What's in a Name? Tiger Bread, Giraffe Bread or Dutch Crunch - Tiger Bread Recipe (2024)

What’s in a Name? Tiger Bread, Giraffe Bread or Dutch Crunch – Tiger Bread Recipe

What’s in a Name?

Tiger Bread, Giraffe Bread or Dutch Crunch

– Tiger Bread Recipe –

What’s in a Name? Tiger Bread, Giraffe Bread or Dutch Crunch – Tiger Bread Recipe

For the wellinitiatedtiger bread fans amongst you, it will be apparent from my photos that my bread was neither stripy (as in tiger bread) or patchwork (as in giraffe bread), it was in fact very pale and mottled, and that is my fault completely, as with the absence of rice flour in the pantry and with it being Sunday (limited shop opening hours), I blithely said “rice flour, shmice flour – corn flour will do”!! However, what this bread lacked in stripes and patches was more than made up in flavour, it WAS indeed JUST like a “proper” loaf of tiger bread and was delicious. The texture and taste was exactly the same as the tiger bread I buy from my local supermarket bakery, but much better…….with a better crust I thought. It sliced like a dream and had a subtle sesame flavour, which gives a good tiger bread its growl. I hadn’t chosen to make tiger bread, it was what the “Baking Gods” chose for me when I randomly opened a page from a pile of bread cookbooks, as part of dashing Dom’s (Belleau Kitchen) Random Recipeschallenge.

What’s in a Name? Tiger Bread, Giraffe Bread or Dutch Crunch – Tiger Bread Recipe

Tiger bread – what’s in a name; well, Sainsbury’s recently changed the name from tiger bread to giraffe bread, after a letter from ayoungcustomerand a subsequenton-linepetition asking it to be changed – it seems that bread naming is a VERY serious business! The naming of this bread becomes even more fascinating, and here’s what I found out when I delved into it deeper:

Sainsbury’s Giraffe Bread (Image Sainsbury’s)

Tiger bread

Origin:

Place of origin Netherlands

Tiger bread (also sold as Dutch crunch in the USA, tijgerbrood or tijgerbol in Netherlands) is the commercial name for a loaf of bread which has a unique mottled crust. Within the United States, it is popular in the San Francisco Bay Area (as “Dutch crunch”), but it is not well-known elsewhere.

Crust:

The bread is generally made with sesame oil and with a pattern baked into the top made by painting rice paste onto the surface prior to baking. The paste dries and cracks during the baking process. The rice paste crust also gives the bread a distinctive flavour. It has a crusty exterior, but is soft inside. Typically, tiger bread is made as a white bread bloomer loaf or bread roll, but the technique can be applied to any shape of bread.

Other names:

The name originated in the Netherlands, where it is known as tijgerbrood or tijgerbol (translation: tiger roll), and where it has been sold at least since the early 1970s. In the USA, it is generally sold as “Dutch crunch”, though recently, some stores have begun to sell it as “Dutch crust”. In the UK, supermarket chain Sainsbury’s markets the product under the name “giraffe bread”.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But back to my bread now and where I found the recipe. Having piled all my bread cookbooks onto a table, I selected one at random and was pleased to have grabbed the book “Traditional Bread Making” (Discover the art of creating classic and speciality breads) by Eve Parker.I was pleased as the book was a present for Christmas and I have not had time to make anything from it yet, even thought it’s a lovely little book. My random page was “73” and at first I was disappointed as I wanted to make the recipe on page 72, which was a tasty Cheese and Potato Rolls recipe…….but, I didn’t cheat, and Tiger Bread it was. The bread was made today and we enjoyed it as part of a light lunch (our main meal this Sunday is tonight) with a delightful new recipe I will be sharing soon, English Garden Salad with Cheese and Eggs.

What’s in a Name? Tiger Bread, Giraffe Bread or Dutch Crunch – Tiger Bread Recipe

The recipe was excellent, as the crumb inside was spot-on, but DON’T do what I did, do NOT use any other flour other than rice flour, otherwise you will have an anaemic mottled finish as I did – even if the crumb, texture and taste was amazingly good, it was a shame to lose the “stripes” or “patches” that would have made my bread look even better.I am sending some of this bread over to Dom as a virtual “get well soon” offering, as he is languishing in hospital right now and I hope he gets better very soon……..that’s all for today, DO try this recipe, it is excellent – see you later with my new salad recipe, some more 5:2 diet recipes and much more, have a relaxing Sunday, Karen.

What’s in a Name? Tiger Bread, Giraffe Bread or Dutch Crunch – Tiger Bread Recipe

Tiger Bread (Giraffe Bread)

Print recipe

Serves 1 large loaf of bread
Prep time 1 hour, 45 minutes
Cook time 30 minutes
Total time 2 hours, 15 minutes
Allergy Wheat
Dietary Vegetarian
Meal type Bread, Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack
Misc Child Friendly, Freezable, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold
Occasion Barbecue, Birthday Party, Casual Party
Region British
From book Traditional Bread Making by Eve Parker

A delicious home-made version of the popular bread, Tiger Bread, or as as Sainsbury's call it, Giraffe Bread. Easy to make at home and so much better than the supermarket or large commercial bakery versions. Taken from the book: Traditional Bread Making by Eve Parker

Ingredients

Bread

  • 450g (1lb) strong white bread flour
  • 3 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 sachet easy-blend yeast
  • 300ml (1/2 pint) warm water

Glaze

  • 2 tablespoons rice flour
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil

Note

A delicious home-made version of the popular bread, Tiger Bread, or as as Sainsbury's call it, Giraffe Bread. Easy to make at home and so much better than the supermarket or large commercial bakery versions. Taken from the book: Traditional Bread Making by Eve Parker

Directions

Step 1 Mix the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the warm water a little at a time, mixing well until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.
Step 2 Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead for 5 minutes or until it is smooth and elastic. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Step 3 Knock back the dough and knead for a further 5 minutes on a floured board until it feels soft and pliable. Shape the dough into a large oval (bloomer shape) and place it on a greased baking sheet.
Step 4 Mix the rice flour and sesame oil together to form a soft paste. Using a knife, spread the paste over the top of the loaf until it covers the surface. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise for 10 to 15 minutes or until it has doubled in size.
Step 5 Bake in a pre-heated oven (220C/425F/Gas Mark 7) for 25 to 30 minutes or until the rice flour topping has gone brown and has started to crack.
Step 6 Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

What’s in a Name? Tiger Bread, Giraffe Bread or Dutch Crunch – Tiger Bread Recipe

What's in a Name? Tiger Bread, Giraffe Bread or Dutch Crunch - Tiger Bread Recipe (11)

With thanks to Garden Trading for sending me the lovely Bread Binin Clay (£28:00) for review – I love the style, colour and size of it – it is perfect for all my home-made bread requirements. I will be featuring it again, but wanted to highlight in today’s post as I am storing my tiger bread in it!

Tiger Bread and Garden Trading Bread Bin

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What's in a Name? Tiger Bread, Giraffe Bread or Dutch Crunch - Tiger Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is Dutch Crunch the same as tiger bread? ›

Tiger bread, known as Dutch Crunch in the U.S., is a Bay Area sandwich staple and a San Fransisco food you need to try. To make it, the top of a white bread roll gets thinly coated with rice flour dough to give the bread a unique, crackly top when baked.

Is giraffe bread the same as tiger bread? ›

Sainsbury's is renaming its tiger bread after a letter a three-year-old girl wrote to the company, saying the bread looked more like a giraffe, went viral. In May 2011, Lily Robinson wrote to the supermarket, suggesting that the bread should be called giraffe bread.

What makes tiger bread Tigery? ›

The bread is generally made with a pattern baked onto the top made by painting rice paste onto the surface prior to baking. The rice paste that imparts the bread's characteristic flavour dries and cracks during the baking process. The bread itself has a crusty exterior, but is soft inside.

What's in giraffe bread? ›

INGREDIENTS: Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Rice Flour, Yeast, Salt, Sugar, Flour Treatment Agents: L-Cysteine, Ascorbic Acid.

What is Dutch Crunch Bread called? ›

Dutch Crunch (tijgerbrood) Rolls | Recipes from The Mill | Bob's Red Mill.

What bread is similar to Dutch crunch? ›

Dutch Crunch is ubiquitous in San Fransisco, but it has origins in other parts of the world. Tiger Bread, a similar bread in taste and appearance, is found in the Netherlands, hence the “Dutch” in the name.

What is the name of the tiger bread in the US? ›

Yes – Tiger Bread! Also known as Tijgerbrood in The Netherlands and Dutch Crunch Bread in the US.

Is there such thing as giraffe bread? ›

In the USA, it is generally sold as “Dutch crunch”, though recently, some stores have begun to sell it as “Dutch crust”. In the UK, supermarket chain Sainsbury's markets the product under the name “giraffe bread”.

Where is Dutch Crunch Bread from? ›

Putting aside the odd name choice, the bread likely indeed originated in the Netherlands, though its first U.S. destination wasn't the Bay Area. The first published reference to "Dutch crunch" bread was in 1935 in Oregon, according to food historian Erica J. Peters, where it appeared in a bakery advertisem*nt.

Why is Dutch crunch so good? ›

For Chau, "the appeal of Dutch crunch is not only visual, but also textural. Textural differences between the crispy top of the rice flour coating and the softer bread is what makes this so special, as multiple textures excite the sensory experience." Ike's Sandwiches.

What flour is tiger bread made from? ›

Tiger bread is a delicious and fun Dutch traditional bread made as a loaf or into buns then brushed with a paste made from yeast, oil, rice flour, sugar, salt, and water. The rice paste is what creates the tiger pattern on the top of the bread and provides a slightly sweet taste.

What is the difference between sourdough and Dutch crunch bread? ›

Besides the crunchy exterior, Dutch Crunch Bread is described by many as having a soft interior crumb that's slightly sweet. Yeast, and an addition of sugar, will likely help achieve this. My sourdough version has a more robust crumb and is slightly chewy. But it's not dense like a bagel or pretzel.

What's in squirrel bread? ›

From the Package. ORGANIC SPROUTED WHOLE WHEAT, RAISIN NECTAR (RAISINS, WATER), VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN, ORGANIC SESAME SEEDS, ORGANIC SUNFLOWER SEEDS, CULTURED WHEAT FLOUR, YEAST, WATER, SEA SALT.

What is monkey bread made of? ›

Monkey bread is a sweet, gooey Bundt cake made from balls of dough rolled in cinnamon sugar. Arrange the dough balls in a Bundt pan, then top it all with a buttery brown sugar sauce before baking. Invert it onto a serving plate, then drizzle with creamy vanilla icing.

What is the tiger bread at Subway? ›

Subway's menu now features our favourite animal-based bread! Subway has officially added a new bread to its eight-strong line-up of sub offerings: and it is TIGER BREAD. That's right – everyone's favourite supermarket bakery staple is crossing the border into epic sandwich territory.

What's the difference between tiger bread? ›

Tiger bread wouldn't be tiger bread without it's cracked crust, right? That's what gives it such a distinctive appearance. The effect is achieved by spreading half-proofed bread dough with a rice flour paste. When the bread is baked, the top of the bread then gets a crackly crust.

Is Dutch Crunch Bread a California thing? ›

Although it hasn't yet caught on nationally, this crusty, dense sandwich bread is wildly popular but also very controversial here in the San Francisco Bay Area. It's become a regional staple and can now be found in many delis, alongside its more classic bread counterparts, like sourdough.

What's the difference between bread and tiger bread? ›

Originated in Netherlands, also known as tijgerbrood or tijgerbol (tiger roll), Tiger Bread is basically a soft and fluffy white bloomer bread loaf which has a distinct pattern baked on top owing to the rice flour paste which also gives the bread its flavour and crunch.

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