crosta e mollica / crust and crumb

Having recently talked about the important action of spalmare qualcosa sul pane (spreading something on bread), I thought I would add a couple more words to the bread basket, so to speak. Crosta e mollica are the components of pane (bread). Molliche, the plural form of mollica, means breadcrumbs. Crosta is also used to describe a valueless painting. Un tozzo di pane is a piece of (usually old) bread. Here are two expressions that use the words:

• lavorare per un tozzo di pane, to work for a crust of bread
• vendere qualcosa per un tozzo di pane, to sell something for a trifle

Freshly-baked bread is pane appena sfornato and is the subject of the photos. After becoming comfortable with making bread using yeast — thanks in part to Daring Bakers and in part to the book Local Breads by Daniel Leader (the photo above shows his Czech Christmas braid) — I recently started becoming familiar with making sourdough bread.

I took a class offered at the Eureka Co-op, which was well-organized and very informative, and I went home with some starter, compliments of the teacher. Experimenting began soon after, and it is still ongoing, with encouraging successes and occasional lack thereof.

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Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post: 

crosta e mollica

or launch the crosta e mollica  audio file [mp3].

Comments

[Lo]

però quando la crosta è croccante e la mollica morbida e profumata si fa la scarpetta! ;)

[astrofiammante]

spalmo spalmo eccome se spalmo.....è una delle cose che mi piace fare...ho fatto il pane di segale, lo posterò presto. bacioni a te Simo!!!

[Simona Carini]

Certamente Lo: hai completamente ragione. Ed e' una cosa che anche mio marito (americano) ha imparato a fare. Ne ho anche parlato sul blog: http://briciole.typepad.com/blog/2007/05/fare_la_scarpet.html

Ciao Astro, leggero' con piacere del tuo pane di segale. Bacioni di rimando.

[mia]

Although very demanding,there is something very rewarding about baking one`s own bread,connecting us with one of the most authentic primal food preparation experiences of our ancestors.This post has created an ambiance that reminded me of this energy.Grazie,Mia

[maryann]

Hello dear Simona! How are you? I'm glad you are learning more about baking bread. It's fun and therapeutic! It also tastes so good :)
All the best,
Maryann xox

[Paz]

Very cool!

Paz

[Lori Lynn @ Taste With The Eyes]

I am laughing because I played your audio file and my dog Wilson started to grumble. I think he thinks you are in the house.
Good luck with your bread baking, they really look great!
LL

[Simona Carini]

I totally agree with your assessment, Mia. Baking bread connects us to something older, bigger and deeper.

You are right, Maryann, it's all those things. All the best to you.

Thanks, Paz.

Poor Wilson: I hope he doesn't get too upset. Thanks, Lori Lynn.

[lenny]

Un buon pane deve avere una buona crosta ed una buona mollica,anche se io preferisco i pani croccanti con poca mollica:))