How Breadboards Work
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Is It a Cutting Board or a Kneading Board?
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Before you can decide how a bread board works, you have to decide whether you mean a board on which bread is sliced--a kind of cutting board--or a board on which dough is kneaded and/or mixed. This kind of board shouldn't be used as a cutting board at all. Each serves a different function and should be used appropriately.
A Cutting Board
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A bread board used as a cutting board offers a firm and secure base on which to place a loaf of bread to be sliced. It protects the edge of the cutting knife from damage. Finally it collects crumbs and shards of crust so that cleanup after slicing is a simple matter of dusting off the board, wiping it and putting it away.
A cutting breadboard can take many forms, including slatted forms that allow the crumbs to fall through the slats to a containing tray. The primary features of a good cutting bread board are a moderately level surface of sufficient size, good traction for stability and a comparatively soft material like wood or plastic. The first two details make it possible to safely cut bread. Fabrication from a soft material makes sure that the least possible damage is done to the cutting edge of the bread knife. Care should be taken to avoid using "cutting boards" of stone, metal or ceramic: while these clean up well, they increase the damage done to the knife, rather than protecting the knife.
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A Kneading Board
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The second kind of bread board is a tool for cooking, used in much the same way as a mixing bowl. A smooth, flat, well-oiled piece of wood, metal or plastic is used as a sort of movable table on which ingredients can be mixed, kneaded and shaped. This sort of board must be very large to accommodate substantial volumes of raw, unmixed ingredients. It should never, ever be used as a cutting board. Cutting on a kneading surface slices scars and leaves gouges. These flaws increase sticking of the dough and are hard to clean properly. As the use of ingredients like eggs, sugar and flour are common to kneaded recipes, an improperly cleaned board can provide safe breeding places for germs.
A good wooden kneading board works because it is smooth, well dusted with flour and absorbs moisture rather than leaving it to form a thin, gluey film. Any kneading board works by being large, resistant to sticking, easy to maneuver and easy to clean.
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