Is This Bread Burnt? The Internet Has Gone Bonkers Trying To Decide

The internet went into a frenzy over a video So Yummy posted over Thanksgiving weekend. Different styles and ideas for baking bread got everyone heated — is the bread super burnt or not? Thousands commented on the Facebook post, arguing over the bake of the bread, referencing The Great British Bake Off‘s Paul Hollywood (bread expert on the show) more than just a few times.

Some were arguing that it is very clearly burnt. Others were saying it’s not burnt at all. We also had a few people who were not here for the complaining and suggested following the directions with one’s own discretion.

Apparently, as some users pointed out, Americans typically underbake bread and are simply not used to darker coloring on baked goods. Tennille Olsen, senior producer who worked on the video, mentioned that the team manager and lead food stylist, Tess Panzer, said in a meeting that the breads in the video resemble European bread in their shade.

“I would say that most people underbake their bread,” Lisa Thompson, the video’s food stylist, said. “Color = flavor, people! Bread should be baked right to the edge of too dark to ensure a lovely, crisp crust and to get the most flavor out of the bread.”

“Our team didn’t think they looked burnt, only the internet and probably specifically the American audience,” Olsen said. 

As we all know, thanks to the white and gold/blue and black dress debacle all over the web, sometimes lighting can create optical illusions on camera. Lighting can seriously change everything, and some people may not realize they’re looking at altered images.

“I did shoot with a high contrast lighting, so that enhanced any dark part of the dough,” Olsen said. “However, we knew the potential to look burnt was there, so I did add a fill light to mask the darker parts of the bread.” 

It turns out that one of the breads in the video was actually not as baked as it appeared, because Olsen didn’t want it to look burnt in the video. The pull-apart snowflake bread gave off the appearance of a fully-baked bread, when in fact it could have used some more time in the oven.

“Sometimes the colorcast of the lights are slightly warm-toned, boosting the warm tones already present in the food,” Thompson said. “Basically it’s the same effect as a warm filter on Instagram, but not as intense!”

So, why were so many people pressed about the bake of these breads? It seems it all comes down to personal preference. Maybe some people like lighter-colored bread, some like darker. We all know that the outside is always going to be darker than the inside — some people just don’t want a stark contrast between the two.

Geography also plays a role, since it’s known that Americans cook food differently from other countries. That might be the main reason there was such a divide in the comments.

While we wish the world was full of more Geraldines and Lindas, we know it’s impossible for everyone to agree on whether the bread is burnt.