The external aspect of a loaf, including crust color and flowering at the cut points.

French for "ball"; a round loaf. Round loaves that are often raised in round bannetons but sometimes freestanding.

The exterior of the wheat berry or other grain.

Unbleached white flour with a gluten-forming protein content of 11.5 to 13 percent. It is recommended for use in yeast-raised products, and is the best choice when using a bread machine. It is very good for hearth breads and rolls because it provides structure and tenderness at the same time.

Instant dry yeast designed for easy dispersion and tolerance of the handling in bread machines.

The process of creating a bread dough with a starter and ending up with a finished loaf. There may be intermediate fermentation steps involved as well.

Also known as fresh or compressed yeast, this "wet" yeast can be added directly to dry ingredients or dissolved in warm liquids prior to mixing.

The browning caused when sugar reaches 325F. This is what gives the bread crust its color.

One of the two main by-products of yeast fermentation, this gas is trapped in the dough by the gluten network causing the dough to rise.

A bell-shaped ceramic mini-oven that you can use at home to replicate a brick oven.

A type of oven that uses moving air to intensify the heat. It usually bakes much faster than a conventional oven.

A course corn flour that is in between flour and polenta. It is used to make corn bread and also to dust hearth breads and peels.

A type of linen used for raising hearth breads. When you bunch the cloth around the loaves, it provides a nonstick structure that helps rising loaves retain their shape.

Coarsely milled grain; usually the result of the first stage of milling before grinding grain into a finer flour.

To beat one or more ingredients, usually margarine or butter, sugar, and/or eggs, until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.