Love Pilates

Bread, Bread, Bread

Bread has always been made the same way with flour, water, salt and yeast. In 1961 a new method was introduced called the Chorleywood Process which reduced the time to make bread and labour input, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. All the bread that is produced is made in this way and it has affected many people in different ways:

• The wheat is milled at high speed so that it can absorb more water – so when you buy an 800g loaf you are paying for a higher water content – nearly half of the bread is water. Wheat flour is mixed with ascorbic acid and yeast and when the gluten in the wheat is released it creates a very stiff dough in a small fraction of the time compared to the normal proving process. This process is being linked to the increase in Coeliac disease – a serious gluten intolerance.
• The Chorleywood Process also uses hard fractionated fats which are very similar to hydrogenated fats – these fats are linked to heart disease
• Two or three times the usual amount of yeast is added compared to traditionally made bread. This extra yeast creates a large volume of gas and you get a spongy loaf.This large amount of yeast we consume is being cited as one possible cause for the growth of yeast intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome and thrush (candidiasis/candida albicans) disorders over the past few decades.
• To help the fats bond to the wet flours, emulsifiers are added to the mix, plus vinegar (acts as a preservative) and large amounts of salt about double to that of a normal recipe. High salt intake being linked to heart disease and raised blood pressure.
• Finally as it has a high water content, just to stop if going mouldy, it is often dosed with anti-fungal compound.

So after reading this, perhaps we should all be making our own bread again! What to you think?