What the hell has happened to supermarket sandwich bread?

[Grasswire2]

I had been buying Orowheat's top loaf -- Winter Wheat -- until it was recently discontinued. It was dark, nutty, delicious.

Every bread I try is inferior, no matter how expensive. Damp-ish, made with dough conditioner. No matter what brand.

And I don't have time to make sandwich bread. I just want a good, flavorful whole wheat bread and I don't want to have to go to a bakery for it.

Any similar experience?

[Grasswire2]

1. P.S. I am not alone in being upset after the discontinuance of Winter Wheat.

It was the most popular loaf at many stores.

[KT2000]

2. yes - most bread is awful

dough conditioner makes me sick and it is in most breads. I have lately steered to the peasant breads because they have fewer ingredients and no conditioner. They do come in whole grain. They introduced a new line called Rustik at our local Kroger store. It was good! It is not a dark wheat but light with some whole grains. Get it on sale though.

[trueblue2007]

11. would you ;like this bread ????

Crazy easy homemade artisan bread {only 4 ingredients!}

In today’s post: You won’t believe how easy it is to make this beautiful homemade artisan bread! Only 4 ingredients and about 5 minutes of hands-on time for a gorgeous loaf that looks like it came from a bakery. Perfect for beginners!


https://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/homemade-artisan-bread-easiest-bread-recipe-ever.html?fbclid=IwAR0k6wfpCI6yzZvgvCPx_nyT_WfpXWRQSBxRCYXt-dzKMHQayfkz2SZvP8M

[hlthe2b]

15. I use a bread machine occasionally, but I really don't think I can get good results from my oven...

I probably need to replace it, but even after making the necessary altitude adjustments for Colorado, I just can't get the right temps from my oven to reliably bake bread. More forgiving cakes or cookies are probably ok, but anything that needs to evenly brown, not so much.

[KT2000]

25. Yes! Thank you

I will definitely try this.

[trueblue2007]

32. i have never made bread in my 60+ years but I can make this one !!!

hubby will love it.

put herbs in it !!!! can put wheat flour in it !!! Yahoooooooooooooooooo !!

[FM123]

55. thanks for this

[GP6971]

3. I occasionally buy their

rye and sourdough breads...most recently sourdough and I haven't noticed any difference. Might depend on the region where you're located.

[katusha]

4. what would you say about artisan bread delivered to your door

been thinking about this concept for a while. thinking about starting it in my hometown. Texas has a very liberal home baking law that lets me make homemade bread and sell if it is shelf stable which most bread is. i could leave on door handle or mailbox, and you would have fresh bread with little hassle.

[mindem]

17. I have a cottage baking business

and do this along with our local Farmers Market. I sell out of my artisan bread every week plus make a lot of bread for additional orders. People love the fact that my bread is free from all of the "extras" incorporated into "store-bought" bread. My sourdough bread is sourdough culture, flour, water, salt - people can't get enough of it. Here's a pic. If you give people the opportunity to purchase good wholesome food at a fair price they will jump at the chance.

[trueblue2007]

33. sour dough starter? like that Amish friendship bread you give people a START of it?

what is a starter?

[katusha]

45. in a nut shell, it's feral yeast

wild untamed yeast

[katusha]

44. wow that looks great!

yes thats true, thank you for the reply, I am encouraged to try this now!.
sourdough bread still is the best for freshness over time, beats all the artificial preservitives and most people don't know that.
how much variety do you maintain? just one type of bread or different flavors etc.

[mindem]

46. I have a variety of sourdough bread including

traditional, whole wheat (using sprouted red wheat), cinnamon raisin, savory, I'm working on a caramelized onion version. I go to the Farmer's market with other bread from all over the world too, as well as croissants, caramel rolls, and other goodies. I always sell out within an hour or so.

Here is a pic of my cinnamon raisin sourdough, it's been very popular.

[drray23]

52. You are making me hungry. Your bread looks amazing. Nt

[happybird]

5. I'm still bitter about Roman Meal Sungrain being discontinued

So I feel ya.

Sungrain disappeared for a few years and then they “brought it back,” but it’s definitely not the same bread. Grrr.

We eventually found and were loving Eureka brand breads. Then, the store stopped carrying the brand. Sigh.

I’ve been trying out different loaves/brands and can’t find one I really like.

[pansypoo53219]

6. i miss roman meal frozen waffles. eggo's is just ok. i like pepperidge farms 15 grain bread. better

than the honey wheat.

[TygrBright]

7. It's IMPOSSIBLE to find an unsweetened loaf anymore.

Just about every supermarket bread is larded with "cane juice" or molasses or honey or some other form of sweetener and it makes me gag.

I wish I still had time to make my own bread. What the HELL gave anyone the idea that ordinary white bread needs any ingredients beyond flour, water, salt and yeast?

wearily,
Bright

[Myrddin]

13. Same problem here in the ME.

All shelf bread is sweetened, and I hate sweetened bread. The in-store bakeries are often guilty of the same offence.

Eventually I got a bread machine. After a couple of initial misfires I cracked dependable recipes for plain, but good, white and wholemeal breads.

Sometimes I use the machine to do all the hard work, and I then manual bake in the oven. Only at weekends though, during the week I don't have the time.

Mostly, I let the machine do the whole process. Even after a few drinks I'm capable of loading the ingredients, without much thinking, setting the timer, and I have fresh bread in the morning.

Try a machine, I recommend it. Just persist, if the first few attempts don't go as expected.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

31. Nature's own makes sugar free bread.

[TygrBright]

34. Do they have a sugar free white sandwich loaf, do you know? n/t

[Backseat Driver]

8. Unfamiliar with Oroweat in the Great Lakes area

but I see they also bake for Sara Lee??? Don't you hate it when you find a loaf that really tastes good, and then it's discontinued. Seems they've stopped making a lot of their favorites!!! ??? They do have a FB page with chat capabilities.

I buy Dave's Killer bread varieties, 21-grain, and Raisin at Kroger, sometimes at Sam's Club, and also Alpine Valley Supergrains at Sam's Club - both are pricey but so worth it - ALL organic, non-GMO. Kroger Private Selection brands are also good.

I also went to a local food co-op store and bought some locally grown and milled, bulk non-GMO, organic wheat flour for use in my bread machine; now I control what I use to make MY bread yummy and healthy, start to finished loaf in 3 hrs. so it can be fresh every day or eve using a delayed start feature, if need be. Seeds, dried fruits, nuts, granola mix, herbs, cheeses - whatever combo I want to add.

[Grasswire2]

10. Sorry. Dave's Killer Bread is inedible to me.

Flabby, damp with dough conditioner. Gets moldy before half a loaf is gone.

I've tried Trader Joe varieties. They hold up better, with no apparent dough conditioner, but the flavor is just not there.

BTW, the Orowheat customer service response has been zero to the outcry about the Winter Wheat and the Honey Wheatberry disappearance.

[nocoincidences]

29. Dave's Killer Bread was recommended

and my roommate bought some. I wasn't impressed with it either.

I don't eat a lot of bread, because I am on a permanent low cal/carb diet. If I had a tombstone instead of being cremated, I would put this on it:
She only had 10 more pounds to go...

I like crunchy bread, like French baguettes, but seldom allow myself the indugence. Panera's occasionally, if I am really craving bread.

[Grasswire2]

38. I DO like Panera's bread.

Can't buy it by the loaf at the restaurants any more, here. We used to be able to buy it day old locally, and THAT was really great.

[Ohiogal]

54. LOL

You and me, both, no coincidences

[No Vested Interest]

12. Kroger's Private Selection has a sugar-free Whole wheat.

Private Selection is Kroger's premium private label, as compared to regular Kroger private label.
I've always found their Private Selection products to be of high quality.

I may not be enough of a connoisseur of bread to know how it equates with the products you've mentioned above.

[Blue_playwright]

43. I second Killer Dave's. Pretty good!

Nt

[Vinca]

47. I buy Dave's 60 or 70 calorie bread because it doesn't raise my husband's blood sugar levels

like other breads do. He likes Dave's English muffins, too.

[FoxNewsSucks]

9. Same thing that happened to every other industry

Consolidation. Monopoly/oligopoly.

Instead of a multitude of local or regional bakeries, we now have Bimbo, Orowheat, and not much else. I pretty much stopped buying bread because the shelves were filled with crap. When Sara Lee (formerly Metz bakeries, now owned by Bimbo) discontinued the potato bread and the corn flour bread (which was REALLY delicious) that was the last straw. Sara Lee introduced new "formulas" which increased the time bread could sit on a shelf to over a month. I asked the bread store employee about that, because to me, food comes from a RECIPE, not a FORMULA.

They also put a lot of air in bread, which makes it nice and lite and soft. But you can't spread peanut butter on it because it's too damn soft.

The whole bread aisle, and there's maybe 3 different breads. Just different name brands, all owned by 2-3 different national companies.

Milton's multi-grain is the only mass-produced bread left that is worth buying.

[hlthe2b]

14. I rarely eat/buy bread anymore because I tend to follow a moderately low carb diet, but...

once in a while, I have to give in for a week or so. I'd tried Dave's Killer Bread because they have one with no added sugar and high fiber (Power Seed, I think). I did read the label and went to their website to see if there were any untoward ingredients, including bromide (a known endocrine disruptor that replaced KIodine for many breadmakers years ago) and really didn't see anything.

But, in buying that one loaf, I read ingredient labels for a lot of other supposedly high fiber, natural, or organic bread types. They are loading up on added sugars to avoid mold it would appear.

I still have a bread maker and think the next time I have that craving, I'll simply make my own favorite-- a recipe I modified from a landmark breakfast restaurant in Jackson Hole, WY--the Bunnery. It is called OSM bread (Oatmeal, sunflower seed, millet)--a very dense and hearty whole wheat bread that I just love.

[Demsrule86]

20. That homemade bread sounds great and also gluten free...would you care to share the recipe...always

looking for a good homemade gluten free bread...gluten free bread in the store cost on average $6.99 for a small loaf.

[hlthe2b]

21. Afraid it isn't gluten free because it has whole grain wheat flour.

If still interested, I'd be happy to post it later on (have to find it).

[Demsrule86]

23. Thanks, I can sub oat flour or Sorghum maybe...but I don't want to put you to any trouble.

[sagesnow]

48. Gluten Free Bread Recipe that I use continually

This recipe is from an English baker and it turns out a great GF Sandwich bread. I change up the GF flour blend from time to time but Perfect Flour Blend from Namaste is my go to blend. Be sure not to add zanthan gum if it is already included in the flour.

[woodsprite]

27. I'm doing a lower carb diet (diabetic) and trying to convert my bread addiction to "chaffles".

The darned supermarket bread has a ton of carbs per slice, and if you get the lowest carb count, it's almost like eating saw dust.

[PennyK]

36. May I recommend

Joseph's Flax, Oat bran, and Whole Wheat Pitas and Lavash(flatbread).
I'm trying to cut down on my husband's carbs and he's happy with a sandwich on one of these...he really loves the lavash wraps! They're sold everywhere. A large pita has 7 net carbs, half a flatbread has 6.

[no_hypocrisy]

16. Down South, there's winter wheat used for biscuit flour called White Lily.

Maybe you can get some on Amazon and make your own quick breads.

[hlthe2b]

22. That flour makes the Best biscuits hands down. I have seen it in (Safeway?) I think in Colorado

so it is available elsewhere.

[japple]

18. I can get LaBrea Bakery products at Kroger and Ingles Markets in N. GA and I've

gotten it in NC as well. Their hearty multigrain is awesome--crusty exterior with sunflower seeds and flax seeds. It isn't sweet. They also make white, whole wheat, and many other varieties. If it isn't already sliced, you can get the deli to do that for you. Stick it in the freezer and take it out as needed.

https://www.labreabakery.com/breads

[Grasswire2]

24. I might look for a LaBrea sandwich loaf. I know my Kroger has LaBrea baguettes and sourdough.

Thanks for the tip.

[Demsrule86]

19. Until my hubs and I had to go gluten free, I bought bakery bread from a good grocery store.

Market place Giant Eagles, Heinens...also trader joes and whole foods. I used to get the dark seeded bread. It was very good. Grocery store bread is nasty these days. I eat Canyon bake house gluten free bread but I doubt you would care for it.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

26. I bake my own bread, by hand, no machine. Multiple loaves at one time, freeze all but one.

Bread is important.

[fierywoman]

58. Freezing: great idea. FWIW, it really doesn't take much time to put together

ingredients for home made bread and mix them. It takes time to wait through the risings, but then at the end, your house smells like freshly baked bread!

[nocoincidences]

28. I like Panera Bread.

I have a Panera as close to me as a grocery store, which makes it easy.

If you really want to be spoiled, Panera delivers now. num.

[Grasswire2]

39. I meet my cousin at a Panera cafe once a month for lunch...

....but they don't sell the bread by the loaf, and they don't deliver in my zip code either, alas. I really like Panera.

[nocoincidences]

41. That's a shame.

Every now and then I buy their asiago bread and it is a real treat.

Lately, since they have been delivering, I have been ordering their salads. I love their soup, but too rich for my meager diet.

[Grasswire2]

42. too salty for me, the soups

The food is not cheap, but well prepared, I think.

Cuppa broccoli cheddar is about five bucks.

[No Vested Interest]

50. Panera fan here. A Panera store with a drive-thru was recently opened not too far

from me, in a neighboring town I frequent often.

I choose the U-pick-2, and presently their French onion soup is one of my favorites, though the corn chowder is good also. I've found I'm not interested in canned soups I've eaten for most of my many years.

Yes, Panera is pricier than most other quick food, but the freshness of their salads and sandwiches is worth paying a little more.

I also request chips rather than a baguette side, which adds a different texture to the meal, rather than more bread.

[Runningdawg]

30. I normally bake our bread

But I had a family emergency last week and had to leave hubby to fend for himself a few days. He bought a loaf from Dollar General called L'Oven Whole Wheat, I gotta say for store bought, it's damned good.

[PennyK]

37. Really?

That's what the bread at Aldi is called.

[Runningdawg]

49. Never been to an Aldis - is that good or bad?

We have just one in Tulsa, must be 20 miles from our house.

[Fresh_Start]

35. our favorite is california black bread

https://www.fooducate.com/product/Whole-Grain-Natural-Bread-Co-California-Black-Bread/F270D28C-76B0-11E2-89F9-1231381A4CEA

and of course sourdough

[Grasswire2]

40. no dough conditioner, that's good

It does have 6 grams sugar per slice.

[Botany]

51. Lots of supermarkets have in house bakeries that do a really good job.

BTW Brownberry Oven's soft wheat is damn good.

[Grasswire2]

56. not available in my metro area nt

[LisaM]

53. Our Safeway has pretty decent bread from its own bakery.

Last edited Thu Oct 3, 2019, 09:26 PM - Edit history (1)

I tend to dislike Orowheat whole grain breads because I find them truly bitter, and I don't think they go with all the sandwich ingredients I like (and they change flavor when I grill them).

I second liking the artisan peasant breads most stores carry now. They are expensive, though.

[demosincebirth]

57. Bay area Supper markets sell fresh sour dough bread and Gallo Italian driied salami...mmmm

[LisaM]

59. I'm insanely picky about the bread matching the sandwich ingredients.

My SO, on the other hand, can eat jam on rye bread. That drives me crazy!!