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The shocking truth about bread
Independent, The (London), Aug 24, 2006 by Andrew Whitley
SOYA FLOUR
Widely used in bread "improvers", soya flour has a bleaching effect on flour, and assists the machinability of dough and the volume and softness of bread, enabling more water to be added to the dough.
EMULSIFIERS
Widely used in bread improvers to control the size of gas bubbles, emulsifiers enable the dough to hold more gas and therefore grow bigger and make the crumb softer. Emulsifiers also reduce the rate at which the bread goes stale.
PRESERVATIVES
Calcium propionate is widely used, as is vinegar (acetic acid). Preservatives are only necessary for prolonged shelf life - home freezing is a chemical-free alternative.
ENZYMES
Amylase assists in the production of maltose (a fermentable sugar) from the starch in flour It gives an increased loaf volume and a better crust colour, and keeps the bread softer for longer. Oxidase increases dough strength and elasticity, while protease makes strong wheats more machinable. Peptidase enhances crust flavour and colour, and lipase breaks down fats.
It will take more than branding to convince people that British bread is not simply bland pap
About the author
Andrew Whitley is a leading authority on organic baking and food issues. After studying Russian at Sussex university and in Moscow, he joined the BBC Russian Service, where he made programmes about the emerging "environmental crisis". He left London in 1976 to grow his own food on an organic smallholding in Cumbria, and went on to found The Village Bakery, which has won many awards, culminating in the Organic Trophy. Whitley has been an occasional contributor to Radio 4's The Food Programme and has written on bread and related matters for specialist journals. He is chair of the Soil Association's processing standards committee.
This piece is extracted from Bread Matters by Andrew Whitley published by Fourth Estate on 4 September, priced pounds 20. To order a copy for pounds 16.99, including postage and packaging, call Independent Books Direct on 08700 798 897. Copyright Andrew Whitley 2006
Copyright 2006 Independent Newspapers UK Limited
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.
