Serving a slice right<\/p>\n
When it comes to the etiquette of dining, and what goes where
\nand with what, culinary expert William Wongso is an authority.
\nAnd that includes on how best to serve bread as part of a meal.<\/p>\n
Here are some tips from William and Nanang Pratna, the pastry
\nchef and head baker at Jakarta Hilton, on making sure bread
\ntastes its best.<\/p>\n
From William:<\/p>\n
* Warm French bread in a hot oven, not a microwave, before
\nserving<\/p>\n
* Put the whole loaf of French bread in the oven, and slice it
\nafter it comes out<\/p>\n
* Never keep French bread at room temperature overnight. \"It's
\ngone (if you do that), because it has no sugar or fat, and it is
\nbasically only flour, yeast and acid.\"<\/p>\n
* Store French bread properly by wrapping it tightly in plastic
\nwrap and keeping it in the freezer. When you wish to use it, take
\nit out and warm it in a hot oven, without defrosting it.<\/p>\n
* Take the bread out after warming it for about 10 minutes, cover
\nit with a cloth and leave it to sit for another five or 10
\nminutes.<\/p>\n
The principal technique for knowing how long to warm bread once
\nit's been taken out of the freezer is to test it after it has
\nbeen warmed for 10 minutes, he said. Cut it crosswise and check
\nthe center to make sure it is still frozen in the center.<\/p>\n
\"If it isn't (frozen in the center), then you've left it in for
\ntoo long.<\/p>\n
\"By allowing the bread to sit after it is taken out of the oven,
\nyou are letting the moisture distribute throughout the loaf,\"
\nWilliam said.<\/p>\n
From Nanang:<\/p>\n
* If you buy your bread in the morning, pop it in the freezer
\nuntil it is mealtime.<\/p>\n
* For longer periods of time, bread should be wrapped in plastic
\nwrap to keep it from drying out.<\/p>\n
* Bread should be served on the day it is baked, but keeping
\nbread for two to three days will still guarantee its freshness.<\/p>\n
\"When it is time to serve, warm it first in a 180 degree
\nCelsius to 200 degree Celsius oven for 10 to 20 minutes,
\ndepending on the type of bread.\" French bread needs 15 to 20
\nminutes to warm because of its thicker crust, but focaccia bread
\nneeds only 10, he said.<\/p>\n
* Optimally, bread should be served directly after heating, but
\nif you have leftover bread you wish to keep, wrap it in plastic
\nwrap first before placing it in the freezer.<\/p>\n
\"It's important to always keep bread in plastic wrap as it
\nshould always be served fresh,\" said Nanang.<\/p>\n
-- Maria Kegel<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/serving-a-slice-right-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }