> How about grain type? Wheat, spelt, kamut, rye and then flour type/ash
> content.
>
oops very true, grain type and extraction would go very high on the
list of importance.
> I mean, what kind of question is this - most important factors? Once you
> isolated them and know it all, what do you do?
> Turn the knobs on the more important factors first or more - for what
> purpose?
>
> Or is this a philosophical question?
>
> I'd say, the most important factor on bread is the baker - without
> baker, no bread - period!
>
That's true, I think that goes without saying.
When I'm saying which factor influences the most the quality of the
bread, I'm talking about the factor, not the details.
When I say baking, I'm saying it depends on how good the bread is
baked, meaning the baker baking the bread does it good, at the right
temperature and timing and in a good oven well managed.
Same for all that is mixing shaping slashing etc, it all depends on
the baker, how good he does it.
> Absolutely - it's always good to strive for perfection but who is the
> judge for the perfect bread taste?
>
Well I AM of course.
for my own taste
Of course I had this conversation with my girlfriend many times
because everytime I bring bread back home she tells me its burnt.
Perfect bread is for everybody to judge and I'm just giving my
opinion.
But still, it doesnt change which factors influence the quality of the
bread, I think the baking has a great importance, maybe for one person
the baking is important to have a thin crispy crust, for another
person you need a very thick dark crust. It's different taste, but
it's still the baking that influences it.
To make an order I'd say personally:
1. baker skills
2. Fermentation
3. Baking
4. Ingredients maybe
I just changed my mind, fermentation goes before baking. I think they
are the 2 that influence the taste of bread the most.
After we probably must make difference between the taste of bread and
the overall quality, esthetics and all.
Or maybe we just wasting time talking here.
flour and water, bang, you have bread.