Here you will find the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about bread. If you are having trouble finding the answer to a specific question you have and cannot find the information on our website please email us on info@bakersfedeation.org.uk and we will be happy to help.
The Chorleywood Bread Process for bread making was developed in the early 1960s at the British Baking Industries Research Association which was based in Chorleywood, Hertfordshire – hence the name for the process.
All bread making processes rely on 4 key steps:
The Chorleywood Bread Process mixes more vigorously and mechanically develops the dough reducing the need for fermentation. Not only does this save time, which helps keep costs down, it also produces bread which is better in respect of volume, colour and keeping qualities.
The same base ingredients are used in CBP as in slow bread making processes – flour, water, yeast and some salt. In addition, to achieve the shelf life expected by today’s consumers, a small amount of either vegetable fat or emulsifiers may also be used. These help to stabilise the bubbles in the dough that give the bread its characteristic soft texture. All these ingredients are clearly identified on pack in the ingredients list.
The Government advice is that starchy foods, such as potatoes, bread, cereals, rice and pasta, play an important role in a healthy diet and should make up about a third of the food we eat. They also recommend that we choose wholegrain varieties where possible.
Analysis by the Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research of bread’s contribution to nutrient intake of the British population, found that bread makes important contributions to carbohydrate, fibre, iron, calcium and thiamin intakes. For example, bread provides 20% of UK adult total dietary fibre intake, half of this (10%) is contributed by white bread. White bread’s mean percentage contribution to adult intakes of calcium and iron is 13% and 10% respectively.
White bread contains a smaller proportion of several micronutrients than wholemeal (except calcium), but overall makes a greater dietary contribution because more of it is consumed. White bread provides 10% or more of dietary calcium, iron, manganese, thiamine and fibre, and useful levels of other nutrients such as protein. Especially for those who find higher fibre levels difficult to cope with, it may be the better choice. Evidence suggests that higher bread consumption of all types is associated with a healthier diet.
No. Most bread contains only 2-4% fat and sugars (which are naturally derived from grain rather than added). Therefore it is not especially energy dense. A slice of bread (35g) contains between 72 and 83 calories. Over recent years bread consumption in the UK has been falling, whilst the number of overweight and obese people has been rising. This, and evidence from the national diet and nutrition survey, suggests that bread consumption is more likely to be associated with a healthy diet.
