3 tablespoons adds flavor and makes a nice golden crust with a slight shine. Mix together 1 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons water. Brush on right before popping in the oven. Makes for a light shine and crisp golden crust. Poppy, caraway, sesame seed or rolled oats are eye-appealing and tasty toppings.
Poppy seeds produce a crunchy and nutty flavor in the bread.
Sesame seeds are small oval-shaped seeds of the sesamum family. They are pearly white in color and produce a rich, toasted nut flavor. Brush unbaked loaves with an egg white wash and then sprinkle on seeds or oats. The wash keeps the seeds from falling off the loaf or rolls. The scoring of some breads before baking is done for a couple of reasons.