Awareness of high quality baked goods is on the rise. More and more people understand that going back to the traditional approaches to baking and cooking would benefit a healthier lifestyle. For almost all of mankind's baking history, bread had taken a long time to rise. Bakers pre-ferments or soughdoughs contained relatively sparse populations of mixed strains of 'wild' yeast. And those wild yeast worked slowly: the whole process from pre-ferment, or starter dough, could take 24 hours or more. In the late nineteen century the appearance of the most active single varieties of yeast made faster fermentation possible. Gradually, as the price of yeast came down and productivity pressure grew significantly, fermentation times shortened. Nowdays a baker can choose to ferment the dough for 30 minutes with commercial yeast, or a much-much longer fermentation with various types of pre-ferments, including the soughdough. Consumers are confronted with the same choice between comercial breads and artisan breads.
Recent research showed that making yeasted breads quickly does not give enough time for important changes to take place. For instance, fermenting bread dough for six hours as opposed to 30 minutes removes about 80 per cent of a potentially carcinogenic substance called acrylamide from bread crusts [Fredrikson, H. et al (2004). Fermentation reduces free asparagine in dough and acrylamide content in bread. Cereal Chem. 81(5):650-653.] Besides, long fermentation preserves the highest levels of B vitamins in dough (48 per cent of vitamin B1 is lost in rapidly made bread.) [Batifoulier, F., Verny, M-A., Chanliaud, E., Remesy, C. and Demigne, C. (2005). Effect of different breadmaking methods on thiamine, riboflavin and pyridoxine contents of wheat bread. Journal of Cereal Science 42 (2005) 101-108.]
Traditional artisan bakers are very well aware of the fact that the longer you ferment the dough, the better the bread tastes and keeps. Thus, time invested in the making is repaid in the eating. To make the wholesome bread requires baking methods using flours and other ingredients with plenty of their original goodness left in and slow fermentation over periods long enough to make as many nutrients as possible available to the consumer. Taste matters a lot too.
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Recent research showed that making yeasted breads quickly does not give enough time for important changes to take place. For instance, fermenting bread dough for six hours as opposed to 30 minutes removes about 80 per cent of a potentially carcinogenic substance called acrylamide from bread crusts [Fredrikson, H. et al (2004). Fermentation reduces free asparagine in dough and acrylamide content in bread. Cereal Chem. 81(5):650-653.] Besides, long fermentation preserves the highest levels of B vitamins in dough (48 per cent of vitamin B1 is lost in rapidly made bread.) [Batifoulier, F., Verny, M-A., Chanliaud, E., Remesy, C. and Demigne, C. (2005). Effect of different breadmaking methods on thiamine, riboflavin and pyridoxine contents of wheat bread. Journal of Cereal Science 42 (2005) 101-108.]
Traditional artisan bakers are very well aware of the fact that the longer you ferment the dough, the better the bread tastes and keeps. Thus, time invested in the making is repaid in the eating. To make the wholesome bread requires baking methods using flours and other ingredients with plenty of their original goodness left in and slow fermentation over periods long enough to make as many nutrients as possible available to the consumer. Taste matters a lot too.
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