Supermarket Bread

[jadyn]

Why is it that many of the instore bakery bread loaves I buy at supermarkets, such as Asda and Morrisons contain holes?
My local baker will discard any bread that they find has holes after slicing in the machine. Yet supermarkets seem to sell even sliced instore bakery bread without a care in the world. Is this something to do with the method the supermarkets use to make the bread?

Thanks

[marval]

When my mother was a child, if she mentioned a hole in the bread, my grandfather would say don't complain about the hole, just cut it out and leave it on the side of your plate.

But as to your queation I don't know, it could just be with the way they make it.

[bigfoot3000]

Your right jadyn, Im guessing that if you weigh some of the suspect loaves that they would come under their displayed weight. Some small loaves are more hole then bread!
I suppose that we should just feel blessed as "Holy" bread must be good bread!

[louculhane]

The holes are from not kneading it enough to get the air bubbles out after letting the yeast prove. But if you still like the taste that the main thing!

[jadyn]

Thanks all. Louculhane, I'm very grateful for enlightening me as to the cause. No doubt this is the price we pay in order to get all that bread on the shelves in the space of a single nightshift - it stands to reason that the quality must be reduced when time is so limited.

[jadyn]

On the other hand, if small local bakers can do it, why can't the supermarkets?

[ELVIS68]

I`d like to know why bread is so bloody expensive

[annie0000]

You've answered the question there, local BAKERs, rather than supermarket staff that are asked to make bread.

[jadyn]

i know what you mean annie0000. I've never heard of a supermarket having a master baker like most bakeries were proud to admit years ago. I do get the impression that most supermarket bakery staff get by with a few days training nowadays. In Morrison's I've seen bakery staff covering on the tills during busy periods which doesn't give me much confidence in them.

[LoftyLottie]

Make your own! I don't do it the old fashioned way - too lazy, but my breadmaker is in regular use and I haven't bought bread for a couple of years. Five minutes preparation in the evening and the bread is ready and smelling good the next morning. Worth every penny of the investment in a breadmaker

And, what is more, NO HOLES !

[B00]

I work in the Co Op bakery, and I too only had a few days training. Hardly my fault though!

Not sure how many know or care but our bread/cakes etc come part baked and frozen, we just bung them in the oven for the required time. I assume all instore bakeries are the same. So the fault of holey bread doesn't lie with us instore.

[jadyn]

B00, I am sorry and I didn't mean to offend. I know it's not your fault - I've worked in a supermarket myself. This is a classic example of how "multiskilling" in supermarkets can be counter-productive in the long term: staff just aren't able to acquire the knowledge needed or put it into practice.
Most of the major supermarkets such as Asda, Tesco and Morrisons do seem to bake the stuff from scratch on the premises. The machinery can be seen in most cases. The shame is they don't put it to good use to produce an edible loaf.