Of all the major bread categories in the world, crusty breads stand out for more than one reason. Their dual texture gives them unique crustiness combined with a specific chewing.

Bakers have great flexibility in modifying the characteristics of their bread by careful selection of ingredients and manufacturing process. In this way, they can respond to the needs and desires of their customers.

The crusty bread family is fascinating since it offers the widest choice of sizes, shapes, colours of crust and densities. I am also convinced that it is this bread category, regardless of its country of origin, that has the largest sensory spectrum in terms of both texture and flavour.

At the shop, the external appearance can be both remarkable and reassuring, but sometimes also, disappointing for the consumer. Once the product is in the consumer’s hand, the judgment becomes critical: weight, freshness, degree of crustiness and, of course, smell!

The degree of satisfaction experienced on the first bite is, in itself, the first appealing factor and the “attack” reveals the characteristics of the crust. Well-baked breads resonate in the mouth, while others make no noise when chewed. Each has his own preference!

When carefully sliced, the crumb surface reveals the cell structure. Once again, the overlapping of cells, whether regularly structured (foam-like) or irregular, determines the palatability of the bread. Similar in its behaviour and mechanical properties to solid foam, the crumb of a crusty loaf can be highly distinctive. The shape of the cells, the reflection of light on the cell walls and the touch of the bread are all indications of a good bread to a consumer.

The crumb is a key component that, impacts upon the way that the loaf is used. Loaves can vary enormously, for example, regarding their resistance to spreading. Bakers in the old days were highly imaginative and indulged in the liberal use of imaged attributes: “hare’s ear” scoring, a “long and silky” crumb with “pearly” surfaces. This bread category generates a rich vocabulary, not purely confined to the hegemonic notion of softness!

The connection between a bread’s texture and its taste is still the center of debate. No one knows exactly where the “true” aroma lies within the interconnected winding, labyrinthine passages of a bread’s crumb. The cell walls that ensure a cohesive texture trap moisture and minimise crumbling, but still have many secrets to reveal...

It is commonly said, and rightly so, that bakers who score t«heir loaves are affixing their signature. I think that crusty loaves are also very appealing for the huge diversity of their “alveolar” architecture, which is the true hallmark of the baker.