Glossary

Crumb

Crumb is the soft interior of a loaf, as opposed to the crust. Its texture runs from tight and even, as in sandwich bread, to open and irregular, as in ciabatta. Hydration, gluten strength, fermentation and handling all shape it: wetter, well-fermented doughs generally produce larger holes, while stiffer doughs give a finer crumb. Bakers read the crumb to diagnose problems, since a dense, gummy interior points to under-proofing and large collapsed tunnels can point to over-proofing. See also: Hydration, Crust, Under-proofing, Gluten.