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action as slashing and glazing may partially deflate it. Should that happen to you, don’t trash the
bread—it is still edible but a little dense and too firm. It may still be fine for toast.
At the end of this first stage the gluten begins to coagulate and the starch to gelatinize. Both
processes are changes from soft, flaccid phase to firm and solid, and both occur at close to the same
temperature, about 145°F (63°C). Once both gluten and starch are solid, the oven spring ends, the
structure cannot expand any more—but by then the yeast cells are dead and they cannot produce
more gas anyway.
2. During the second phase of baking, that makes up about one-half of the total baking time,
the structure becomes more solid, progressing from the solidified crust toward the center. This
phase is over when the center finally also turns solid. In the same time, near the end of the phase, the
top crust begins to brown.
3. In the third phase, the final quarter of baking, the top surface dries out and turns brown.
These two processes form that splendid crisp crust of a fresh-baked bread. Even though browning
only takes place on the thin outer surface, it affects the flavor of the entire loaf because the flavors
(produced by the browning reaction) disseminate inward. To prove the importance of this stage, try
baking one light-colored and one dark-colored loaf from the same dough. The darker one will have
noticeably more flavor. When knowledgeable housewives bought their breads in European village
bakeries, they always asked for the darker loaves.
Staling
Even though fresh bread tastes wonderful for many hours after baking, the staling process in
both quick and yeast breads starts with the cooling phase.
One reason for staling is loss of moisture. But even if you seal the moisture in completely in
heavy plastic bag, staling still goes on because of chemical and physical reactions in the gelatinized
starch. Commercial bakers use emulsifying agents to increase their products' shelflife, agents that
slow the chemical reactions of staling.
One advantage to home baking is that you can take steps to preserve your freshly baked loaf
without chemicals. But first we need to know what staling is.
Because the process is a chemical reaction, it is very temperature-dependent. Most chemical
reactions proceed faster as the temperature rises. Staling doesn't follow this rule. It proceeds fastest
in the temperature range just above freezing which is very close to the temperature of the inside of
your refrigerator. Staling is very slow below freezing and nearly stops at deep-freezing
temperatures. At room temperature bread stales relatively slowly.
What does this mean in practice? That the worst place for a loaf of bread (unless you need
stale bread for tomorrow's turkey stuffing) is in the refrigerator. Letting it sit in a plastic bag on your
counter is much better. The best spot is in your freezer and the colder, the better.
That is why supermarkets never store breads in the refrigerator. Large commercial bakeries
toyed with the idea of putting labels on their bread wrappers warning consumers not to refrigerate to
preserve freshness. They opted instead to load their breads with staling retardants for extra-long
shelflife.
One more fact you need to know about staling. It is a reversible reaction. Heating the
stale bread to 140°F (60°C), near the starch gelatinizing temperature, reverses staling, and the
bread nearly restores to its original texture, crispness and flavor. Since some moisture loss likely
to have occurred and more moisture evaporates during reheating, sprinkle the bread liberally
with water before heating. A moderate oven of 350°F (180°C) for 8 to 10 minutes is best for
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