A growing… Loaf Affair

Since the beginning of recorded time, bread has been considered as “staff of life”, since it is consumed at all times of the day. During the pandemic the demand for bread from large bakeries has increased as it is believed to be more hygienic than staple food from F&B outlets. Bread from reputed bakeries has become popular with consumers of all ages. The health benefits of bread are also numerous. Epidemiological studies have shown whole grain products reduce type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolaemia, metabolic syndrome, and coronary heart disease as well as cardiovascular mortality. Besides the health benefits it is a food that can be consumed at any time of the day. This convenience victual is becoming increasingly popular with the millenials, nuclear families and even the elderly as it provides hassle free meal, without the laborious process of cooking. Ashok Malkani views the popularity, variety and health benefits of this bakery product.

- Ashok Malkani

Bread, with the stay-at-home compulsion due to corona virus, is assuming dimensions of becoming a staple food. Bread is no longer just had at breakfast, it is being consumed at lunch and dinner and even in the evenings, as a snack.

Bread, in all its various forms, is the most widely consumed food in the world. It forms between 10% to 40% of our daily caloric content. Not only is it an important source of carbohydrates, it’s also portable and compact, making it more popular during this critical period.

Bread has been a staple food a l l over the globe for thousands of years. People continue to consume it due to its convenience, portability, nutritional value and taste.

Bread is not just a loaf made from refined wheat flour. Today, we have fruit bread, sweet buns, and, with the younger generation preferring low calorie, fibre rich food, the bakers’ have come up with whole wheat bread, multigrain bread, etc.

Bread has also moved on from the hand-made variety. Now an entire range of equipment — rotary bread oven, walk-in proofer, dough kneader, planetary mixer, spiral mixer, automatic cookie machine and others — are at service for mass production.

Variety of Breads

Some of the multifarious breads that are popular globally are:

White Bread: This is most commonly used bread in India. It is made from wheat flour from which bran and germ layers have been removed. The flour is further bleached by chemicals like potassium bromated, azodicarbonamide or chlorine dioxide gas to remove the yellow shade and make its baking properties more predictable.

Fruit Bread: This is white bread to which fruit and sugar are added. Popular fruits used are raisins, dried fruits, currants.