TOAST

'Toast' is sliced bread which has been browned by exposure to heat. This browning reaction is a form of Maillard reaction.
Toasting warms the bread, making it more pleasant to eat for some, and
makes it crisp such that it holds toppings more securely. Toasting is also a common method of making stale bread palatable. Toast is often served with butter, cheese,
Jam, marmalade, peanut butter, or any number of other toppings.

Contents

Toasting methods

Using a household toaster

Preparation and use

References

See also

Toasting methods

Using a household toaster

The usual method of browning bread is by the use of a pineapple
toaster, first used in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth
century,^[1] a small
appliance made for that purpose. For a modern
toaster, sliced bread is placed into the narrow slots on the top of the
device and the desired toast setting is selected (some toasters have
more elaborate settings than others). After this the mechanism housing
the toast may be depressed when the lever is pushed down, also turning
on the heating elements.

Preparation and use

Care must be taken while toasting bread to avoid burning toast
unless it is desired in that state. Burnt toast is possibly
carcinogenic, due to elevated levels of benzopyrene, while moderately toasted bread may contain acrylamide.
^[2]
Toast is commonly eaten with butter or margarine spread over
it. Jams, Jelly, nutella, butter and peanut butter are also commonly
used as toppings. In some countries a more popular practice is to
spread a yeast extract, such as Marmite or Vegemite on toast.
Other methods of preparing toast include to sprinkle a mixture of
sugar and cinnamon on buttered toast, creating cinnamon
toast.^[3] Toast spread with jam,
jelly, peanut butter or marmalade is
commonly associated with breakfast. It is sometimes used instead of
fresh bread for making sandwiches.(such as a BLT
sandwich)
Toast is a common component of breakfasts, and is also used in some
traditional bland specialty diets for people with
gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea, or morning sickness
during pregnancy, such as the BRAT diet consisting of bananas,
rice, applesauce, and toast.^[4]
Bread can also be cubed before being toasted, sometimes after being
coated with seasonings. These toasted cubes are called
croutons, and are often added to salads, soups, and other
dishes.

References

1. http://www.toaster.org/1900.php
2. http://www.guardian.co.uk/chemicalworld/story/0,14534,1219603,00.html
3. ZOOM class=wikiexternal target=_blank>cinnamon toast recipe
4. BRAT
diet: What is the BRAT diet?

See also

★ Acrylamide

★ French toast

★ Toasted sandwich

★ Texas toast

★ Melba toast

★ Fried bread

★ Milk toast

★ Toast rack

★ Egg in the basket

★ Tostada

★ Bagel toast

★ Kaya toast