Toast Water
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a slow oven”. The 300°F (150°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Cut stale bread into one-third inch slices and remove crusts.
Bake in a slow oven at 300°F (150°C) until thoroughly dried and well browned.
Make the toast water
Break bread into small pieces, add boiling water, cover, and let stand for one hour.
Squeeze through cheesecloth, season with salt, and serve hot or cold.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Stale bread
- Provides the toasted flavor and starch that give the water its body and taste.
- Boiling water
- Extracts flavor and color from the toasted bread while softening it.
The step that matters
Bake the bread until thoroughly dried and well browned. Browning through the bread develops toasty flavors from Maillard reactions and caramelization. Bread that is only lightly toasted gives a weak, bland liquid, and damp bread will not release its flavor well in the water.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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