WSJ article on Culinary Engineering in bread

[Mike Nolan]

Kind of a controversial topic for bakers:

https://www.wsj.com/business/bread-shelf-life-culinary-engineering-6536d6cc?st=eohomz0nzwaqwpe&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Spread the word

      

  

  

[BakerAunt]

Thanks for posting the article link, Mike.

A friend who grew up in Minnesota, who is about ten years older than I, told me that her job in her large family was to bake the bread using a huge pan divided into sections for each loaf.

I have told my husband that on our next extended trip, we are taking the bread machine. Finding a bakery that makes good bread has been impossible in the places we visit, and I hate having to resort to store-bought bread with its lack of taste and texture, even when we buy a wholegrain one.

I wish that more people knew how easy it is to bake your own bread. I think that the emphasis on "artisan" loaves has obscured the simplicity. I noted that the article does not discuss breads that do not stale in two days, in part because they use oil (olive, avocado, canola), dairy, and/or eggs.

[Mike Nolan]

The Real Bread Campaign was started in large part to address the issues of 'factory bread'.

There's been an interesting thread on this in the BBGA forum, one of the challenges is that in the USA most commercial yeast (IDY and ADY) has additives such as ascorbic acid that are either not permitted in Europe or are ingredients the Real Bread Campaign doesn't want used.

https://www.sustainweb.org/realbread/

We've been using some of the keto-friendly breads in the stores, even though they have things like 'modified wheat starch' in them. Over on r/keto there are folks who are strongly opposed to such ingredients. I'm still experimenting with my own breads, using things like 'bamboo fiber', which was in the keto-friendly biscuits that were pretty good, but the L'Oven Fresh breads and buns are gonna be hard to beat for taste and texture in a keto-friendly product, and it's not like we're using them at every meal.

[BakerAunt]

I know that the Europeans are big on fresh yeast, which is why I avoid most of those bread books.

I did not realize that ADY has additives.

[Mike Nolan]

Several types of ADY have sorbitan monostearate in them, IDY usually has ascorbic acid.

Per James Bridges in the BBGA forums:

Ascorbic acid is an improver which acts as an oxidiser, and creates a slightly acidic environment. This improves yeast attenuation and synthesis of ascorbic acid increases stress resistance in yeast. Sorbitan monostearate is an emulsifier which prevents excess drying and aids in rehydration.

Sandeep Gyawali posted this:

ChatGPT says:

The presence of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in instant dry yeast but not in active dry yeast can be attributed to the different production processes and purposes of these two types of yeast:

Production Process:

Active Dry Yeast: This type of yeast is produced by drying and deactivating fresh yeast cells. During this process, the yeast is exposed to conditions that reduce its vitamin C content or render it inactive. As a result, active dry yeast typically does not contain significant amounts of vitamin C after processing.

Instant Dry Yeast: Instant yeast undergoes a different production process where the yeast cells are dried rapidly under controlled conditions. Manufacturers often add small amounts of ascorbic acid during the production of instant dry yeast. This addition serves multiple purposes: it acts as a dough improver by strengthening gluten, and it also helps to protect the yeast cells from oxidation during storage.

Purpose and Shelf Life:

Active Dry Yeast: This type of yeast is designed to have a longer shelf life and be more resilient to storage conditions. Vitamin C is not necessary for its long-term stability, and its absence does not affect its performance significantly.

Instant Dry Yeast: Due to its faster dissolving properties and more immediate use in baking, instant yeast benefits from the addition of vitamin C. This vitamin enhances dough quality and supports yeast activity, ensuring consistent performance in a shorter time frame.

In summary, the presence of vitamin C in instant dry yeast is intentional and serves specific functional roles related to dough improvement and yeast performance, whereas active dry yeast does not require it for its intended purpose and storage stability.

If this is the current state of ChatGPT articles, I'm impressed.

[Joan Simpson]

I guess that's why some bread recipes have said add a vitamin c tablet.

[Mike Nolan]

I'd be interested in knowing if there has been research on whether ascorbic acid has different effects than other acids, like vinegar.

[RiversideLen]

That's interesting. I seem to recall Alton Brown adding a vitamin C tablet to something but I don't remember what it was.

[Author]

Posts