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The classic loaf is an oblong-shaped bakery product. Over time, people began to call so not only pastries, but also other culinary delights that have an identical shape, for example, frozen minced meat.
Among consumers, this representative of the baking business is constantly in demand due to its outstanding taste characteristics. Also, its shape and classic structure allow you to create many other dishes based on it. The most famous of them are usually called sandwiches and canapes.
A bit of history
Baton, like most other culinary delights, does not have an exact progenitor. There are several theories of its origin, but it is impossible to prove the correctness of one of the hypotheses. The only thing that is known for certain is that the name of the bakery product comes from the French word of the same name. Literally translated, the name means “stick”. Historians suggest that initially the loaves looked more like modern baguettes, and only later got a little fat.
Today, many lovers of a hearty breakfast and a delicious snack prefer to fry croutons. It turns out a good meal that does not require significant effort and financial costs. From the eater, only the main ingredient is needed, and it is not at all necessary that it be fresh, seasoning with an egg. It is better to drink a morning feast with tea or a self-made fermented milk product. Homemade kefir is the best solution.
In the Middle Ages, people called loaves sweet pastries, which are more reminiscent of today’s gingerbread. Various sweets like honey, nuts, dried fruits were added there. Now consumers are accustomed to the fact that such a regular bakery for the most part has a neutral taste, or salty.
But this does not mean that bakers have abandoned various fillings for dough and exotic toppings. Sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, even peanuts – all this is present in the modern recipe. If the traditional rifled version does not provide for such additions, then private bakeries or independent hostesses can create more daring compositions.
There is another legend explaining the possible fashion for loaves. The forgetful Egyptian did not have time to make cakes out of the blanks on time, and the next day he decided to send what he got to cook. Thus, a delicious version of a new reading of the main component of any meal was born.
A little about the benefits
Some ordinary people believe that such a product cannot be useful by default, since its calorie content goes off scale in the view of slimming people. But for people without problems with excess weight, dosed eating of goodies does not lead to any deviations in the functioning of the body.
Experts recommend that all adherents of a healthy life bake it on their own at home. This will allow not only to control the composition, excluding various harmful components, but also to create masterpieces with fillings according to personal taste.
The chemical composition of the guest of the bread showcase will please:
- magnesium;
- iodine;
- potassium;
- vitamins of groups B, E, PP.
All this is contained in large quantities in the grain germ. That is why it is so important to find a recipe that preserves most of the nutrients.
Another advantage is the presence of vegetable fiber. With its help, the digestive system works much more stable, without making a person suffer because of the inability to go to the toilet normally.
Not everyone is aware that in addition to culinary use, specific white bread came in handy in cosmetology. Most often it is used for the preparation of masks that are applied to the face. This will require the main ingredient itself and egg white. It is mixed with a soft flour part, spreading the resulting mixture on the face. The solution is great for those with dry skin.
Beauticians have one more piece of advice in store for those who constantly complain about problems with hardened feet. To get rid of dead skin, just take a sweet crumb and mix it with cottage cheese. The resulting paste is applied to the feet, using as an effective scrub.
The third most popular recipe based on such baking is a mask that helps strengthen hair. The pieces must be mixed with milk until a homogeneous mass. The resulting product is rubbed into dry hair, leaving it in this state for ten minutes. After the time has elapsed, the hair is washed with running water.
Caution, dangerous
Despite many positive qualities, such an unusual version of bread has several significant drawbacks. The most significant of them is the unscrupulous attitude of the manufacturer to the finished product. The addition of artificial components there for longer preservation of a fresh look or dubious fats are common causes that spoil health.
Because of this, even inexperienced hostesses try to make homemade loaf on their own. So they will be sure that they can taste goodness without harmful ingredients. Obesity is another red light. People with improper metabolism and body fat should not eat the product, so as not to aggravate the situation. It is especially important to refrain from re-heating an already finished product, for example, by making croutons out of it in a pan.
In addition to the obvious harm, there is also a hidden one. It is based on the use of yeast. They can undermine the health of the digestive system. Due to the fact that each piece of dough is baked in the oven at sufficiently high temperatures, and then stored for quite a long time, it turns into a potential killer.
Growing yeast, after entering the stomach, begins the active stage of reproduction. This leads to the fact that the intestinal microflora is subjected to serious tests. This unpleasant picture ends with a general suppression of immunity, an allergic reaction, and dysbacteriosis.
Experts insist that this cannot happen in production, but if you deviate from safety regulations for some reason, such an outcome is really possible. Moreover, the end consumer will not suspect anything at all.
Also, the quality of flour can affect the state of well-being. Especially in cases where we are talking about a high-grade analogue. Such a variation, although it costs more than other proposals, has almost no practical benefit. According to an identical algorithm, refined flour acts on organs and tissues, which encourages the development of diseases of the following systems:
- endocrine;
- cardiovascular;
- digestive.
If you eat regularly in this way, you can even be at risk of cancer.
Types and calories
Most people prefer to avoid loaves, or eat them only on holidays. They know that such a delicacy is far from always useful for a figure. This is explained by the high calorie content, which exceeded the mark of 260 kcal.
This is an approximate indicator, since the same pizza from a loaf and any other dishes will have a much higher indicator.
Most bakeries and private companies prefer to make at least a few variations of their own reading of the recipe for this product. So there were solutions with cheese, various toppings, sweet contents.
But in a bakery, it’s faster to find out what kind of wheat flour the product was created from than to ask in detail about the composition. A typical recipe provides, in addition to flour:
- butter;
- salt;
- sugar;
- water;
- yeast.
But a stuffed analogue can please you with dry herbs, spices, cheese and even sausage inside. Therefore, the exact answer to the question of calorie content will not work.
The approximate alignment for the most popular solutions provides for the following indicators:
| Name | Caloric value |
|---|---|
| Normal | 263 kcal |
| With butter | 374 kcal |
| Ruskary | 331 kcal |
Almost all types of bakery favorite of buyers have characteristic incisions. This distinguishing sign distinguishes products from other “relatives” lying in the window.
Selection rules
Before buying a finished product, you should carefully read the composition. And although not all manufacturers honestly indicate various chemical components, this is the only way to protect yourself, even if relatively.
Particular attention should be paid to flavor enhancers and baking powder. If they are present, then it is better to look for a product from another manufacturer.
There is also a simple summary of recommendations from experienced bakers, with the following caveats:
- Be sure to pay attention to the presentation. A cracked or weathered crust is a bad sign. The presence of plaque also indicates a problem with the manufacturing technology or subsequent storage.
- Check release date. The standard shelf life is three days. If the date of manufacture is indicated on the label as falling outside the allowed limit, it is better to look for an alternative.
- Refuse specimens with a wavy surface. If such signs were found, then this indicates an incorrect approach to baking.
Another useful test for freshness can be pressure on the surface with a finger in a plastic glove. Such a personal hygiene product can be found in every supermarket. The place of the dent will quickly rise again, which indicates the observance of baking technologies.
Suspicions can be caused by a too light tone of the core.
If it also crumbles a lot, then this is the first sign that a notable share of flavor enhancers was placed inside.
Storage advice
In order for the nutritional qualities not to lose their original strength, it is important not only to be able to choose the right products, but also to learn how to store them in suitable conditions.
Our ancestors preferred to store any bread wrapped in linen napkins. But today it is problematic for some to get such a fabric with a guarantee of XNUMX% naturalness. Hence the massive use of standard plastic bags.
Experts advise moving such containers away, since the longer the loaf lies in such a bag, the higher the humidity level is set there. This atmosphere is a favorite habitat for mold.
It is much better immediately after delivering the product home to lay it out of polyethylene and send it for storage in a closed container – a bread box. It will need to be washed periodically, as well as cleaned of falling crumbs. Otherwise, mold will begin to grow right at the bottom, and there will be an unpleasant smell inside.