All about Toast
What is toast?
When you expose sliced bread to radiant heat, it becomes brown and crisp. That’s toast!
The science behind toast
As the bread heats, some of the moisture in it evaporates, so a slice of bread will weigh a little less after it has been toasted. The heat also produces a chemical reaction on the bread’s surface that causes it to turn brown. This is the Maillard reaction, named for Louis Camille Maillard, the French scientist who discovered it in the early 20th century.
How to make toast
Toaster
In the modern, domestic kitchen, most people toast bread using an electric toaster:
- Place sliced bread is into narrow slots on top of the toaster
- Adjust the toaster setting to suit
- Push the lever on the side down
The toast pops up when it is ready, along with the lever. If the bread is insufficiently toasted, simply press the lever down again.
Grills and ovens
You can also toast bread under a grill, in an open oven, or in a toaster.
Open flame
For the more adventurous, toast bread by holding it near, but not directly over, an open flame, such as a campfire or fireplace. Toasting forks are ideal for this purpose.
Ways to eat toast
Toasting not only warms the bread but also makes it firm, so it holds toppings well.
The most common way to eat toast is to spread butter or margarine over it, but many people serve it with jams, spreads, and other toppings. Other toast toppings include:
- marmalade
- peanut butter
- cheese
- honey
Some sandwiches call for toast rather than bread – the BLT for example.
In UK, a popular children’s breakfast dish is a soft-boiled egg eaten with toast soldiers. Soldiers are thin strips of buttered toast – perfect for dipping into a runny yolk!
When to eat toast
Toast is a popular component of many breakfasts, but you can enjoy it any time as a snack.
It is also important in some traditional bland specialty diets, for example, for people recovering from stomach upsets or suffering from a hangover.
Toasting is also a common method of making stale bread more palatable.