Scientists in the Netherlands report an advance toward unraveling one of the culinary world's long-standing puzzles: How to maintain the crispy quality of bread crust.

Each year for Saint Patrick's Day, I pull out my favorite Irish Soda Bread recipe and start baking. Sometimes, we'll even eat three loaves all before Saint Patrick's Day has even arrived.

Wheat breeders are working to put a "little muscle" into bread, in addition to helping producers get better yields, said a Texas Agricultural Experiment Station researcher.

Many Russians remember a time when a bukhanka, a loaf of the dense black bread that was an indispensable staple at any kitchen table, cost just 18 kopeks. Now a similar loaf can cost as much as 15 rubles, and authorities are warning that the price may grow by as much as 50 percent by the end of the year.