goods are not cooked or brown on the bottom. Shiny and insulated pans may require additional time and/or be closer to the bake element.

In general, protein (such as eggs) and sugar (found naturally in milk) encourage browning, while fat (like oil) adds shine. Some of the best purported washes are mixtures, such as egg and milk or cream.

To make crusty bread, create steam in the oven.

They have a professional secret: the steam-injected oven. Nothing offers the baker quite as nice a crust as an oven filled with steam for the first part of the baking process.

From the beginning of the bake, place your dough on a silpat, or on parchment paper and aluminum foil both. Fill a tray with lava rocks and chains or put a pizza stone on the bottom shelf of the oven to even out the heat of the oven. Put a pan of water under the baking vessel to deflect heat and steam the oven.

If the rolls or bread are browning too quickly, cover them with foil (shiny side up). Rolls or bread aren't browning evenly?

At its most basic level, the Maillard reaction is quite simple. When our food is heated to a temperature of at least 280°F, a chemical reaction occurs between amino acids (proteins) and carbohydrates (sugars) that causes it to brown. So essentially: protein + sugar + heat = browning.

Brown Bread is made from the whole wheat flour that is the wheat grains are not processed to remove bran and germ. It is more nutritious as it contains more fiber and nutrients than white bread due to being made from whole wheat flour.

How to make crust golden brown? ›

The general rule of thumb for an egg wash is one well-beaten whole egg plus one to two tablespoons of water. More water will lighten the golden color, or for a shinier pie, you can substitute the water with cream or milk. Sometimes, an egg wash is made with just yolks for extra color—or just whites for extra shine.

Baking soda helps baked goods brown better. And that's because browning occurs better in alkaline batters - add some baking soda to a batter with baking powder, and it'll get to work neutralizing acids, turning them alkaline and encouraging browning.

Sugar is the most commonly used. Sugar helps make baked products tender, adds sweetness and flavor and helps in the crust to brown.

I. Sugar gives sweetness to baked products. It also has a tenderizing effect and helps crusts brown. In yeast breads, sugar serves as food for the yeast.