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A friend took a loaf of Merton simple to Rome and in turn shared it with a friend there. My friend’s friend liked the bread a lot and said something I enjoyed tremendously:
“Una bella bruciatura”
It means “A nice burn” and what I like about it is that he was recognising the importance of having a dark crust that contrasts sharply with the crumb.
Here are three photos of that same batch of Merton Simple:
The next time you have a slice, taste (without butter or oil) the darkest part of the crust by itself. It will taste quite sweet (a result of the Maillard Reaction). Then, try a bit of the crumb by itself and notice just how tangy it is (that’s where the sour part of sourdough is). Then, try them together you’ll get such a strong sense of why a nice burn is essential to the surprisingly complex taste of real bread.
