Over the past few months, after nearly two years of disruption, I've been getting back into the saddle, visiting with the industry across the many pathways I carve through the course of my work.
Countries around the world offer unique perspectives through their bakery traditions. Sometimes, the differences are slight, but perhaps culturally meaningful. Other variances stand out with distinct poignancy, resonating, and leaving cultural impressions in their wake.
Bread is a universal language. Nearly every culture has historical roots in forming judicious combinations of water and grains, seeds, pulses, starches, and other substrates, often functionally lightened with some sort of leavening, and perhaps a dash of salt for flavor. It’s the quintessential expression of science, art, and sustenance.
Pizza is essential to a high percentage of Americans, a fact reflected in the over $6 billion annual sales for this market segment in frozen retail pizzas alone. While diversification of crusts and ingredients is attracting health-conscious consumers, there is still demand for high quality, Italian-style premium frozen pizza.
Valrhona helps pastry artisans make the vegan shift with new chocolate.
June 9, 2021
Valrhona marks a milestone in chocolate-making with AMATIKA 46%, the first vegan Grand Cru chocolate available for both pastry chefs and home gourmets.
This year's IFT show was very different because of the coronavirus pandemic: it was virtual-only, and was renamed SHIFT20. All events took place online, from July 12-15.
Ingredients and processing play a 50/50 role in the quality production of artisan bread. It's the simple ingredient list and simple processing that is helping boost this style of bread's popularity in the natural and clean label trend.
Artisan breads sales are on the rise. The global artisan bakery market is expected to increase at a rate of 4.1 percent from 2019–24 to reach a market value of $4.5 billion.
Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery was recently able to talk to Jonathan Davis, SVP of innovation, La Brea Bakery, Los Angeles, about upcoming bakery trends for 2020.