I use Tasti for everything, agree it's cheaper.I've only just tried bread using a starter.I've made some bread rolls twice now that uses one and they're really nice, yet to expand on rolls though.
kay141,
Jan 21, 3:25am
Maybe you need to change your supermarket. The ones I go to bake from scratch.
elliehen,
Jan 21, 3:30am
It must be the 'Auckland Syndrome' - some Aucklanders believe that everything that happens in the SuperCity happens all over the country ;)
buzzy110,
Jan 21, 4:36am
Actually, in the not so distant past I used to do rather an odd job involving all of Foodstuffs supermarkets in the top half of the North island. I used to be sent away to 'learn stuff' and one of the these courses involved a session learning how the bakery depts got their foods and made them. The breads and sweet pastries definitely came exactly as I said.
The Taranaki factory manager was present and showed me everything I needed to know about baking and presenting their breads and sweet pastries. I learnt what to look for and how to diagnose, from just looking, what may have gone wrong with the product.
Baking from scratch - what a joke. I was no wiser about how to make bread after I did the course than I was when I started it. All their 'made from scratch goodies, came out of premix packets.
Now you may think that premix is baking from scratch. I don't know, but in my kitchen, baking from scratch means assembling all the ingredients together myself (not even self raising is allowed in my kitchen), and then creating.
Of course most of the ingredients have already gone through some sort of process or other before they reach my kitchen (flour, baking powder, vanilla essence, sugar, etc) but they haven't then been premixed with flavour enhancers, solvents, colours, hydrogenated or refined palm oil, and stabilisers etc to provide a uniform product with a uniform taste.
buzzy110,
Jan 21, 4:40am
The reason I want fresh yeast is that even though I have made croissants using sour dough yeast, they do not come out as well as croissants using commercial yeast.
kay141,
Jan 22, 2:38am
So very interesting. You are a fount of knowledge on all subjects. If you haven't done it or had it,your family, friends or neighbours have. Baking bread in my supermarket means putting the flour, yeast etc. together not using pre-mix. Kneading, leaving to rise, knocking down. Need I go on?
buzzy110,
Jan 22, 3:47am
Thanks for the heads up kay141. It is just a pity that I dreamed what actually happens. In the top part of the North Island, Supermarket bakeries just cannot meet demand by doing it the way your supermarket does. In fact, in Michael's Ave, Ellerslie, there is a bread shop there that makes everything from scratch, using sour dough. They don't turn out enough bread to supply one bakery department for half a day and these people have been in the business for several years now.
So your supermarket should possibly be written up in Cuisine. Why not write Cuisine a note telling them of your fabulous local supermarket that makes its breads from scratch, instead of getting it all delivered, made up then snap frozen. Then all they do is take it out, defrost, proof in the special ovens then transfer to the industrial ovens and bake.
Because your supermarket would be unique in the top half of the North Island where customers number in their hundreds every day and sometimes thousands. Obviously where a supermarket is catering to 10 families, hand made bread would be a doddle. What tiny township do you live in that has a supermarket that only has a customer base of 10.
kay141,
Jan 22, 4:11am
But I'm not in the top half of the North Island. Why do people think that is the only part of the country that matters? Seems to me just the part with no taste. If that is the way the bread is made and is as bad as you say, why are people buying it?
buzzy110,
Jan 22, 4:22am
I know you aren't. But Foodstuffs is an organisation that operates from one Auckland HQ and then several Head Offices in other parts of NZ. What one does, the others do. I was talking solely about Foodstuffs and what they do. New World, was mentioned by the poster as a place to get fresh yeast from, more specifically their Bakery Dept, and is a Foodstuffs shop.
Therefore I reserve the right to talk about what Foodstuffs shops do in their Bakery Department. Unless you have worked in your supermarket, you really have no idea what they do in there and I can tell you that even with industrial mixers and a team of bakers, they will not be able to supply the quantities of bread necessary for a viable Bakery Department in a busy supermarket.
I didn't say that bread was made badly, I said that it was made in a large Factory in New Plymouth and shipped around the country in refrigerated trucks as a frozen product.
Quality control, uniformity of shape, sizing, texture and taste is all paramount. I'm willing to bet that the bread from your supermarket bakery is exactly the same in other supermarket bakery depts run by the same company.
kay141,
Jan 22, 4:53am
I'll bow out of this discussion. You are the expert on all such matters and obviously know all.
buzzy110,
Jan 22, 5:00am
Oh well, if that is the attitude, that is fine. I am not an expert on everything, only the stuff I know about. See there are tons of threads on this board alone that I have not posted any expert knowledge in, or even any crap. I am so unknowledgable about some things that even if I dispute something someone has written, I don't post because I cannot be certain of what it is I think I know.
buzzy110,
Jan 22, 5:09am
And what started this discussion between you and me was my lack of knowledge about where to buy fresh yeast and how to use it. To then claim I am a know all who knows everything is just a little bit too nasty, even for you kay.
All I want to know about is fresh yeast and can it be frozen so I can knock out a few lovely, wholemeal croissants with proper butter, not palm oil, that are flaky and not like my sour dough makes one which come out crispy all the way through instead.
ants9,
Jan 22, 6:08am
Have to butt in here,ex baker from long ago and still baking-Fresh yeast you canget from direct distributors whangarei,(or bakeries)the last lot I got(been a bit naughty)has been in my fridge for 2 years(so do not have to use a freezer) and still rising well. Most supermarket bakery's now do use pre mixes and frozenseg ciabatta-make the norm bread and add a ciabatta mix-which i have and use also. Generally they buy from the above and other places like penguin etc
I think the TM boards are getting really catty,a lot of the people are giving great advice and people are taking it the wrong way because of the way it is written-everyone is different and I for one have got many a great recipe/website/advice off this site and it is really sad the way it is going atm.
Butting out right now:)
owl32,
Feb 26, 5:07pm
I see on telly tonight, richard till for countdown, showed us the bakery and how they make their breads. I do know that my sister works for what was woolworths and they used to , about 9 months ago, i will need to ask her if they still do - cause she is in the bakery- , make all their bakery foods from premix. She was telling me the steps she took to make cakes and breads.
Interesting. And I thought it was about bread.. I wanted to say , I made my BEST ever loaf today!!!!! Delicious, soft,tasty,yummy in a sandwhich and easy cutting!!!!
*just a bit excited because I've been trying for ages and finally got it PERFECT.
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