The New York Times
Wednesday, July 9, 1986
The Living Section
Food/ Style/ Entertainment

The Whole-Wheat Story:
From the Outer Crust To the Inner Crumb

By Craig Claiborne

If San Francisco is the sourdough capital of the world, New York might be considered the whole-wheat capital of the universe. The city’s choices include everything from baguettes to buns.

A few year ago, whole-wheat bread was mostly sold presliced at the supermarket. For the most part, it was fairly characterless. Good whole-wheat bread, when it could be found at all, came from small European-style bakers. Today, quality whole-wheat bread has become commonplace. Made with care, often by long-established bakeries, it can be had in specialty shops and is served at many of the city’s luxury restaurants. Indeed, whole-wheat bread appears in many such restaurants around the country.

To me, the ideal whole-wheat loaf, whether eaten toasted or plain, should have a wholesome, nutty flavor. (Toasted, the nutty flavor is even more pronounced.) The outer crust should be appealingly brown, not light golden or pale. The texture of the inner crumb should be dense, and ideally, flakes of wheat should be apparent both to the eye and to the taste. Although many people object to any sweetness, I have eaten whole-wheat breads flavored slightly with sugar or honey, which, I find, gives them a very pleasant quality.

Not only has whole-wheat bread found wide acceptance in fashionable dining spots in Manhattan and elsewhere, but also an increasing number of good bakeries in New York and environs are turning out whole-wheat baguettes (sometimes referred to as crusty French or Italian loaves), small buns, biscuits, croissants and various other shapes that are a cut above the standard supermarket loaf.

Not too long ago, I sampled a wide range of whole-wheat breads available locally. The quality and texture from the same baker can vary, depending on the shape. Take, for example a baguette and a round loaf from the D & G Bakery in SoHo. The baguette had a soft crust and somewhat spongy crumb; the round had by contrast a pleasant crunchy crust and a decent, if conventional crumb.

The texture of the crust may greatly depend on how long bread has been out of the oven. Humidity and other factors may also influence texture, making the bread somewhat soft, even moist after a few hours.

All things being equal, a somewhat soft loaf can be made crisp by placing it into a preheated 400-degree oven for up to five minutes. In fact, I recommend that loaves be heated no matter how fresh they may be.

The bread I sampled, many of which were generally excellent, shared certain characteristics, especially the baguettes. The taste of the inner crumb was practically identical, as was the crispness of the crusts. A noteable exception was a deliciously crunchy, walnut-studded whole-wheat loaf from Bread Alone, a bakery in Boiceville, N.Y.

Rating Bread Makers: A Baker’s Dozen

Excellent
Bread Maker	Bread Alone, Boiceville, N.Y.
Bread	Round, thick loaf with walnuts, 1 1/2 pounds, $2.25
Outer Crust	Appealingly chewy.
Inner Crumb	Walnuts offer a nice counterpoint. Dense but nicely moist, tastes lightly of smoked ham. Overall fine character.
Toast Quality	Excellent
Suggested Uses	Good for sandwiches or with cheese

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