Loafmass

Loafmass is a term used in baking science to describe the total mass of a loaf of bread, measured after baking and cooling. It is typically reported in grams or kilograms and includes the crust, crumb, and any toppings or inclusions that remain on or inside the loaf.

Loafmass is determined with a calibrated scale when the loaf has cooled to room temperature to avoid mass changes from heat. It reflects both the dough's initial mass and the water retained in the crumb after oven moisture loss. Loafmass can vary with flour type, hydration, fermentation, baking time, and oven moisture.

In recipe development and quality control, loafmass serves as a standardization metric for scaling ingredients and assessing consistency across batches. It provides a basis for calculating yield ratios, such as loafmass per unit flour mass, and for comparing loaves made with different process parameters.

Etymology and usage: The term loafmass is informal and largely used in culinary science discussions and hobbyist baking literature. It is not a formal measurement in most professional baking standards, where loaf weight is used as a practical quality indicator.

See also: Bread, Baking science, Hydration (baking), Crumb.