/ck/ - Food & Cooking

[Anonymous No.6916845]

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.

[Anonymous No.6916865]

>if you guys could give recommendations to places that sell truly adequate bread, let me know.
No one can give you recommendations because that's not how it works here. We have a handful of small local bakeries that may or may not be good (on average they are much better than grocery store bakeries or cake shops). It really depends on the area. For instance in the midwest, forget about it.

Sadly the best option is to be a complete insufferable sperg and bake your own. It really shouldn't have to be this way, but even if you live in podunk jesusville, you can buy good flour on the internet, and whatever else you need - vital gluten, starters (inb4 more sperging), malts, and so on. Not to mention equipment.

I'm lucky in that I currently live and work near a couple of really good bakeries, so I don't have to bake, but you don't live near me so it's not gonna do you any good. When I lived in the sticks, I never bought bread because it was all disgusting.

[Anonymous No.6916869]

You probably live in Bumblefuck, Nebraska or are just a retard

It's really that simple as crude as it sounds

[Anonymous No.6916885]

>>6916865
>>6916869
Eh, not really. I've lived in the East coast and currently in Texas. As I said, it is possible to find decent bread, but it's very overpriced and it's only in a few locations. Also, I have tried local 'bakeries' but they are essentially 95% pastries (sugary things) and the other 5% are things like a tasteless baguette or the good ol' pre-packed, also tasteless, sliced white bread.

[Anonymous No.6916892]

>>6916885
>Eh, not really.
Not really what? You restated your original post.

There are actual bread bakeries. But if you don't have a good one nearby, you have to bake your own.

Is there something you're not getting?

[Anonymous No.6916896]

>>6916885
Sure they are

[Anonymous No.6916908]

>>6916885
Go to your local supermarket and check out the bakery. Pick out bread wrapped in a brown bag that says freshly baked and the date. Now get the fuck out we like sugar and we have a lot of it.

[Anonymous No.6916917]

>>6916845
>Where has the bread baking culture gone to? Did it ever exist at some point?
I'm sure it existed before mass-produced Wonderbread took its place.

[Anonymous No.6916918]

>>6916908
The average supermarket "bakery" loaf is pig disgusting, GTFO

Not even op and inb4 hurr hurr muh heb muh winn dixie muh publix.

It is all disgusting. All of it. Yes even whole foods, trader joe's, wegmans, big eagle, etc. Your little pet store too. Sorry.

[Anonymous No.6916930]

If you're ever in Cali, Erick Schat's Bakery in Bishop.

If you're not, Panera bread and deal with it.

[Anonymous No.6916932]

>>6916930
Panera territory is also known as King Arthur catalog territory

I seriously hope you don't actually eat their "bread"

[Anonymous No.6916937]

>>6916932
I know, but you dont really have a choice in America. deal with the shitty Panera bread if you can't swim back to europe. Or drive to Bishop. Or make your own.

[Anonymous No.6916940]

>>6916930
>panera

faggot are you serious? you should just bite the bullet and kill yourself ASAP to save the human race from your stupidity.

[Anonymous No.6916942]

Where the fuck are you that you can't find a decent bakery? 1960's Minnesota?

[Anonymous No.6916946]

>>6916940
>>6916940
How about you stop being triggered by panmerica bread and read the above post, i dont like it either.

[Anonymous No.6916947]

>>6916885
So the issue here is you're mad you can't afford good bread, and you choose to blame america.

[Anonymous No.6916954]

>>6916845
Feels good to live in Belgium. Good fresh bread and cheap as fuck everywhere. America sounds like a dystopian hellhole sometimes smh.

[Anonymous No.6916968]

>>6916954
If your only knowledge of it comes from 4chan I can see why you might think so

[Anonymous No.6916969]

>>6916946
are you some kind of homosexual panera advocate?

fuck you buddy. i bet you're just like jared.

[Anonymous No.6916974]

>>6916968
THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS

If you don't know that America has the best bread in the world, you've obviously never set foot here.

One time I went to Swiss Chalet and the bread wasn't even good and it was way overpriced.

Europe:0
America:1000

[Anonymous No.6916975]

>>6916969
I love to have a taste of your baguette if you know what i mean ;)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

[Anonymous No.6916985]

>>6916974
You are delusional. American "bread" tastes like shit. Even British bread is better than Americuck bread. NYC and its overpriced speciality stores don't represent the USA.

[Anonymous No.6916990]

>>6916892
I mean, not really towards living in a bumhole cornville Missibraska. Obviously baking your own is a solution, but let's be honest and admit that's not always a realistic solution, especially if you have zero experience in baking and/or don't have the time.

>>6916908
Well aware of those. For the most part, I could go to a UPS, chew on some of their shipping materials, and get about the same taste out of them.

>>6916930
>>6916937
What a panera in the ass. Also, this doesn't adress the issue here: why does bread suck here so much?

>>6916947
Selection is very limited. Also, the price is mostly to adress the fact that good bread is treated as luxury rather than as a basic good as in most countries.

>>6916954
Very jelly here. I'd like to go Europe and explore some of their baking culture there.

[Anonymous No.6916996]

>>6916985
Neither does the mass produced shit like wonder bread. That's what we have for poor people. I suppose you just let all your poor people starve.

[Anonymous No.6917002]

>>6916990
...+2 for the pun.

Also it's because its america and we just don't care. Why the fuck would we build companies selling good actual bread when there's no demand, the labor is hard and expensive if the baker's actually good, when we can just sell hipster coated Panera for that white teen girl with daddies money dosh? America is run by corporation.

[Anonymous No.6917006]

>>6916845
Just get fresh bread from a supermarket bakery. Yes, the big fluffy French loaves aren't the highest quality (but they're still damn good), but there's more than one kind of bread usually available. Vons/Safeway/Pavilions has a great bakery, as well as Sprouts.

I'm so tired of dumb foreigners who think that all of our bread is pre-sliced corn syrup loaf. You're buying the wrong bread.

[Anonymous No.6917011]

>>6917006
>Yes, the big fluffy French loaves aren't the highest quality
>but at least it's not pre-sliced corn syrup
"At least we're not the south" logic

Wonder bread in a different shape is still wonderbread, lowstandards-kun

[Anonymous No.6917014]

>>6917002
I just looked at a couple of pictures of a "Panera" and it literally looks like a Macdonalds for bread.

[Anonymous No.6917018]

>>6916845
bake your own, you lazy faggot.
problem solved

[Anonymous No.6917038]

>I moved here

Then you should be baking your own bread.

[Anonymous No.6917072]

>>6917014
Panera is too bready imo.
Their none bread meals are expensive too.
I also don't like their bread species.

[Anonymous No.6917088]

>>6916885
>East coast
>Texas
Well there's your problem. Stop living in shitty states and you'll stop having shitty food.

[Anonymous No.6917090]

You guys are all faggots, even walmart has passable baguettes. If you want serious bread, yes, find a good local bakery, but Safeway or Albertsons or Hannaford or Stop n Shop or Whole foods will have decent bread. Stop acting like it's shit just because it's from a grocery chain. It still goes stale in a day or two-- there aren't any weird preservatives unless the previous statement isn't true.

[Anonymous No.6917093]

>>6917090
>Stop acting like it's shit just because it's from a grocery chain
We don't you fucking Americuck untermensch. Chainstores in Europe, or at least they do in Belgium, France and Germany, sell quality bread. I have been to the USA and all bread was shit. Bread that comes close to the bread we have here costs literally 8-9 dollars in the USA, which is only affordable to Manhattan business executives.

[Anonymous No.6917094]

>>6917090
I'd gladly eat bread full of chemicals if it just had a suitable flavor and texture. Grocery store bread seems like it's made from low protein flour and the leavening, whatever it is, contributes no flavor at all

[Anonymous No.6917095]

>>6916990
>especially if you have zero experience in baking and/or don't have the time.
Baking bread doesn't take long at all, and there are loads of recipes on the internet and in books. If you think those are legitimate excuses, you are a faggot.

Even if you want to go full pussy-mode, you could just make beer bread, which takes an hour and a half at most (the hour being cook time) and if made properly is basically just normal loaf bread that happens to taste like whatever beer or liquor you put in it.

[Anonymous No.6917111]

>>6917093
I've been to France and had better bread in a Safeway than a carrefour. Period. I've had both. The bread at Safeway is probably cheaper too.
>>6917094
If you get bread in the bakery and not the "bread" aisle, it has a fine texture. Jump off of something tall.

[Anonymous No.6917123]

>>6917111
>If you get bread in the bakery and not the "bread" aisle, it has a fine texture.
By "fine" do you mean like angel food cake? That's usually not what I'm looking for in a loaf of bread.
>death threats
Classy

[Anonymous No.6917125]

Yeah, big supermarket bread from the "bakery" isn't very good, but supermarkets also have breads from local real bakeries. Most places I've been to in the US have a local bakery too. Yeah, a loaf of good bread isn't dirt cheap, but it's hardly expensive either. I wouldn't call $2-4 luxury prices.

[Anonymous No.6917131]

>>6917125
one croissant 2.15
epic cuck country

[Anonymous No.6917132]

>>6917093
>I SAID AMERICA SUCKS! DON'T ARGUE WITH ME! WAAHHH!!!!

[Anonymous No.6917133]

>>6917123
>implying that's a death threat
>bitching about death threats anyway
>on 4chan
>>>/reddit/
>>>/tumblr/
>>>/lgbt/

[Anonymous No.6917143]

>>6917123
By "fine", I mean "acceptable by any standard". I never made a death threat. The phrase "I'm going to kill you" is a death threat. The phrase "kill yourself" is a suggestion.

The bread you get is the bread you get. To assume somebody in Europe can make bread, but somebody in the US cannot is just ignorant. If you buy shitty bread, that's the fault of you and the fault of the free market for allowing idiots to buy shitty bread. I buy great bread all the time in the US. If you can't find it, that's your own fault for not being able to navigate/determine quality.

[Anonymous No.6917147]

>>6917133

[Anonymous No.6917154]

>>6917143
>By "fine", I mean "acceptable by any standard"
Your standards are broken
>To assume somebody in Europe can make bread, but somebody in the US cannot is just ignorant.
At this point you're just on a runaway soapbox rant about something completely unrelated, and you've confused me with multiple people, both real and straw men.

[Anonymous No.6917157]

>>6917154
But what if a Frenchman moved to the USA? Is he suddenly incapable of baking just because of geography? Or are you actually retarded?

[Anonymous No.6917162]

>>6917157
you would literally have to import certain ingredients from france or germany. everything that is grown in american soil is automatically tainted

[Anonymous No.6917169]

1/10. Sourdough, maybe.

[Anonymous No.6917171]

>>6917157
>But what if a Frenchman moved to the USA? Is he suddenly incapable of baking just because of geography? Or are you actually retarded?
Did you click on the wrong post? Do you actually see which post you replied to?

Are you just having a conversation with yourself now?

[Anonymous No.6917178]

>>6916885
>currently in Texas
There's your problem

[Anonymous No.6917187]

>>6917171
So don't you have anything substantial to add? Or is it semantics at this point? Because I can accept that I'm right.

[Anonymous No.6917196]

>>6917187
You were talking about how Safeway bread is "acceptable by any standard", I was attempting to explain why you are a retard, and then you started going off on some rant about France and jumping off buildings, I don't even know where the fuck that came from.

You're wrong, but you have no frame of reference so I can't really help you stop being wrong. Sorry :(

[Anonymous No.6917205]

>>6917131
$2.15 isn't that much money. How much is a croissant near you?

[Anonymous No.6917216]

>>6917196
Actually, my frame of reference is having lived in both countries and eaten bread from supermarkets in both countries, and comparing the two. They both have passable "supermarket bread", and as a matter of fact, they are almost identical. The only difference is that in france, every town has a decent small business bakery that is better.

[Anonymous No.6917225]

>>6917216
>there are people who actually buy and eat bread from carrefour.

Other than you, are we talking regular people or African boat people? Are you, yourself, an African boat people?

>The only difference is that in france, every town has a decent small business bakery that is better.
That's a pretty big difference though, and exactly what op was complaining about.

I don't really give a shit whether you want to buy all your baked goods from a shitty hypermarket, but don't pretend it's "acceptable by any standard"

[Anonymous No.6917239]

>>6917225
>>6917225
So what's unacceptable about my supermarket bread with the ingredient list: flour, water, canola oil, salt? It's crusty and delicious. Not quite like a nice sourdough from NYC, but NYC is 4 hours away.

[Anonymous No.6917254]

>>6917239
>flour
There's a lot more to flour than just "flour"

But to repeat myself since you were too busy waving the big American flag and yelling about the moon landing and imagining that I must be a member of ISIS or maybe someone from Imperial Japan posting through a time warp, or some other terrible hollywood fantasy villain: what's unacceptable about it is that it has no texture, probably because they're using AP or pastry flour, and no flavor, probably because they're using some god awful quick rise yeast. It's better in my eyes to add "chemicals" if that's what it takes, than to just sell a shit product and pretend it's ok because it's in approximately the correct shape. Dough conditioners, or whatever you need. It's fine. The technology is out there, and very well documented I might add.

[Anonymous No.6917260]

>>6917254
Fuck, you're mistaken.
4/10 for me replying so many times.

[Anonymous No.6917263]

>>6917260
No U

[Anonymous No.6917289]

>>6917254
poo in loo

[Anonymous No.6917303]

>>6916845
I have been curious about this too.. i have recently moved to the UK from a Nordic country and it seems to me the only real option on the shelves are whole grain but the majority of the bread on the shelves are just "white bread" or in other words, sugar. It's pretty appalling to be honest and how the populace of the country doesn't demand something of a higher quality is pretty strange since they have almost certainly eaten something decent.
What it comes down to is that people have a taste for sugar or more subtle flavours. In Denmark, rye bread is becoming more and more unpopular and white bread is taking over.. So there you go. :p work out the rest cba to elaborate.

[Anonymous No.6917319]

>>6917303
There is NOTHING wrong with white bread as long as it's French, German or Belgian and NOT Americuck.

[Anonymous No.6917336]

>>6917319
White bread is white bread. Get over yourself.

[Anonymous No.6917340]

>>6917336
>>6917319
I don't care about white bread, but what he said about bread, change it for "people" and it's pretty much true.

The only whites worse than Americans are slavs.

[Anonymous No.6917343]

>>6917340
Stay mad bruh. Your hatred only makes us stronger.

[Anonymous No.6917347]

>>6917343
Not really though. You've been watching Star Trek too much. I'm not Luke Skywalker and you're not Queen Naboo,

[Anonymous No.6917353]

You have to adapt to the culture, bruh. If you're in Texas you have local Mexican bakeries with tortillas, tortas, and bocadillos out the ass, you probably have a good bagel shop somewhere nearby you haven't set foot in, and if you're lucky you can find some kolaches within a 10 minute drive.
It's not the same as the bread you find in Europe, but it's definitely good.

[Anonymous No.6917356]

>>6917347
I think that's star wars fam

[Anonymous No.6917362]

>>6917131
2.15 is a standard price for an almond/chocolate crossiant, moron.