Baking & Snack - March 2023 - 31

Artisan Bread
TRENDS
breads and sandwich rolls. Sometimes they're made
with higher protein flour, such as semolina, to make
them more durable, chewier but still tender. They can
stand up to a drippy pulled pork, French dip and other
saucy fillings.
" It's becoming more like a meal in your hand, " Mr.
Kalanty said. " So the breads and rolls themselves are becoming
more functional in terms of being able to hold
up to that application. "
Aspire Bakeries, San Francisco, recently launched its
Cinnamon Raisin bread, which is a departure from the
breads the company typically makes.
" It's slightly sweet and has a good cinnamon kick to it, "
said Jon Davis, culinary innovation leader and vice president
of R&D at Aspire Bakeries. " It's tricky because cinnamon
messes around with some of the yeast. It makes
it a little temperamental, so you've got to find the right
balance. We found a new ingredient to help us achieve
that. Our flavor profiles are usually not sweet-forward;
it's more about letting the raisins come through. "
Aspire has also been busy making rolls for foodservice
customers.
" From an artisan bread perspective, we're working
on enhancing our foodservice portfolio because we're
noticing an uptick in premade sandwiches with to-go
foods, " Mr. Davis said. " These rolls are more and more in
demand, so we're focusing on that part of foodservice. "
The popularity of the smash burger in recent years
prompted a request for artisan buns from foodservice
customers to go with them, said John Friend, president
of Farm to Market Bread Co., Kansas City, Kan.
" Smash burgers have been hot for the last few years, "
feel like a lone player, and now I'm part of a movement.
Creativity is very hard to replicate on scale. As long as
the artisan bakers embrace the art part, the creative, the
new, not just replicating but creating new stuff for their
customers, I feel they all have job security in that aspect. "
Showcasing culinary-inspired breads
As artisan bakers explore new formats, they are creating
baked goods with a culinary spin.
" I'm seeing products in artisan bakeries that are more
compatible with the café environment, " said Michael
Kalanty, an award-winning baker and R&D specialist.
" There are more freshly assembled sandwiches in artisan
bakeries and breads that are made specifically to showcase
certain kinds of fillings. Places that come to mind
are Jane The Bakery in San Francisco or Amy's Bread in
New York. Both have a line of breads that seem designed
especially to be used for sandwiches. "
Different flours are being used to make sturdier sliced
he said. " Customers wanted potato buns for that, so we
developed a clean label bun. "
Mr. Kalanty said he's seeing burger buns that are loaded
with spices and inclusions to bring out the umami
flavors of the burgers and enhance the eating experience.
" I've seen burger buns that are made with sauerkraut
in a sourdough variation, " he said. " In addition to
the natural tanginess of the bread, they've got a firmer
texture and can absorb the juice from a medium rare
burger and still hold their shape. I'm seeing breads made
with different kinds of fats, such as olive oil breads that
include solid ingredients like caramelized onions and
sauteed mushrooms. "
Signature rolls can carry their own savory profile,
such as adding rosemary and fennel seeds to
make a bread that is a good pairing with Italian food,
Mr. Kalanty said. He cited Azikiwee Anderson's San
Francisco-based Rize Up Bakery as a good example of
culinary-inspired sourdoughs.
" He makes an ube bread using purple yams from the
Philippines, which is popular on Instagram because of
www.bakingbusiness.com / March 2023 Baking & Snack 31
Artisan
breads like
this cinnamon
raisin variety
have some
sweet notes
but the flavors
are complex.
Aspire Bakeries
http://www.bakingbusiness.com
Baking & Snack - March 2023

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