The loaf of bread, an essential forgotten at the table?
1. DOES ALL GOOD BREAD HAVE TO BE ARTISAN?
Both Beatriz and Javier agree that No . "The word craftsman today it has little value he has abused her for too long ”, explains Beatriz. "But beyond the fact that he offers few guarantees, in the case of bread specifically, making it with your hands does not make it better." “Not all artisan bread is good and not all good bread has to be artisan” Xavier concludes.
Or should we be more concerned about bars being sold at 20 cents?
two. HOW TO DISTINGUISH GOOD BREAD?
For Beatriz, “A bread has to have aroma of bread and flavor , that you can eat it alone. Then we can talk about a crispy crust, which I love, but there are varieties of bread that do not require it, and it would be a flaw if they did! For me it is much better that I have a very colored bark because the color in the crust means flavor, but again, not all breads have to have it. must also have a wet crumb that is pleasant in the mouth. And good bread lasts , and several days besides”.
Duration is one of the aspects that Javier also highlights: “The weight is important, although there are good lighter breads such as the baguette or the Antequera muffin, and above all, that it lasts. It also depends on the bread, but a loaf should last 1 week . It is an intrinsic value of the product, all well-made bread should last like this”.
A good loaf should last a week ONE!
3. DOES FROZEN BREAD ALWAYS HAVE TO BE SYNONYMOUS WITH BAD BREAD? (bearing in mind that the bread can be frozen at home)
Javier is blunt: “No. Anyone can freeze a loaf of bread and see that it has no negative effects . The important thing in bread is how it has been made and with what. If you make bad bread, freezing it will make it worse, because its texture suffers (the crust peels, for example). Freezing, therefore, is not synonymous with bad. It is also true that the term is used to define to industrial bread which, for the most part, is not of good quality.”
Beatriz develops this idea: “It doesn't have to be bad, but freezing finished bread at home it has nothing to do with the technique of pre-cooked and frozen bread (which is what they sell you at hot spots that aren't really bakeries). A pre-baked bread is baked until it is cooked inside, and then it stops baking and then it is frozen. It is then thawed and baked at the point of sale , or baked straight from the freezer. It is a complicated process that has to be carried out with precision from start to finish, and this is not always the case because bread is often made in a factory, shipped frozen to a point of sale and then there it is not treated well . A pre-baked bread can be good but it is a technique that is used not for the good of the bread but for the convenience of the baker or the bakery factory. It is not done to get a better product but to be able to make it travel to the points of sale . This implies the use of certain ingredients that make the dough stand up to freezing, for example. I consider that the best bread is made with organic flour, sourdough and long fermentations, and without freezing or precooking. . It's like a canned stew and one that they serve you in a good restaurant. There can be wonderful canned stews, designed by great chefs, and using high-quality ingredients. But I prefer the stew of the good restaurant”.
The crumb, essential to recognize a good bread
Four. ARE THE 'TYPICAL DOTS' ON THE BASE OF THE BREAD A SIGN OF AN ELECTRIC OVEN AND, THEREFORE, FROZEN DOUGH?
Javier answers us: “ For the most part it is like this , although today the molds with that shape can be bought by anyone, and you can make bread at home that comes out with those points. Normally it is indicative of frozen bread and cooked in an electric oven ”.
5. IS IT NORMAL TO PAY 1.50 FOR A LOAF OF BREAD?
“Well of course depends on the bar ”, responds Beatrice. “First we should see how much does it weigh , our bars for example are 350gr, almost double that of many supermarkets, for example. And you have to take into account the ingredients and processes that go into it.” More blunt is Javier: “It is normal to pay 1.50, yes. Or more, if the flours used are more expensive or any other aspect of the process makes it more expensive”.
One thing is clear: quality pays
6. SHOULD WE BE MORE CONCERNED THAT BARS ARE SOLD AT 20 CENTS?
"I think if, 20 cents is what the flour in my loaf alone is worth to me Come on, adding the rest of the ingredients, the labor and all the other expenses involved in making that bar, we already put ourselves well above those 20 cents”, explains Beatriz. “One thing that seems important to me is to recognize that when it comes to making good bread , the most expensive thing for the baker is not the raw material (although there is no doubt that it matters) the most expensive is the process that involves a lot of space and time , and many hours of work. That's very expensive". Javier is also against these prices: "It is curious to calculate how can a loaf cost 20 cents , and it is certain that the explanation for that does not escape anyone: worse, cheaper raw material to begin with . There are also ways to make a product a little cheaper without resorting to loss of quality, but That limit is suspicious, isn't it? ”.
Bread, the new gourmet phenomenon
7. HAS BREAD BECOME A GOURMET PRODUCT, ON THE ONE HAND, AND ONE OF LOW QUALITY DAILY CONSUMPTION ON THE OTHER?
“I don't think so: even when the bread is good and the higher price is still being the cheapest product we put on the table ”, responds Beatrice. “We are not talking about caviar or jabugo ham; a good bread implies a low daily expense , but it has to be a priority for the one who takes it. If it is not, if you don't care about the taste of bread and whether it nourishes you or not , then it is logical that you only want to spend the minimum.
Javier disagrees: “Yes, both things happen, and both are, in my opinion, a pity . I believe that bread, being a basic food, must be able to be present at any table and obviously at a reasonable price. This trend is allowing, unsurprisingly, some people to take advantage. It is good that there are special breads that are worthwhile and justify a high price , but it is not what is usually found. Rather, they are usually disguised breads, at unbalanced prices. He subscribed to the idea that the level of 'daily consumption' bread should be raised . Not because you consume it every day it has to be worse, but on the contrary, and precisely because of that. I vote for high-quality, reasonably priced daily breads ”.
"A good bread implies a low daily expense"
8. WHAT ATTRACTS PEOPLE TO SIGN UP FOR A BREAD MAKING COURSE?
This is what Beatriz tells us, who has been teaching courses on the subject for years. “Many people are interested in health issues but most of them come because the bread process catches their attention . It's a fascinating hobby: touching a sticky dough, turning it around, changing under your hands, then growing, and finally puffing up and browning in the oven, it's exciting. And people like to work with their hands, and the challenge of mastering a new subject ”.
What will the dough have that we love to work with?
9. WHY DO PEOPLE SETTLE FOR VERY LOW QUALITY BREAD? IS IT JUST A QUESTION OF PRICE OR IS IT FOR COMFORT (BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE GOOD BAKERIES CLOSE TO THEIR HOUSE?
“If you don't have a choice, then you settle for it”, concludes Beatriz. “That has been going on for a long time. At a given moment, and due to a series of circumstances, the quality of the bread drops brutally . But in my opinion, people are not satisfied with the bread they eat and that is why courses and bakeries like ours are successful. Now the consumer has many more options ; The important is do not be seduced by sites that appear to be 'artisans' . Good bread is not a trend, it is logical that it returns, it is a delicious product, which accompanies almost all meals and can even be the main element, which feeds, makes you feel good... Good bread makes us happy ”.
"For many years we have suffered from the silent disease of eating bad bread without realizing it, without paying attention," agrees Javier. “ It has been so long that we have lost the memory of what a bread should taste like . Now, bread is more of a tool than a food. Push, finish the sauce... It has been a forgotten and cornered element, and the lack of references made us settle for those insipid masses. The price has influenced, of course, in a logical but sad effect, which makes us look more at the wallet than the quality of what we eat. And comfort, another of the silent diseases, has also influenced . Why buy good fresh milk every four days when I can buy UHT milk and have it at home for three months? One more time, this is a reflection of the little culture we have regarding one of the things we like to brag about the most: gastronomy ”.
It is important that a bread nourishes, if not, what?
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