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More than a loaf

Bread is no longer just bread. There are croissants, French bread, wheat, garlic, multi-grain... , says Liza George

Toast it, make a sandwich, or spread it with jam or honey. Bread is a popular choice for meals, be it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

"Earlier it was the local bakers which offered loaves fresh from the oven. Then we had branded bread like Modern and Elite offering packed, sliced breads at the local grocer's store," says P.M.K. Raghunath, partner, Santha Bakery, which has been in this industry for 65 years.

It was in a bid to popularise the variety in bread that various bake houses introduced them. Discovering there were takers, places like Ambrosia, Plenitude and Nikkis have their own range of breads, while eateries like Casabianca and Swiss Bake House bake their own bread, which tastes and feels quite different from the bread that one buys from bakeries. "In fact when we introduced soup sticks and pav buns, people would ask what they were. Now, the customers are savvy and know the various breads offered and with what they can be had with," says Premila Gomez of Plenitude.

Quick meal

Says Vinod Panicker, managing partner, Ambrosia, "Bread is handy where a quick meal is favoured. Spread it with butter or marmalade for breakfast, carry a sandwich for lunch, or dip it in curry for dinner."

While it was the white bread that was popular and available, there is now a rise in speciality breads like wheat and multi-grain.

For the health-conscious there are whole wheat bread and multi-grain bread (with different kinds of seeds).

In fact, Ambrosia will be starting a bread rack. A special rack for just breads, it will offer wheat, brown, multigrain, eight-seed (contains eight different grains), French loaf and Foccacia (a kind of French loaf with Mediteranian seasoning).

Apart from speciality breads, most bakeries offer croissants, soup sticks (crispy sticks of bread), dinner rolls, pav buns, hot dog rolls, and the list goes on.

Swiss Bake House offers wheat breads, but only if ordered ahead. The bake house does, however, offer croissants, chocolate rolls, butter buns and milk bread.

Plenitude also sells wheat bread and garlic bread, if ordered ahead.

"We also make pizza base, which is quite popular among customers, as you just have to place you favourite topping and put it in the oven," says Premila.

However, not all head for the branded breads and health loafs. There is a loyal clientele for oven-fresh ones.

"Bakery bread tastes much better than factory ones. We have regulars and also customers who are working abroad, who buy our bread as soon as they are in town," says Raghunath.

Santha used to offer it regulars, masala, milk, fruit and orange bread but have stopped due to lack of proper clientele.

"It's only those who have tried oven fresh breads that keep coming for more. Others find having to come to the bakery a nuisance as opposed to going the nearest store and grabbing a loaf," he says.

So what are you waiting for? Grab a loaf, the choice is yours.

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