Homemade Bread vs Commerical Bread

[Bond]

What's the difference between the bread you bake at home and the bread you buy in the store? The aroma is so much different. I use the regular bread flour as well as the Red star yeast packets you purchase in a supermarket.

I am trying to making a loaf that tastes and smells like the french bread you might buy in a bakery.

Any ideas on this???

Thanks

Steve

[nowIamone]

Did you start with a french bread recipe? The dough itself is different, it isn't just the shape. Are you looking for a sour, crusty loaf or a dense, rustic loaf?
Go to: http://www.bakerscatalogue.com and order their catalog, even the discussion in the catalog will help you understand the flours and sponges to achieve the bread you are looking for.

[juliap]

As I understand it, true "French" bread does not contain any shortening or oil, so you would want to be sure it is an authentic "French" bread recipe.

Alternatively, unless you're just looking for personal satisfaction, Kroger makes a great multi-grain french-style loaf and for $2 you can't beat it. This is their "fresh-baked in the store " variety in addition to several other "fresh-baked in the store breads". It comes unsliced but they'll even slice it for you if you ask. Saves a lot of time and gas/electricity.

As you can probably gather, I only bake stuff I can't readily buy

I used to bake a lot just to prove I could, but I don't have to prove anything anymore (LOL).

[siduri]

i baked at first only for the fun of it, then i baked because i moved where i couldn't buy the things i liked, and then I baked because even if i could find them, they weren't as good as the home made ones, and ultimately, i bake for the fun of it anyway. And i don;t care how good a bought bread is, will it fill your house with that special perfume??? Never.
also- baking bread is so relaxing.

[foodpump]

One of the "secrets"to really good bread is to age the dough, the longer you age the dough, the more flavour you can squeeze out. As an added bonus, bread made with aged dough has a deep red/brown colour to it.

Most commercial bread is made fresh, but due to budget and labour issues, the dough is not aged. Best thing to do is to start experimenting, and eating!

[Jock]

Depends on where you buy your bread. Your basic mass produced supermarket bread isn't that good. As foodpump says, they don't take the time to let the dough mature and develop flavor. They just want to get it on the shelf as faast as possible.

A good artisenal bakery will take the time to do it right and their bread (for those who don't make their own) is worth every penny in my opinion. And it's usually not much more expensive than the supermarket stuff.

But what's the difference? I think it is the controlled environment of a commercial bakery. They have the proof boxes, the steam injection and all kinds of goodies that the average home kitchen doesn't have. They have bakers too who do nothing all day but bake bread. Us home bakers have jobs, chores, kids and a myriad of other distractions.

Jock

[siduri]

I agree Jock,
Good bread costs more, but i always wonder at that kind of savings. If you're eating beans and grains and not buying convenience foods at all, then you will need to save on bread too. (of course, some people have time only to rush by the supermarket when all else is closed, and have no choice). But if you're buying frozen foods, good cuts of meat, etc, and have the time to shop, why would you ever save on bread, vegetables and other marginally expensive stuff? It's those small things that make life good! Save on the really expensive stuff.