how to achieve a perfect bread crust | ABCD Design Sketch Book

Baking 101: how to achieve a perfect bread crust

Shiny, crisp bread crust = brush before you bake with a beaten egg

Yellow, shiny bread crust = brush dough before baking with only the egg yolk

Dull finish with a crisp bread crust = brush unbaked loaf with 1 Tablespoon arrowroot. As an alternative, you can use cornstarch or flour. FYI: 2 tbsps of all-purpose flour is equivalent to 1 tbsp of arrowroot powder and 1 tbsp of cornstarch can be substituted with 1 tbsp of arrowroot powder.

Sweet bread crust = brush with barley malt or maple syrup
Other Notes for Recipe Substitutions:

For old fashioned recipes that call for margarine, you can substitute vegetable oil. 2 cups of margarine is equal to 1-2/3 cups vegetable oil.

1-1/3 cups of sugar converts to 2/3 cup of maple syrup. Why make the conversion, you ask? Maple syrup is an excellent substitute for sugar. It is high in trace minerals like zinc and manganese. It can assist in heart health and in balancing cholesterol levels. If you’re going to have sugar in your diet, why not incorporate something that is health-supportive rather than white sugar which is a highly refined product that has been processed with bleach, (Chlorine bleach – I am not making this up!) and has no known health benefits?

{Images via Smitten Kitchen, Guatemalan Challah, Saffron Challah, Wild Yeast Flickr, French Bread, Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread, Oatmeal Bread, Baking Thermometer}