Serving a slice right

When it comes to the etiquette of dining, and what goes where and with what, culinary expert William Wongso is an authority. And that includes on how best to serve bread as part of a meal.

Here are some tips from William and Nanang Pratna, the pastry chef and head baker at Jakarta Hilton, on making sure bread tastes its best.

From William:

* Warm French bread in a hot oven, not a microwave, before serving

* Put the whole loaf of French bread in the oven, and slice it after it comes out

* Never keep French bread at room temperature overnight. "It's gone (if you do that), because it has no sugar or fat, and it is basically only flour, yeast and acid."

* Store French bread properly by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and keeping it in the freezer. When you wish to use it, take it out and warm it in a hot oven, without defrosting it.

* Take the bread out after warming it for about 10 minutes, cover it with a cloth and leave it to sit for another five or 10 minutes.

The principal technique for knowing how long to warm bread once it's been taken out of the freezer is to test it after it has been warmed for 10 minutes, he said. Cut it crosswise and check the center to make sure it is still frozen in the center.

"If it isn't (frozen in the center), then you've left it in for too long.

"By allowing the bread to sit after it is taken out of the oven, you are letting the moisture distribute throughout the loaf," William said.

From Nanang:

* If you buy your bread in the morning, pop it in the freezer until it is mealtime.

* For longer periods of time, bread should be wrapped in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.

* Bread should be served on the day it is baked, but keeping bread for two to three days will still guarantee its freshness.

"When it is time to serve, warm it first in a 180 degree Celsius to 200 degree Celsius oven for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the type of bread." French bread needs 15 to 20 minutes to warm because of its thicker crust, but focaccia bread needs only 10, he said.

* Optimally, bread should be served directly after heating, but if you have leftover bread you wish to keep, wrap it in plastic wrap first before placing it in the freezer.

"It's important to always keep bread in plastic wrap as it should always be served fresh," said Nanang.

-- Maria Kegel