Bread

A basic loaf is flour, water, salt and yeast, and the crumb shows you what you're getting. Choose bread by ear first: tap the crust, and a hollow, dry sound tells you the inside has set, not gone gummy. Press it gently — good bread gives a little and comes back under your finger, not a heavy, dead sponge. The crumb itself depends on the bread: a country loaf wants open holes and a chewy bite, a sandwich loaf should be fine and even, no big gaps at all. A slice of thirty grams weighs the same in your hand either way — what changes is the feel. Smell it too: a warm, baked smell from the crust, sometimes sharp or tangy, sometimes plain — trust your nose more than any label.

Now, some people say fresh bread, still warm, is the best bread. No! Cut into it too soon and the knife drags, the crumb balls up under the blade, and what should be a clean slice turns to paste in your hand. That's the mistake: impatience with a hot loaf, blamed on the bread instead of the cook. Let it rest until the crust stops crackling and the loaf feels cool through. Bread needs silence before the knife.