GOURMET BREADS: FRESH AND FLAVOURFUL
The renewed desire to eat mindfully is A diverse range of global flavours and making artisanal breads popular in Indian households
India may have joined the bread revolution late, but once it did, there was no going back. Today, there are many varieties of breads being made, with the newest addition being artisanal breads. Bakers are creatively playing with the dough to make appetising preparations such as cheese and rosemary brioches, apple cider oatmeal and classic beer breads. “Changing consumer habits and lifestyle are shaping the bakery industry in India. While artisanal bread has always enjoyed a dedicated audience, its growing and diverse range of global flavours and ingredients are attracting new followers,” says Utkarsh Bhalla, chef at Sly Granny. Sweet breads made with brown sugar, honey and jaggery, and the ones with healthy and refreshing herbs and spices are also becoming popular.
Due to the extended fermentation time used, artisanal bread has more flavour and aroma than the supermarket variety. The former has a wheaty flavour, which can range from mild and somewhat sweet to tangy and sour. They can have a variety of textures as well — crunchy, chewy or soft. “Long fermentation allows the dough to develop more organic acids and maturing properties, which creates flavour and aids the gluten structure for a lighter and more enjoyable bread,” says Bhalla.
The word artisan has its roots in the French language and designates any person who exercises a craft or profession using traditional skills, as opposed to more industrial and mechanised methods of production. “At least in France, all breads used to be produced in family owned and operated
bakeries, so all their products were, by definition, artisanal. This changed with industrialisation and the changes in the working, living and eating habits in the 20th century,” says Kazem Samandari, chef and executive chairman at L’Opéra.
Speaking of India, he explains that the bread culture here was earlier confined to homemade breads like chapati, puri, roti, bajra rotla, thepla, appam and more. “The British later introduced toast bread, which were first produced in smaller, family-run companies and then by industrial units. But now, the trend of artisanal bread has accelerated significantly, receiving a push during the pandemic and even later. And what started from the simple sourdough has become experimental with multiple flavours,” adds Samandari.
The popularity of artisanal breads can also be credited to lifestyle shifts and mindful eating habits. Baguette, sourdough, focacia, rye bread, ciabatta, spelt bread, panettone, multigrain are some of the popular varieties. “Artisanal bread-baking at home took off during the pandemic. Everyone wanted to learn to bake and social media propagated the trend. We taught over 200 people across the globe in the last two years and eight of our students now run full-time artisanal bakeries in different parts of the country,” says Dipesh Dutt Sharma, a baker at The Enthubakers.