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I have seen someone asking how to get big holes in a bread? and then someone else asking how to get small holes in the bread?

Why would someone like big holes and the other person small holes?

Question: Is it all about the looks? Big holes look fancier than the smaller ones OR do the size of the holes impact the taste and texture of the breads?

Aquarius_Girl
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  • Big holes = more butter! – citizen Jan 09 '13 at 09:26
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    I believe this is not a duplicate because the referenced question asks for *how* to manage the holes in bread; this question asks *why* is that an interesting or important feature. – SAJ14SAJ Jan 09 '13 at 13:43

2 Answers2

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There are lots of styles of bread, which of course different people have different preferences for, and which lend themselves to different applications.

First, what do the holes indicate? The holes are pockets or cells in the gluten network in the loaf--so the stronger the gluten network, the larger the holes can expand during proofing. similarly, the more active the yeast, or the longer the proof, the larger the holes will have the potential to expand.

So large holes tend to be found in breads with strong gluten networks, which have longer proofing times. These loaves will have chewier texture, and yeastier flavor, which can be very delicious.

For other applications, such as a typical US-style sandwich bread, the desire is for a more tender product, which is indicative of less gluten development; also, large holes would let spreads or condiments soak through the bread more easily, which is not so desirable in a sandwich to be eaten out of hand. So these loaves are typically ones with smaller holes.

So the holes are either a factor themselves (as in sandwich bread), or indicative of other qualities of the loaf (as in so-called artisan style bread)--but either way, they are a very visible indicator of the nature of the loaf, and so getting the desired holes will help get the desired loaf qualities.

I am sure there are many more qualified bread experts who will give you a more detailed answer...

Chris Steinbach
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SAJ14SAJ
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    Agreed. Smaller-holed loaves, like 'standard' sandwich bread, are almost always enriched with fat and milk, which has the dual effect of tenderising the bread _and_ reducing hole size. Larger-holed loaves, for example _pain a l'ancienne_ or _ciabatta_, are often very lean with little or no fat in them at all, and are subsequently also much chewier. – ElendilTheTall Jan 09 '13 at 11:16
  • @ElendilTheTall thanks for clarifying, in my first comment I had understood vice versa. – Aquarius_Girl Jan 09 '13 at 14:41
  • @ElendilTheTall Many traditional breads have small (or "non visible") holes but not enriched with fats. Such as [this one](http://www.unpedazodepan.es/2012/02/un-pan-candeal-de-miga-refinada.html) or [this one](http://www.unpedazodepan.es/2012/08/bolleurismo-de-pro.html) Spanish breads which have quite a chewy crumb – J.A.I.L. Jan 09 '13 at 16:05
  • True, but they are exceptions rather than the norm, and I note they go through a special process to achieve that density of crumb. – ElendilTheTall Jan 09 '13 at 16:38
  • Now I wish I read Spanish--and no, I don't think google translate does the job. – SAJ14SAJ Jan 09 '13 at 16:40
  • @ElendilTheTall I don't think they are are exactly exceptions. They are exceptions that happens in every country: think of French *Miches* or all rye bread from central/northern European countries. I put those 2 Spanish examples because they have an even denser crumb (because of the "refining" proccess: an intensive degass). – J.A.I.L. Jan 10 '13 at 07:35
  • @SAJ14SAJ That's true. I didn't check the English translation. It seems Google Translate is misunderstanding [*prieto*](http://www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=prieto) in the first example. It should have picked "tight" instead of the Caribbean "dark" meaning. – J.A.I.L. Jan 10 '13 at 07:38
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The size of the holes in bread is largely due to the water content of the bread, although the yeast used and the method used also makes a difference. In general the more water in the bread the bigger the holes.

There's been more than one discussion on this exact topic before, here is one that has some excellent information.

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GdD
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  • `in general the more water in the bread the bigger the holes.` So why should I put lots of water in the bread? What would it give me besides big holes? Why would I want big holes? – Aquarius_Girl Jan 09 '13 at 09:30
  • I really recommend you read the link I posted, it goes into great detail on that point. – GdD Jan 09 '13 at 10:08
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    @AnishaKaul i think your answer is going to depend on the application of the bread. If it's sandwich bread you may not want a dense chewy texture since you want to focus on the ingredients inside. But if you want to emphasize the bread a chewy big bold bread may be what your looking for and therefore bigger holes and probably bigger flavor. – Brendan Jan 09 '13 at 18:30
  • @AnishaKaul, your whole discussion on holes, while bringing out the experts on bread knowledge, may be quite the red herring. What kind of bread do you want - chewy, soft, hard, delicate? The size hole each of these come with will be what they are by nature of the bread's ingredients and preparation. Just trying to help! :-) – Kristina Lopez Jan 09 '13 at 19:03
  • @KristinaLopez Okay, I haven't ever eaten any other bread than the sandwich bread, so I really don't know how would other kinds of breads taste! :( What is that big holed chewy bread eaten with? Just curious. – Aquarius_Girl Jan 10 '13 at 06:19
  • @Anisha Kaul: I see that you live in India. I am assuming that this type of bread is not a common thing over there. Here is a good picture of bread with big holes: http://zolablue.smugmug.com/photos/244769142-L.jpg. And here is another picture where you can see that the high hydration (which gives a loose dough) has made the loaf quite flat: http://www.robinson.to/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/white-sourdough-bread-cut.jpg. If you want to try making this style of bread yourself I would recommend Jim Lahey's no-knead bread: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html?_r=0 – Henrik Söderlund Jan 10 '13 at 08:53
  • Isn't that like french bread? Maybe the kind that comes in long skinny loaves that has a crisp crust? I found the whole "hole" discussion fascinating actually! :-) – Kristina Lopez Jan 10 '13 at 08:54
  • @HenrikSöderlund I definitely had not seen the bread with such big holes! Thanks. What do you eat that bread with? – Aquarius_Girl Jan 10 '13 at 08:57
  • @HenrikSöderlund, excellent picture of big-holed bread! I can almost taste it! – Kristina Lopez Jan 10 '13 at 08:57
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    @Anisha Kaul: This style of bread is nearly always used for one of two things: 1. Sandwiches of all sorts. 2. Served plain with butter on the side as an accompaniment to other foods. You might for example get a small basket of sliced bread and a small bowl of butter when ordering a soup in a restaurant. – Henrik Söderlund Jan 10 '13 at 09:04
  • @HenrikSöderlund Thanks. Is there a remarkable taste difference between big and small holed breads? – Aquarius_Girl Jan 10 '13 at 09:07
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    @KristinaLopez: You mean baguettes? If so, then yes, baguettes belong in this category. At least when they are properly made, which usually means they're made with sourdough. – Henrik Söderlund Jan 10 '13 at 09:08
  • @Anisha Kaul: I would say yes. A really good bread with big holes does taste a whole lot better than regular "sandwich-style" bread. There is much more flavour, the inside of the loaf is chewy but also kind of creamy in a weird way. And if the crust is really dark brown and hard (the way I like it) it gives a great crunchy contrast to the soft interior. – Henrik Söderlund Jan 10 '13 at 09:11
  • @HenrikSöderlund Wow, I think I'll try it now! Thanks. – Aquarius_Girl Jan 10 '13 at 09:12
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    But of course the flavour does not come from the holes. The flavour _and_ the holes both come from the method of baking. High hydration, good strong (high protein) flour, long proofing (rising) times are some of the factors that contribute. – Henrik Söderlund Jan 10 '13 at 09:13