Its sandwichability.

I don't think I want a thanksgiving sandwich on banana bread, though. That would be kind of weird.

Also, FTR, in New Joy there are milkless breads and milky breads, and I've made them both, and they both come out quite bread-y. The milk breads come out lighter, smoother (they also have one egg in), but pretty much alike in terms of what the crumbs do. Actually, the milk bread base recipe is right next to the challah recipe, which I would get around to making, if it did not require the separation of egg yolks. Whatever would I do with the whites?

I said, SUGAR.

That's actually my made up criteria. If it is sweet, it's cake. Even though I'll call it banana or zucchini bread. It's really a cake. In disguise.

Whatever would I do with the whites?

The Cake Bible has a section where she lists recipes in different organisations, and one of them is, IIRC, about extra yolks or whites.

There are always meringues, angel food cake, facials, souffles, omelettes ... a whole bunch of options.

Betsy would know. I bet Betsy will come on and tell us it is some complex interaction between the milk, sugar, and rising agent that makes the difference. Possibly also the butter/fat content.

My criteria is this - if I can add either wheat germ or savory herbs to it with no fundamental shift in tastiness, it's a bread. Thus banana bread is a bread, as is brioche.

I fully accept that my criteria is not other people's.

After some consideration, I've decided to curtail my posting on Buffistas.

I'm used to my boards and groups, where it's primarily male and a lot of shooting shit. Religion, politics, Great Pumpkin, it's all on the table, but we take it in stride and have barbeque together whenever we're within 200 miles of each other. It's kinda like going to the bar and having your own barstool.

Buffistas, though, isn't a bar, it's more like a coffeehouse. And like a barfly in a Starbucks, I feel like I'm just jostling around and making an ass of myself. There's a group culture and repartee I don't understand, and I feel like every time I open my mouth I'm pissing someone off.

So... I'm just going to curtail my posting significantly and lurk a lot more. This isn't a culture I understand well enough yet to be a productive member of b.org. The less I talk, the less damage I can do.

Anyway. Ta. I'll be lurking if needed.

if I can add either wheat germ or savory herbs to it with no fundamental shift in tastiness, it's a bread. Thus banana bread is a bread, as is brioche.

I get the savory herbs thing, but then banana bread is cake to me before and after that rule.

Okay, no, I don't -- if you add savoury herbs to my oatmeal honey bread recipe, it would taste a bit funky.

And I add wheatgerm to anything that doesn't need a light crumb -- I definitely associate it with cakes and cookies on the heartier side.

Betsy would know. I bet Betsy will come on and tell us it is some complex interaction between the milk, sugar, and rising agent that makes the difference. Possibly also the butter/fat content.

Either that or she'll find a site that explains in explicit detail what people do with cake versus what people do with bread (and I don't mean "do"in terms of sandwiches).

eta: We loves Betsy's links.

There are always meringues, angel food cake, facials, souffles, omelettes ... a whole bunch of options.

Facials???

All of the rest of those options are too involved, as I am not smart enough to change out of black clothing before starting bread, so I would not be able to cook two things at once. How do egg whites store?

wheat germ

Tell me about this substance. My mother used to keep it in the fridge, but I wasn't really sure why. It is, like, whole wheat flour super-concentrate? wheat without the gluten?

IMO, you fit in so well I thought you were an old-timer that changed your id.