/ck/ - Food & Cooking

Why is bread in the U.S. so bad?

Ever since I moved here finding good, decent, tasty and affordable bread has been downright impossible. The 'bakeries' here are hardly bakeries and more pastry shops, where the only thing that doesn't get a sugar coating, or sugar stuffing of some sort is water bottles--ask for bread and people will look at you like you're asking for anti-freeze. Otherwise, all you are likely to find is some mass produced sliced bread that's stale, filled with preservatives and tastes like nothing despite most of them being filled with, again, sugar ('high fructose corn syrup'). The only places that offer something akin a regular bakery (where baked goods other than pastries are actually sold) are essentially luxury items only found at high scale places like wholefoods or specialty stores like 'Panera', but even in these places the bread quality will vary and it's greatly overpriced.

As a country who's population traces its roots back to European immigrants, the U.S seems to have eagerly vanished the local bakery culture. Even south america, local bakeries and items are in every corner and sell really good bread, in great quantities and for cheap (and spain isn't exaclty known for its bread). I just don't understand why the U.S. can't see to be able to bake anything that doesn't involve 10 times the daily servings of sugar or resembles sliced card board. Where has the bread baking culture gone to? Did it ever exist at some point?

Anyway, if you guys could give recommendations to places that sell truly adequate bread, let me know.

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