^^*My daughter cuts the "crust" off of steak.

Growing up we were poor. But that's okay because everyone else was poor. Not eating the crust would have been considered extremely wasteful!! So I continue to eat the crust.

As I recall, a club sandwich eaten at the golfers green restaurant, would be served without crust. The only time I've ever eaten a crustless sandwich. :0)

finger sandwiches are crustless

I cut the crusts off tea sandwiches, otherwise I really like the crust.

Elmer, counterpoint, pain de mie/pullman loaves.

I like every part of every kind of bread, although some I like more than others- perhaps I should say, some kinds of bread are easier for me to pass up.

Crusts are the best part of the bread!

When we stayed on the farm all the odds and ends and left overs went into the pigbucket so nothing was actually wasted. My grannie insisted on putting sliced white bread on the table when we had company but no one ever ate it except the pigs.

There is a formerly great bakery called Anjou on Highway 2 in a small town on the other side of the mountains. They had the most wonderful bread but the fad for really hard overbaked bread became popular and you could literally cut up your gums trying to power through it. I hope things have changed for the better. That bread would need to be eaten crustless and I would be concerned about the pigs.

" Elmer, counterpoint, pain de mie "

I'm not particularly fond of pain de mie.

" the fad for really hard overbaked bread "

Bread with a crisp crust isn't by necessity overbaked, that kind of sounds like an intended disparagement.

In Europe, in countries where crispy crusts are common (as in France with baguettes and countries with types of crunchy bread-like breakfast buns), the crust is produced using steam injected ovens. One approximation that can be done at home here is any of the good no-knead bread recipes. They're made using wetter than normal dough and are baked in a dutch oven with the lid on for part of the baking session, to produce steam inside to make the crust crunchy.

Bread broadly available in US retail stores rarely has the kind of texture or crust that better breads from better bakeries commonly have.

Zalco, I don't know how long you've lived in the Bay Area, but there used to be a sourdough bread company in SF named Parisian that was widely available. Its sourdough bread was the real deal, extra sour, and its baguettes were super crunchy. Sadly, it went out of business some years ago. I've found nothing to replace it. For me, the quintessential SF park picnic required only a loaf of Parisian, a Gallo salami, a hunk of swiss cheese, a knife and some paper plates, and a bottle of red wine. Fine dining at its best.

I really like a good solid loaf of bread like we had for breakfasts in Europe. If I made finger sandwiches for an afternoon tea I would cut off the crusts (and eat them 🙂) but otherwise I just eat the bread as it comes.

Elmer, I knew the place -- so, so good.

Elmer, I remember Parisian bread from when I was growing up; now there are so many excellent bakeries in the Bay Area that make delicious sourdough. I haven’t tried them all (I wish) but I can personally recommend Tartine, the Cheese Board Collective, Arizmendi, Starter Bakery, and Josey Baker. There are probably at least a dozen more.

Patriicia, I love stopping at Anjou; is it gone? I know exactly what you mean about their bread crust. The loaves had a seam across the top that was raised above the loaf and it was way too crunchy for me. The rest of the loaf was fabulous. I do think sometimes it was over baked or at too hot a temp because the crust was bordering on too brown.

I just checked and they are still in business!

I don't mind the crusts. I think kids don't like them because most commercially produced bread has crust that it kind of rubbery and hard for them to chew. There is a definite texture difference in the middle and the crust.

I remember when my nieces and nephews were very small no one cut the crusts off for them but they would eat the center and leave the crust every time. No one cared. I do not think of it as "picky." And even if it is, oh well. So what?

chinacat, I looked up those bakeries. Starter in particular had several bread photos on its site that looked interesting. Unfortunately, the ones you've listed seem to be in SF/Berkeley/etc. I live rather a bit to the south and don't make it to the City very much anymore. I'm good with what I've found here, including an occasional homemade no-knead bread, keeping in mind we all do better eating less bread anyway. Thanks.

Yes, I eat the crusts on any type of bread. I like chewing. It exercises the jaws and it's the first stage of a healthy digestion. It helps control weight since one feels more satisfied if one has taken time over eating and and if your jaws have done some work.

Not eating the crust? That is my very favorite part. In our house, that is the most valued part of the bread.

I don't cut it off, but I rarely eat it. Hate a hard crust.

I like the crust on bread.

This talk about cutting off crusts reminds me of my mother making bread sauce for chicken. She’s cut the crusts off for that.

For bread sauce, she would steam a bay leaf and a clove studded whole onion in milk. She’d discard the onion and bay leaf, add the finely chopped crustless bread, nutmeg, pepper and some cream to the milk. It’s the only time I remember bread crusts being removed.

I'm like you Glenda. I don't like bread crusts, so off they come.

I had looked up Anjou to see if it was still there and many of the reviews echo what I said. Plus comments on the spotty help. I vividly remember the first time I had their bread. We were in a restaurant in Wenatchee and the bread was exceptional. We asked where it came from and they were happy to tell us. We always stopped in Cashmere where they also have a Distillery with an exceptional Gin. And then the bread changed. The last two times it was super dark and very hard with a very thick crust. This has been a fad in baking bread. I know this because DH is into artisanal bread and the room where I presently am lying in bed has stacks of wheats and racks of equipment and all his experimental stuff. I am of the firm opinion that I preferred what he used to do but to no avail. Elmer, you do not need to educate me on bread baking techniques. We even have an outdoor wood fired oven he built.

"I'm not particularly fond of pain de mie."

You're missing out. 😉

When I bake bread (I made a 100% whole wheat loaf yesterday), I butter the crust all over, but especially the top and sides) right after it comes out of the oven. This keeps the crust soft and delicious.

" Elmer, you do not need to educate me on bread baking techniques. "

Your "overbaked" comment suggested otherwise. My comments in that post, as in most, weren't intended for just one person.

Yes, the crusts need to be removed for bread sauce. And it has to be soft white bread. The crusts would make brown bits and make the sauce lumpy. I keep them, dry them and grind them for bread crumbs. That's if I haven't eaten them while cooking.

I've never heard of bread sauce - I'm not sure I'll be looking for a recipe for it.

Hey this stuff is like seriously ancient. It is worth a try dont you think? Back in the day bread was commonly used as a thickener. It is essentially a sort of variously spiced white gravy. Not scary.

Often the bread from son's bread machine comes out with rather heavy crust and this toothless tiger finds it necessary to break with fingers, knife or fork. Probably over half of the time stick fork into soft side with tines pointed toward crust for easy dipping of crust into coffee to make it manageable - but the crust is the best part of the slice.

Pitching a crust is not an option.

ole joyfuelled - with fuelling help from those tasty crusts.

" It is worth a try dont you think? "

No, I don't think so. The recipes I saw sounded very bland. Not scary but not interesting.

Lots to do with stale bread - among other things, the French make croutons (for salads and things like onion soup) or pain perdu, translates as lost bread, which we call French Toast. In Italy, there are different types of soup using stale bread or when crushed, used as a panade to make meatballs juicy. Here, the same technique works for meatloaf too.

Edit to add:

Dumb me, I forgot an obvious one: bread stuffing/dressing. No need to have a bird to make it, we never stuff a bird with it anyway. Always baked on the side.

I had never had bread sauce until I had it my first Christmas at my then BF, now DH of 40 years‘ family home. I loved it and have made it myself every year, except I add about 3 times the amount of flavourings. It’s so yummy! I often don’t bother to remove the crusts, and it doesn’t seem to make a difference in texture, but I use a solid sourdough type loaf to make the crumbs and the crust as a similar texture to the crumb.

Bread sauce is a divisive issue. Some hate it. Some love it. But as colleen says, it needs plenty of spice. Although our daily bread is sourdough I always buy a soft white loaf for the bread sauce. It is an integral part of the traditional Christmas Dinner.

Back in the day sauces were a big deal and important rich guys would have their own personal sauces concocted by their cooks. Then you dipped bite sized pieces in to the sauce. The Duke of York, who would be made famous when his brother Charles ll died without an heir, had a sauce he used for everything, called his universal sauce and it was a sort of bread sauce with parsley and vinegar-I looked it up because it has been on my mind since we started talking bread sauce. It is in Pepys. I didn't remember the specifics. You toast the bread it seems. Also salt and pepper. Of course bread sauce had already been around for about three hundred years or more. Must be something there.

Many countries have contributed flavors, preparations, ingredients and techniques to the cuisines of the world but England can't really be considered as one of them. In my experience, British food was hardly palatable until its membership in the EEC (later called EU) led to more travel by its citizens to the foods and restaurants of Europe and travel in the opposite direction by chefs and restauranteurs. On my first visit to the London in the mid-70s, the advice I was given was that pub food with a beer was usually okay for lunch (though standards varied) but better to go to Soho to eat in a restaurant that offered foreign food - Chinese, etc.

I looked up Duke of York sauce and it's ground bread, parsley and vinegar. Add a lot more flavor to that (garlic, olive oil, oregano, etc.,) and you can get to Argentinian chimichurri. But at that preliminary point, I would say there's nothing there.

https://britishgrubhub.com/traditional-british-food-classics/

elmer, you're tastes are so elevated, can we get a crituque of more British food from you?

Sorry for off topic post above,

I do like crust and agree that some bakeries these days take it to a very crusty place which is great, but sometimes one wants a softer bread for a good old fashioned ham sandwich or similar, including its softish crust. I love the idea of a presentation of crustless cucumber sandwiches, ala 'The Importance of Being Earnest', have yet to pull off a luncheon like that although my British and Irish friends do a lovely tea now and then with the 3-level tray presentation, so fun!

Good bread is everywhere these days, yay! I am remembering the days mid 1980s when a too-fluffy baguette from our Carrs grocery store bakery seemed sophisticated, esp. sticking out of my bike panier as though I was in France ;))

I have recently enjoyed our vietnamese bakery for baguettes for bahn mi sandwiches (not vegetarian here, but recently made mushroom pate bahn mi, interesting and delicious). Those baguettes are lighter and crusty and perfect for a sandwich.

I make my breadcrumbs out of stale bakery bread, including crust, using the grater attachment to food processor - it turns out lighter and flakier than using the regular blade.

" can we get a crituque of more British food "

I've travelled to Britain regularly for the last 45 years, both for business and vacation. Depending on the trip, I've often stayed in homes of friends. How about you?

I looked at the link you posted and aside from the generic breakfast, roasts, and stew dishes, which of the others have you found have crossed borders and become popular and widely available abroad? (Aside from "pubs" to be found worldwide that cater to British expats, travellers, and others looking for beer where English is spoken?). Haggis maybe? Add to that other favorites like beans on toast, jellied eels, or this lovely dish I found from a search, stargazy pie.

elmer, I'm not here to pretend to be an expert at british food,, other than I have a few british friends here and have had some classics and 1 trip to London a long time ago.

I read your post and felt you were being hyperbolic.

Cool picture of stargazy pie!

No hyperbola involved. Take it from me, overcooked meat, greasy and overcooked veggies, served with the crappy wine the French delighted in sending them at inflated prices, used to be the standard fare. I figured, jokingly, that maybe that was one reason drinking just to get sloppy drunk was so popular there. (And still is, unfortunately)

There's a very old joke with some different variations but it goes like this:

In heaven, the bankers are Swiss, the cooks are French, the police are English, the lovers are Italian, and the mechanics are German.

In the other place, the bankers are Italian, the cooks are English, the police are German, the lovers are Swiss, and the mechanics are French.

" I read your post and felt you were being hyperbolic." And with Elmer's usual dose of superiority and condescension :-)

I grew up with two very British parents who moved to the US after WWII. Their accents remained so strong I had to translate for them sometimes. In fact, my sibs and I used to tell our friends that the very posh sounding man who answered the phone was our British butler.

So I grew up with classic British cooking and other than overdone veg (hard to argue with that!!), I still to this day enjoy it - Yorkshire pudding in any form, toad in the hole, bubble and squeak, Lancashire Hot Pot, kedgeree, kippers, steak and kidney pie, fish pie, trifle, Lyle's steamed pudding, mincemeat pies, Christmas pudding. Oddly, we only had bread sauce if we had a roast goose for Christmas but I remember it as being very tasty. And I was a picky eater as a child!

It is fine if one does not care for that sort of food or even the method of preparation but it is rude and offensive to dismiss it as worthless.

I like that joke!

I love British food. Both my parents and my older sister were born there and I spent many summers staying with my gran in Devon. Lived there for a few years.

I love the way they make a roast beef, Yorkshires in one big pan not in muffin cups (at least my family did) Cadbury’s chocolate, Branston Pickle, clotted cream, and cheese! oh my gosh Bishop’s Stink! Cheddar, White Heather Chocolate (did I mention chocolate), Cream Crackers with ice cold butter, jams, jellies, warm beer, wine gums, licorice allsorts, lamb with mint sauce, roast potatoes, oh and trifle with sherry soaked cake!

I could go on forever!

I love British food. It’s not for everybody but properly prepared, it is lovely💕

I think a lot of the issue with British cooking is that two World wars with rationing made it difficult for cooks to make anything except food to survive on. Then in the 50s just as rationing was being phased out, along came frozen convenience foods and a younger generation of people who hadn’t had the chance to learn to cook properly became reliant on them.

But classic British recipes made with quallity ingredients can be as delicious as any other cuisine.

When I call one English friend here, her (American) husband inevitably asks if I would like to speak with the queen, makes me laugh every time! Her cooking of classic English dishes is superb and not greasy or overcooked ever.

But classic British recipes made with quallity ingredients can be as delicious as any other cuisine.

And quite often better! 🙂

I like most cuisine. My husband’s family is of Ukrainian background and their food is excellent, too. Hmm, maybe I just like eating.

" I think a lot of the issue with British cooking is that two World wars with rationing made it difficult for cooks to make anything except food to survive on "

And why didn't the same thing happen to the French, the Spanish, the Italians, the Swiss, the Germans, the many flavors of Eastern Europeans, the Greeks, the Mexicans, the Chinese, Middle Easterners, the Japanese, the Koreans, the Vietnamese, the Indians and Pakistanis (most of the immediately preceding being poorer than most anywhere else), and on and on. People whose foods are known and loved worldwide.

In heaven, the bankers are Swiss, the cooks are French, the police are English, the lovers are Italian, and the mechanics are German.

In the other place, the bankers are Italian, the cooks are English, the police are German, the lovers are Swiss, and the mechanics are French.

😁 Finish the joke! What are Americans and Canadians and where do they fit in?

Fawlty Towers and the American guest. Really funny!

I learned a tremndous amount about British cooking and how it improved from Elizabeth David. Her books are a delight. David makes the same observation as Elmer about continental food during the difficult times compared to her home's cookery.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_David