Season 4, Spring 2008

Conchas are a type of Mexican pan dulce, or sweet bread. Unlike our pastries and donuts, Mexicans eat lightly sweetened breads for breakfast, or as a merienda at night. Conchas, or "shells", are one of our favorite pan dulce, known for their sweet decorative tops. Don't say you like to eat "conchas" to anyone outside of Mexico though, the word takes on different meanings in other countries!

We went to Falai Restaurant in New York's Lower East Side to observe how they make their rich and delicious foccacia bread. Foccacia is characterized by the imprints in the dough, which make it flat when baked. Right after it is removed from the oven, it is brushed with lots of olive oil for a deliciously rich flavor.

Ethiopian Injera is a delicious spongy bread made with teff flour. Teff is a tiny whole grain from Ethiopia that is very healthy and nutritious. The wet dough is left to ferment for a few days, taking on a slightly sour flavor and spongy texture. Ethiopian dishes are centered around the large flat bread, which is used to pick up the various morsels of food. We went to The Ethiopian Restaurant in New York to learn how they make this unique bread.

Who will be the winner? Watch Kitchen Caravan's first ever bread beauty pageant and find out!