I'm not trying to be offensive to your tastes but I'm on holiday and really struggling with the food here. I love burgers and wings as a treat but just need a break so we went to the supermarket to buy some breakfast supplies. Just some eggs and a bit of toast will do me. I got the healthiest looking loaf I could find and was horrified to find even that brown loaf tastes like cake, or a cheap stale brioche. How can I get a nice fresh loaf of bread that doesn't taste like sugar?

And why do all the cereals look like m&ms

I know there's a few of you here (you know who you are) who wouldn't agree but I'm sweet enough.

lust said:

I'm not trying to be offensive to your tastes but I'm on holiday and really struggling with the food here. I love burgers and wings as a treat but just need a break so we went to the supermarket to buy some breakfast supplies. Just some eggs and a bit of toast will do me. I got the healthiest looking loaf I could find and was horrified to find even that brown loaf tastes like cake, or a cheap stale brioche. How can I get a nice fresh loaf of bread that doesn't taste like sugar? And why do all the cereals look like m&ms I know there's a few of you here (you know who you are) who wouldn't agree but I'm sweet enough.

kewlschool said:

Blimey. Ezekiel 4:9? Can you recommend any atheist bread.

But seriously. Flourless? I ain't no haemoceliac or whatever! I just want bread that doesn't take like pudding.

PurpleJedi said:

At least the packaging screams. "This shit tastes like candy"

Grace Baking here in the SF Bay Area is good for more solid fare...




Arizmendi is real Old World bread baking at it's finest but, again... Bay Area...

Ok, so this isn't just me.

Google. "Why is bread in..."

See what shows up.

RenHoek said:

That looks good.

I'm in Honolulu so if anyone knows where one can purchase a traditional artisan loaf or a nice baguette, sing out.

lust said:

RenHoek said:

Grace Baking here in the SF Bay Area is good for more solid fare...


Arizmendi is real Old World bread baking at it's finest but, again... Bay Area...

That looks good. I'm in Honolulu so if anyone knows where one can purchase a traditional artisan loaf or a nice baguette, sing out.

Been here??

GREAT HARVEST

RenHoek said:

No, but thanks for the suggestion. I looked it up and it's a bit far out as we have no car. Although, I think I passed it on a bus last week. We planned a 5 minute bus ride to a local Hawaiian restaurant in the burbs. Mom and pop joint but thanks to some wrong info from the hotel reception, got on a loop bus in the wrong direction. Took an hour to get back to where we started plus the 5 minutes to the restaurant. Worth it though.

lust said:

kewlschool said:

Blimey. Ezekiel 4:9? Can you recommend any atheist bread. But seriously. Flourless? I ain't no haemoceliac or whatever! I just want bread that doesn't take like pudding.

If you don't like the name, Alvarado Street Bread also has a protein bread made from sprouted seeds. http://www.alvaradostreetbakery.com/

wildgoldenhoney said:

Nah, just kidding about that.

Not a bread person, so I don't eat a lot.

But this is suppose to be the current rage.
http://www.naturesownbrea...holeWheat/

lust said:

I'm in Honolulu

A-HA!!!

Therein lies the root of your problem.

Hawaii isn't exactly known for subtle flavors.

Isn't their drinking water flavored with pineapple?

PurpleJedi said:

Aagh. That explains it. I had pineapple cider yesterday. Not bad.

Found this ...

Think I'll stick to buffalo wings and ribs. If you can't beat em, join em.


http://www.picturebritain...erica.html

How to Get British Bread in America

Wonder Bread, 1961 - Advertising Postcard, a photo by Shook Photos on Flickr.
What tastes sickly sweet, can sit on the shelf for eons without getting green, and is able to ruin a perfectly good sandwich instantaneously? American bread, of course! Or at least that's what I'm hearing from dozens of Brits. It seems that the taste of bread—not homemade bread, mind you, just a sliced white loaf wrapped in plastic—is far from universal. A bacon butty in Boise just doesn't stack up to one from Bristol. In this post I'm going to explore the differences between British and American bread, and give a little help to anyone in America who is desperate for a piece of toast or a sandwich that tastes like the bread back in Blighty.

Hovis, a photo by Castell Howell Foods on Flickr.

Great Britain vs. USA
What is the difference between a British bread (say, Hovis) and an American bread (say, Rainbo)? After an extensive amount of research I have uncovered the most probable culprits. Just look at the ingredient lists:

British White Sliced Bread: Wheat Flour (milled from 100% British Wheat), Water, Yeast, Salt, Soya Flour, Fermented Wheat Flour, Vegetable Fat, Emulsifiers: E472e, E471 (made from Vegetable Oils); Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C).
American White Sliced Bread: Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid), Skim Milk, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Yeast, Contains 2% Or Less of Each of The Following: Butter (Cream, Water, Salt), Salt, Wheat Gluten, Dough Conditioners (May Contain One Or More of The Following: Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Mono- and Diglycerides, Calcium Peroxide, Enzymes, Ascorbic Acid, Azodicarbonamide), Yeast Nutrients (Monocalcium Phosphate, Calcium Sulfate, Ammonium Sulfate), Cornstarch, Calcium Propionate (Preservative), Soy Lecithin, Soy Flour.
Humph. That looks like a big enough difference to disturb the tastebuds of some discerning Brits. In addition to a lot of unpronounceable chemicals, Rainbo bread also has HFCS, which could definitely affect the taste. Now of course I would never want you to get the idea that the only thing Americans eat is Rainbo bread; there are in fact thousands and thousands of varieties of sliced white, wheat, rye, hemp bread, etc., not to mention all of the artisan loaves on the grocery shelves. However, check out this other drastic difference:


White Hovis Bread: Comparable American Loaf (Vermont Bread Co.):
£1.15 ($1.80) $4.59 (£ 2.94)


Three slices, a photo by Nick Saltmarsh on Flickr.
The Chorleywood Process
So, American bread is sweeter and has more unnatural stuff in it. Why? Is it because of the notorious American sweet tooth? Perhaps.
The average American consumes 22 tsp. of sugar per day (according to this article), and we are more likely to put sweetener in our baked beans, beer, pretzels, etc. (Americans probably think that British bread tastes bland in comparison to theirs). Another reason could be because of the actual methods of bread making, and that brings us to the fascinating subject of The Chorleywood Bread Process. This revolutionary invention of the 1960s has been called The Bread That Changed Britain, and is probably what Brits mean when they talk about "British bread." The CBP has had a dramatic affect on Britain's cuisine by creating bread that can be made with low-protein British wheat, is softer, longer lasting, cheaper, and makes beautifully uniform slices. How is this possible? The CBP uses twice the normal amount of yeast, as well as a unique combination of acid, fats, and yeast to produce a loaf in record time (3 1/2 hours). The result is very cheap—but highly processed—bread. 80% of all loaves baked in Britain are made this way, but the CBP isn't used much in America. Could this be the reason for the taste difference?




How to Get British Bread in America
No matter what the final answer to this mystery really is, one fact remains: it's not easy to get UK-style bread in the US. It is not impossible, however! The despairing British expat or the curious American has two options:
Buying: Finding a similar brand at the grocery store is the path of least resistance. If you are seeking to purchase a less sugary bread you might try a Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe's, or other "hippie" grocery store. A couple of brands that are lower in sugar are Nature's Own and Great Harvest Bakery. Most of the time less-sweet American bread is also whole wheat, however, so you might have to compromise on fluffy white sliced bread and go for whole wheat or sourdough varieties. On the other hand, maybe you have a British pub in your area that would be willing to sell you some bread on the side. Or you can visit the UK with an empty suitcase, pack it full of bread, bring it home and freeze it. Good luck with that one.
Making it Yourself: This is probably your best bet for getting your favorite loaf anywhere you want. All you need is a bread maker or oven and a trustworthy recipe. Sure, the flour or yeast you use might be slightly different than the British varieties (though a bit of shopping around might surprise you), but it'll be closer than Rainbo, believe me.

Here are a couple of recipes for not-too-sweet bread, one using a bread maker and one with an oven. I hope that wherever you are, whether you crave a tuna and sweetcorn sandwich, bread and butter pudding, or perhaps some Poor Knights of Windsor, you will have the pleasure of indulging in a really satisfying taste of genuinely British bread.


Bread Maker White Bread
Here's a recipe from Hils, found on mombu.com:
1 cup water (slightly warm for preference)
2 tbsp olive oil (can use 2 tbsp butter but add about 1tbsp more water if you do this)
2tsp sugar
1tsp salt
3cups white breadmaking flour (Allinsons, or hovis or suchlike)
2tsp yeast (use basic white cycle if using ordinary yeast like Allinson's in the little tin or fastbake with the very finely divided dried yeast (fast acting dried yeast).
You may need to adjust the flour to water ratio to get a good springy dough, it depends on things like brand of flour, freshness etc. The dough needs to be in a single ball, and soft but not sticky to the touch. If you check it after 5 minutes kneading, you should be able to correct for this. If the dough feels right,and still doesn't rise enough, try a little more yeast and/or a little less salt.

I also find a teaspoon of lemon juice helps improve the rise of the dough, it adjusts the acidity of
the water (I live in a hard water area) but allow for the extra liquid in the recipe.



Homemade White Bread with Strawberry Jam, a photo by TheCulinaryGeek on Flickr.
Oven White Bread
This recipe comes from deliaonline.com:

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb 8 oz (700 g) strong white bread flour, plus a little extra for the top of the bread
1 level tablespoon salt, or less, according to taste
1 level teaspoon easy-blend dried yeast
1 level teaspoon golden caster sugar about 15 fl oz (425 ml) hand-hot water
METHOD:
Pre-heat the oven to its lowest setting.
Begin by warming the flour in the oven for about 10 minutes, then turn the oven off. Sift the flour, salt, yeast and sugar into a bowl, make a well in the centre of the mixture, then add the water. Now mix to a dough, starting off with a wooden spoon and using your hands in the final stages of mixing, adding a spot more water if there are any dry bits. Wipe the bowl clean with the dough and transfer it to a flat work surface (you may not need to flour this). Knead the dough for 3 minutes or until it develops a sheen and blisters under the surface (it should also be springy and elastic). You can now either return the dough to the mixing bowl or transfer it to a clean bowl; either way, cover it with clingfilm that has been lightly oiled on the side that is facing the dough. Leave it until it looks as though it has doubled in bulk, which will be about 2 hours at room temperature.
After that, knock the air out, then knead again for 2 minutes. Now divide the dough in half, pat each piece out to an oblong, then fold one end into the centre and the other in on top. Put each one into a buttered tin, sprinkle each with a dusting of flour, then place them side by side in an oiled polythene bag until the dough rises above the tops of the tins – this time about an hour at room temperature. Alternatively, place all the dough in the one tin. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 8, 450°F (230°C).
Bake the loaves on the centre shelf for 30-40 minutes, or 35-45 minutes for the large loaf, until they sound hollow when their bases are tapped. Now return them, out of their tins, upside-down to the oven to crisp the base and side crust for about 5 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.

Shyra said:

$25? Was it made with self raising cocaine?

NDRU said:

http://www.wholefoodsmark...s/honolulu

And if you need bus directions there, you can use their online widget http://www.thebus.org/

wildgoldenhoney said:

lust said:

wildgoldenhoney said:

And if you need bus directions there, you can use their online widget http://www.thebus.org/

Come to germany, we have the best bread in the world. And thousand different types of bread.

https://www.google.de/search?q=german+bread&client=firefox-a&hs=fqm&rls=org.mozilla:de:official&channel=sb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=wVCGU4qHO-aj4gTXiYCQAg&ved=0CDIQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=946

ludwig said:

I'm afraid I'd just be too busy drinking steins of Bavarian Pilsner to notice the quality of the pumpernickel.

I was there a few years ago for the Prince concert in Köln. A disaster of a concert but it was a great couple of days.

lust said:

ludwig said:

Come to germany, we have the best bread in the world. And thousand different types of bread.

https://www.google.de/search?q=german+bread&client=firefox-a&hs=fqm&rls=org.mozilla:de:official&channel=sb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=wVCGU4qHO-aj4gTXiYCQAg&ved=0CDIQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=946

I'm afraid I'd just be too busy drinking steins of Bavarian Pilsner to notice the quality of the pumpernickel. I was there a few years ago for the Prince concert in Köln. A disaster of a concert but it was a great couple of days.

That concert was SOOO bad that it was almost legendary, in a bad way.

It was an interesting experience to see Prince fuck up so badly. Never thought I´d see the day.

.

.

As far as bread goes, since I live in Germany, I don´t really see the big difference between British and American bread.They are very similar to me, and I´ve tried a lot of different brands in both countries. I admit that American bread does indeed contain a lot more dubious ingredients than British bread but, compared to German bread, even German white bread and toast, they do taste similar in comparison.

This being said, I never have problems finding the kind of bread I like in the USA. Sure, the majority of brands there is very fluffy, sweetish and the socalled pumpernickel is not even remotely similar to German pumpernickel by any stretch of the imagination but I just enjoy American bread for what it is.

I think you can find some decent bread if you look near the cold cut section at Walmart. Not the bread aisle but right in front of the cold cut and meat counter.

And the rye bread in the regular bread aisle came pretty close to what we would call a rye-wheat-mix bread in Germany. I still preferred the American fluffy white or brown sandwich bread though simply because I can eat so much good bread in Germany that I preferred to eat the unusual and unhealthy American bread while in the USA simply because it´s different.

lust said:

kewlschool said:

Blimey. Ezekiel 4:9? Can you recommend any atheist bread. But seriously. Flourless? I ain't no haemoceliac or whatever! I just want bread that doesn't take like pudding.

The gluten makes it sweet when toasted. Plain you have to get used to it. I can eat plain.

So, we leave the pool and my wife goes off to the mall to shop and I take myself to the Man Crèche, aka the Ilikai Bar and Grill for a couple of cheeky pints of Third shift and on route to the bar this dodgy as fuck young dude sings as I walk past. I caught the lyrics, "I got cocaine, I got weed, I got anything you need"

I looked at him and he shot me a wide eyed and toothless grin. It reminded me of Jay in Jay and silent bob.

I don't do drugs but was tempted to buy some to reward his sales technique.