The Bread Board

The festive season brings out the baker in all of us. It’s the family get-togethers, the warm nostalgia of an annual reunion of far-flung family members, the sharing, the air of positivity, the reflection on the year that was and the promise of the year that will be.

With the festive season comes an influx of mouths to feed. With that in mind, here are three inventive festive season baking ideas that are sure to delight you and yours this Christmas.

At Bakers Maison we take our sandwiches pretty seriously. Sandwiches are our metaphorical bread and butter, after all. So when we compile a list of sandwiches from all over the world, we do so comprehensively. While many lists across the internet tick the boxes, they often focus on the ‘wiches we know and love while forgetting their lesser-known counterparts.

With this in mind, we have curated the following listicle of between-bread comestibles, scouring the knowledge of our team and the online community of sando lovers to bring it all together.

Like every other manufacturing sector, baking continually faces challenges and competition to stay relevant and become more efficient. Aside from business and community pressures, there are also environmental pressures as well.

Once an industry that focused on the manual ‘hands-on’ approach, where the only way to increase production was to get up earlier and work longer hours, now, the baking industry has embraced technology.

With Spring already sprung and Summer hot on its heels, the weather is warming up and becoming more agreeable for entertaining. So. what’s a girl, or guy, to do?

This month we are taking a look at some of the most popular breads and pastries to serve and supply for the entertaining season. And how can we start this blog without featuring our finest and most popular product the…

While many tend to have them for breakfast with a coffee on the run, the humble croissant is far more versatile than you may think. Aside from the standard ham and cheese croissant, there are other toppings and fillings that can be used to add a great twist to such a classic.

 Charting the rise of the sandwich, from invention to evolution, from where it’s been to where it’s going.

The humble sandwich. The ‘sando’. Two slices with the hearty stuff in between.

Whether you’re the person preparing the food or the person consuming it – or the person running the hospitality business that serves it – the shifting perceptions around fresh and frozen food are real. Perceptions are changing. And fast.

The changing image of fresh food and frozen food in the world of baking is being facilitated by the evolution and widespread industry adoption of par-baked and ready to prove bread products.

According to Coeliac Australia, approximately one in 70 Australians are affected by coeliac disease , a significant medical condition that can cause serious problems if it not diagnosed and treated. Coeliac disease is now four times more common in Australia than it was five decades ago. Recent research has also found that around 2.4 million Australians, or 10 per cent of the population, are following a gluten-free diet.

The term ‘food intolerance’ is becoming more widely known. The blanket term, covering intolerances and allergies is ‘food hypersensitivity’, and although some of the symptoms may be similar, food intolerances and allergies are not the same.

When it comes to bread, regardless of its final form, we all subliminally know it has been around for quite some time. However, some types of breads have a very interesting history and evolution, like sourdough.

The first recorded civilization to have used sourdough was the ancient Egyptians around 1500BC. Like many inventions, it was believed that Sourdough was discovered and created by accident.

It stands as a testament to humanity’s pursuit of finding more opportunities to eat that we came up with a new terminology and time slot to eat, like Brunch.

So, where did the term Brunch come from?

When you ask those in the food industry there is a lot of confusion surrounding its origins. Some say it originated in England, while others say New York, yet it can be confirmed the word brunch first appeared in print in an 1895 Hunter’s Weekly article by British author Guy Beringer, in an article aptly titled ‘Brunch: A Plea’.¹

(http://www.cada.co.uk/our-food-trend-predictions-for-2017/)

(http://www.quo.es/salud/calorias)

There is something about a sausage sizzle that makes people happy. It could be the name, or it could just be the fact that most people know when to get one on their Saturday mornings. Bunnings, we’re looking at you!

However, what most people do not know is the humble sausage sizzle was not always considered an Australian food. In fact, in the late 19th or early 20th century, a sausage sandwich was deemed a German or Italian style of food. Which was due to the type of sausage used to make the sandwich.

Christmas is a time for family and friends, the giving of gifts, and eating yourself in to a food coma. Well, the last part may not entirely be the objective, however, some do prefer a little nap after eating.

Yet, no matter how much we eat on Christmas day, there is usually still enough leftovers to feed an army for quite some time. There is only so much chicken, turkey, ham and prawns we can eat until we never want to see them again.

Here are some sandwich recipes we believe you can use to help reduce the amount of leftovers in your fridge:

The end of the year is speeding towards us faster than a waitperson on roller skates. It’s also one of the busiest times of year for the food service industry, with staff lunches, company Christmas lunches, family and friend lunches and dinners, Christmas parties – the list is longer than Santa’s naughty or nice.

Summer, it’s one of the greatest times of the year. The days become longer, you get to spend more time outdoors, and the cuisine changes to light and crisp fare. Traditionally, most of your customers may be looking at salads when they want something quick, but we have some recipe recommendations for delicious summertime sandwiches:

1. Gourmet Ciabatta Ham, Ricotta & Tomato Sandwich

When it comes to bread, it’s sometimes hard to see anything but the sandwich as its ultimate use. Therefore, if bread has only one use, why are there so many different varieties available? In this blog we are taking a look at Turkish Bread, and how versatile the one loaf can be.

Bastille Day, to most is a celebration of all things French. Wine, cheeses, pastries, more cheeses and more wine - who wouldn’t want to celebrate that?

For those that don’t know, 14th July marks the day the Bastille was stormed by just under 1,000 anti-monarchists at the beginning of the revolution. However, celebrations would not begin for another 100 years and the day is more about celebrating national pride than political unrest.

Winter is so close you can feel it, literally. The days are getting shorter, the temperature is getting lower, the layers of clothes getting thicker, and the meals becoming heartier. Salads make way for soups, and a light lunch or dinner is a thing of the past.

Aside from the standard casseroles and soups, we thought we would list five of our favourite meals to have in winter, the kind you savour when you get home on a cold and blustery night.

#1 Fish Pie

The food truck industry is growing from strength-to-strength, and we as consumers can’t get enough. But where did this trend suddenly spring from?

In the USA, their history is quite extensive and can be traced back to the 19th century Chuckwagons of old. These cart and horse purveyors were responsible for ferrying basic foodstuffs to cattleman where there was no railway access.

Starring:

White Small Roll – Accompanied by a tasty flakey crust, and a delightfully soft filling, the white small roll is the perfect fit, for lunch and dinner!

Wholemeal Small Roll – Filled with whole grain flower, the Wholemeal roll is the healthy and high-grain hero!