Getting the right texture for soft sliced bread

Sliced bread has been a hit with consumers of all ages for centuries now, thanks to its soft, dense texture. By playing around with formulations and manufacturing processes, manufacturers can develop a range of different bread types and textures. Sliced bread has been a hit with consumers of all ages for centuries now, thanks to its soft, dense texture.

The best thing since sliced bread?

Of earls and squaddies

The concept of bread baked in a tin was invented in England in 1800, producing the very first sliced loaves. In the 18th century, the sandwich was born thanks to the ingenuity of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, a small town in Kent. He kick-started a trend for snacks served on buttered slices of bread. At a time when the peasants were dunking their brown bread in soup, it became fashionable to eat ultra-white and soft crustless slices. In the 19th century, the recipe was tweaked in France, transforming the sliced loaf into small stretched rolls, before being readjusted for a more rectangular shape. France fell back in love with sliced bread again when the American GI Allies arrived in town. In the 1960s supermarkets began popping up across the country, and sales of sliced and packaged loaves exploded. In 1959, Jacquet launched the very first sliced bread factory, and in 2005, crustless sliced bread began being sold in France for the very first time by the brand Harrys.

The sliced bread market

In France alone, 76 sandwiches are bought every second, making a total of 6.5 million a day and 2.4 billion every year, and raking in sales of €8.25bn. And who could imagine a sandwich without sliced bread? Over 10 million tonnes of sliced bread were consumed globally in 2014. In France, the pre-packaged sliced bread sector accounts for nearly €500m, which is small change compared to the traditional bakery market (over €11bn). Although 90% of French households do buy sliced bread, this only accounts for 10% of all the bread they eat. In 56% of cases, French people use sliced bread for their breakfasts. In Germany and England, the market is very different indeed, where sliced bread accounts for 50% and 76% of all bread eaten respectively, and is generally used for sandwiches.

Soft with a long shelf life: the two must-haves for sliced bread

Ultra-soft texture

In France, sliced bread is a hybrid of an English loaf and an American bun, and is characterised by its ultra soft, supple and almost elastic texture, with a fine and homogeneously even airiness. Its crust is generally thin, or even non-existent.

Ultra-long shelf life

Unlike traditional bread that has to be eaten within three days tops, sliced bread can be kept for up to around 21 days. Often pre-packed in slices, packaged and sold fresh, industrial sliced bread comes in three categories: classic (English-style), ultra-soft (American-style and buns) or long shelf life.

Sliced bread textures: all about the trends

Despite what you might think, there is no sliced bread standard. Sliced bread varies depending on the habits and preferences of consumers in each target country. Americans prefer wholemeal sliced bread, Asians go for ultra-soft slices, and children in England can't get enough of crustless loaves. The biggest consumers of sliced bread are children, who generally don't like crusts. Drawing on this fact, manufacturers have come up with entirely crustless loaves. Jacquet has honed new steam-based cooking technology that remains a secret, which allows them to bake bread directly without any crusts, thus meaning they have no waste.

The sector abounds with sliced loaves in a variety of different special formats, adapted to specific moments of the day, and to different tastes: round slices for making canapé toasts, sweet Viennese-style loaves for extra indulgence, burger and hot dog buns, etc.

The secret to creating perfect texture in sliced bread

Innovation is inspired by the consumers themselves. In order to develop new types of bread, manufacturers draw on a finely-tuned balance of formulation (plain, added milk, brioche-style, added seeds and grains, gluten-free, etc.), different ingredients and manufacturing processes (open or sealed tins, with or without crusts, loose or tight texture, thin or thick slices, etc.).

Quality ingredients

The type of flours and quantities of sugar and fats added into the mix all play a decisive role. As an example, English sliced bread is low in sugar and fat, French sliced bread contains around 3% fat and sugar, and American sliced bread contains nearly 5% fat and 10% sugar.
Let's take a closer look at each ingredient's role.

• Fats lends softness and suppleness to the dough and improves the evenness of the loaf's texture. Butter is more generally added to artisanal bakery sliced loaves, while oil is used for the loaves you buy in supermarkets, as the latter improves shelf life. Today, manufacturers naturally avoid palm oil.
• Powdered milk can be added for colour and to lend the bread a very pleasant and tasty flavour.
• Malt flour boosts enzyme and ferment action, which helps speed up manufacturing times. The wheat used for the flour is often hard wheat, which has high-quality characteristics. A tight, even, homogeneous texture combined with a fine, soft and supple feel requires high baking strength (W) and flour that strikes a good balance between resistance and suppleness (P/L).
• Gluten: this protein ensures the bread remains compact during kneading and baking. Although wheat flour (70% of a loaf's ingredient list) contains gluten naturally, gluten-rich soy bean flour or pure wheat gluten can be added into the mix.
• Finally, manufacturers can add preservatives to pre-packed sliced loaves, such as calcium propionate, vinegar or alcohol.
  
  

The right manufacturing processes

• Techniques that draw on pre-fermentation such as the sponge and dough method, also known as pre-fermented dough, which is specifically used to make buns. Working with a sponge helps improve the final dough's texture and improves taste and shelf life for sliced loaves.
• Straight dough techniques result in fully-formed dough during kneading via a very short process with no pre-fermentation. This method is used for standard sliced loaves and ultra-soft bread. Using this technique, it's harder to achieve a tight texture and bread with a long shelf life.

Bread-making solutions for the ultimate sliced loaf texture

Sources :

“Les pains français” de P. Roussel et H. Chiron, aux éditions MAE-ERTI.
https://www.caminteresse.fr/economie-societe/le-business-secret-du-pain-de-mie-11115619/
https://www.planetoscope.com/restauration/1220-consommation-de-sandwichs-en-france.html
https://www.processalimentaire.com/procedes/une-ligne-polyvalente-pour-du-pain-de-mie-toujours-moelleux-28553?sso=1570520124
https://www.caminteresse.fr/economie-societe/le-business-secret-du-pain-de-mie-11115619/
https://www.perspectives-agricoles.com/file/galleryelement/pj/93/93/0a/ba/291_715905720548337217.pdf
https://www.capital.fr/entreprises-marches/l-etonnante-guerre-du-pain-de-mie-1001522
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