Tiger bread, also known as Dutch crunch or tijgerbrood, is a Dutch bread with a distinct appearance achieved by brushing the loaf with a rice flour or sesame paste before baking. Its origin is unclear, but it is popular for its nutty flavor and crunchy texture. Recipes are hard to find, and commercial bakeries often make it. Other tiger bread products, such as tiger tails and tiger paws, are also available. The marks on the bread come from the use of rice flour or sesame paste.
Tiger bread, also known as Dutch crunch or tijgerbrood, is a type of Dutch bread. Its name comes from the special appearance of the top of the loaf, which is achieved by brushing the loaf with a rice flour or sesame paste before baking. These doughs are gluten-free, so when tiger bread bakes and expands, the dough is unable to stretch and cracks. The top of the loaf appears to have tiger marks from this cracking.
While the tiger bread’s country of origin is known, little is known about when it first appeared in markets and bakeries. Some people believe it arose in the 1970s, but others think it dates back to the time when the Netherlands and Southeast Asia traded with each other. The bread is generally found in concentrated areas outside the Netherlands.
A distinct flavor caused by the use of sesame oil and rice flour makes this bread very popular with some people. The sesame oil gives the tiger bread a nutty flavor and the crunchy filling offers a nice textural contrast to the soft inside. Tiger bread is usually made as a white bread, because many people find that the strong flavors of sesame oil and rice flour wouldn’t work well with the more savory breads.
Exact recipes for tiger bread are often hard to find. Many times, the bread is baked by commercial bakeries, so all existing recipes tend to be large and commercially measured. Cutting the recipe down to a manageable family size can negatively affect the final product. Some people have attempted to bake a traditional white loaf, substituting sesame oil for vegetable oil and coating the top with rice flour or sesame paste.
As the popularity of tiger bread increased, many bakeries started making other tiger bread products, such as tiger tails and tiger paws. These loaves are different in size and shape from the original. Despite these differences, the loaves still contain the tiger’s marking caused by the baked dough on top.
Some people believe that the marks come from the use of rice flour paste. Others believe it comes from using a sesame paste. The two pastas work harmoniously with the bread’s flavor, but each has its own distinct flavor. Rice flour paste is made by mixing rice flour and water. Sesame paste is made by roasting sesame seeds, grinding the seeds, adding ingredients like oil and sugar, then combining everything into a paste.
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