FermentingIdeas
Ottenberg’s Bakery
Summer 2013
A Word from Ray Ottenberg
T
Four times a year,
Ottenberg’s Bakery
publishes Fermenting
Ideas. Our objective is
to deliver an in-depth
look at a single issue
confronting the food
service industry.
There are no easy
answers. Facts
help each of us
craft individualized
solutions.
Consumers decide
each day on where
they will eat their
next meal. Longterm success in our
industry requires
responding to
important food trends.
Ottenberg’s Bakery
has products designed
to help. We encourage
you to contact us
and learn more about
Ottenberg’s Bakery
and our products.
Ottenberg’s Bakers, Inc.
associated with current hot topics. You
his edition
of Fermenting will not know everything, but hopefully
enough to more effectively think and
Ideas addresses
talk about the bread.
the definitions
Ottenberg’s Bakery prides itself on
of some words
helping our customers find market
related to bread.
driven solutions to their bread needs.
The language
Solutions that fit budgets and help
of bread
make the diner’s eating experiis expanding. Some of these
ence memorable. Speaking
words are from cultures
the same language is a great
that are foreign to many
advantage. Our purpose
of us. Some are made up
here is to arm you with
words created for marketing
that advantage.
purposes. Some are based on
Please contact us if you
new science and technology.
would like to talk about
If you ever feel lost due
US wheat
ways to better meet any of
to not being sure about the
production is very your bread and roll needs.
definitions of words being
used in a conversation
large, but most (Contact information is
about bread, you are not
years China, The on back page.) As always,
we would love your feedalone. I have been in the
European Union back on any of the inforbaking business my entire
and India
mation in this edition of
life and I often struggle
Fermenting Ideas. It helps
produce more.
to keep up with bread
us correct our multitude
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baking terms.
of mistakes.
The various cultures all
over the world have their
own names for similar
products. As the world
shrinks, these products
come into our lives. Indian
naan, Lebanese pita and
Mexican tortillas are all flatbreads with virtually identical production methods.
Our hope is that our
readers will feel more confident when anyone wants
to talk about bread. We are
just trying to cover terms
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3330-A 75th Avenue Hyattsville, MD 20785
www.ottenbergs.com
1-800-334-7264
1
Gluten-Celiac
Disease-Gluten Free
Gluten is a protein found almost
exclusively in wheat. When wetted
and repeatedly stretched, gluten
forms into flexible, elastic strings.
Nothing else has quite the same
properties. Over thousands of
years, multiple cultures have discovered gluten and how to use it with
various leavening agents to make
bread.
Celiac Disease is a medical
condition in which sufferers have
violent gastric distress when they
eat gluten. They have to eliminate
all gluten from their diet. Even
microscopic amounts will cause a
reaction. It is estimated that about
1 to 2% of the population suffers
from Celiac Disease or are allergic
to wheat. There are also a growing number of people that view a
gluten-free diet as “healthy.”
Gluten-Free is a relative term.
For a Celiac sufferer, microscopic
amounts of gluten results in serious
discomfort. For them, the definition of gluten free is measured in
parts per billion. Cross contamination from dust particles in a kitchen
will cause them to become ill.
However, for someone that has chosen a gluten-free diet because they
believe it will make them healthier,
a little cross contamination does
not result in a medical emergency.
Gluten-Free Bread is more a
marketing term than a definition.
No one has yet been able to make
a product that looks and tastes
like bread without using wheat.
Gluten-free breads use complicated
processes to achieve a cell structure
that looks somewhat like bread and
flavoring agents to make it taste
somewhat like bread. The products
continue to improve, but no one
would confuse gluten-free bread for
the real thing.
2
Ottenberg’s Bakers, Inc.
Genetically Modified Organisms
Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) is a plant
that has had its genes altered in a laboratory. The
commercial purpose is to add characteristics that are
thought to be valuable. It might be to create a plant that
is more drought resistant. Corn and soy bean varieties
that are resistant to pesticides have had great success. Almost
all corn and soy beans grown in the USA are GMO’s.
The whole idea of building “super-plants” in a laboratory makes some people
uneasy. There is no evidence that GMO plants are different nutritionally from nonGMO’s, and no lab test can tell them apart. But, no one can guarantee that there will
not be unintended consequences. For example, there is evidence that Monarch butterflies cannot digest the pollen from GMO corn and that the loss of this important food
source might put the entire population of Monarchs at risk.
GMO corn and soy beans are approved for human consumption in the USA and
completely dominate farm production of those plants in North America. No GMO
wheat has been approved. Europe, Japan and others have either banned or required
labeling of products containing GMO’s. The USA has not gone that route to date.
Whole Grains for Health
Whole Wheat Flour is made by grinding the wheat berry
and including the entire grain in the final product. White
flour (often called patent flour) is made by having a sifting
stage that separates the bran and wheat germ from the
final product. Most of the diverted portion is sold as feed
for animals.
There is a consensus among nutritionists that Americans should eat more whole grains. The bran (outside)
and germ (center) provide roughage and contain important vitamins and minerals.
Consumer interest in the health attributes of whole grains has led to one of the big
food trends of recent years. Consumption of whole grains has skyrocketed.
Increasing whole grain consumption among children is a key goal of USDA mandated school lunch programs. This will increase the focus on whole grains and their
nutritional importance. Whole wheat flour is the most prevalent form of whole grain
in the American diet.
Kosher/Halal/Parve
Foods and practices that comply with the Jewish dietary laws are kosher. Foods and
practices that comply with Islamic dietary laws are halal.
There are several common themes in both codes. Pork is forbidden. Animal welfare is important. Each religion has its own interpretations of their dietary laws and
unique traditions. There are supervisory services that insure compliance with traditional law for both kosher and halal codes. Observant Jews and Muslims will ask to see
the appropriate certifications.
The kosher rules require that meat and dairy not be mixed in a single meal. The term
parve means that a food has neither meat nor dairy in it. Parve foods can be used
in either a meat based or dairy based meal. Bread is kosher-parve as long as all the
kosher rules are followed and there is no dairy (usually milk) or animal (generally fat)
in the finished product.
3330-A 75th Avenue Hyattsville, MD 20785
www.ottenbergs.com
1-800-334-7264
Artisan Breads
Flat Breads for Everyone
Artisan breads are typically products
with unique flavors and textures
that are developed naturally through
traditional fermentation and processing
techniques. Often, the product name is
based on shape and appearance more
than taste and texture. Sometimes,
ingredients like olives or rosemary are
added. Almost every culture has its
own artisan bread tradition, but it is
amazing how similar one is to another.
Flat breads have always been popular for a long time. Think pizza. But, there is
a much deeper and wider tradition of flat breads all over the world. It seems like
every culture has its own version.
This should not be a surprise. These breads all have the common qualities of
being nutritious, easy to prepare, quick to bake, and functional as a food protector,
carrier and even as a utensil.
The list of flat breads is far too long for this newsletter. Here are a few. The
best known Indian flat breads are naan, chapatti and paratha. The Middle East has
pita and lavash. Tortillas from Mexico, injera from the Horn of Africa, and nan-e
from Afghanistan are regional examples. There may be no food that is more international than flat bread.
Global private sector investment in crop
and animal input reasearch
M IL L IO N 2006 U S D O L L A RS
10,000
8,000
Crop inputs
6,000
It’s all French to me
4,000
Animal inputs
2,000
0
1992
94
96
98
2000
02
04
06
08
10
12
Source: USDA, Economic Research Service
San Francisco
Sour Dough
San Francisco sour dough is a truly
American artisan bread. It is made
using natural leavening and a very
long (24 hours or more) fermentation
period before baking. The real thing
has a thick crust, unique acidic taste
and tough, chewy interior.
There is an urban legend that real
San Francisco sour dough could only
be made in Northern
California. (Something
in the air??) This is
just not true. The
product does require
following the same
formulas and processing techniques. Most
bakers are unwilling to
follow that discipline.
Ottenberg’s Bakers, Inc.
The Italian Job
The Italians have their own classic breads.
Shapes of breads bearing the same name
often vary by region.
Ciabatta literally means slipper in
Italian. It is crusty, but incredibly moist
inside. It seems to come in an infinite
number of shapes. Focaccia is a flat traditionally round loaf of bread. It is about
an inch thick and can be topped with
olives, tomatoes, cheese or herbs. Muffuletta is a round Sicilian loaf topped
with sesame seeds. Muffuletta bread
is most famous in the USA for the
great sandwiches of New Orleans.
Americans have adapted all these
breads to our tastes. Bread sticks
are a great example. Traditional
bread sticks are pencil thin and crisp
throughout. The American soft
bread stick is a very different product.
3330-A 75th Avenue Hyattsville, MD 20785
Classic French bread is notable for crisp
almost flaky crust, soft cream colored
interior (bakers use the term crumb)
and natural bread flavor. The French
have names for the various shapes.
Baguettes are the best known
French bread. Their long and skinny
shape results in lots of crust and not
much crumb inside. Ficelles are
similar to baguettes, except they are
even skinnier. Parisians are similar
to baguettes, except thicker. Petit Pains
are medium sized rolls. Batards
are a French version of a football
shaped loaf.
Brioche is made using lots of egg
and lots of butter. It has a dark,
auburn colored crust and a soft and extremely tender crumb. A real brioche
virtually melts in your mouth. Americans have modified the French version
of brioche to be more resilient and
function better as a sandwich bread.
The two versions are very different, and
result in great confusion.
French cuisine has moved around
the world and adapted to local tastes
and needs. A bolilla is a Mexican version of a French roll. A banh mi is the
Vietnamese version.
www.ottenbergs.com
1-800-334-7264
3
FermentingIdeas
Ottenberg’s Bakery
USEFUL INSIGHTS
FOR FOOD SERVICE
Ottenberg’s Bakers, Inc.
3330-A 75th Avenue
Hyattsville, MD 20785
Ottenberg’s Bakers, Inc.
3330-A 75th Avenue
Hyattsville, MD 20785
USEFUL INSIGHTS
FOR FOOD SERVICE
FermentingIdeas
Ottenberg’s Bakery
Ancient Grains
CONTACTS
There are several grains that have
been used for human consumption
in their present form for thousands of
years. They have remained important
in certain cultures. For the most part,
Americans have seen them only in
specialty stores. Several of these grains
are now becoming widely available in
the USA. In addition to the romance
of something so old that it is new, these
grains add taste and texture to products.
Only one of them, spelt, is a kind
of wheat with enough gluten to make
bread. An incomplete list of other
ancient grains include faro, kamut,
amaranth, quinoa, millet, einkorn,
emmer, triticale, chia, flax and teff. It
is a big, interesting world out there and
Americans are exploring it.
Ray Ottenberg
President
202 251 7533
[email protected]
Tim Knorr
South East Sales Manager
Who is
Ottenberg’s Bakery?
We are a 140 year old bakery, still owned
and run by the Ottenberg family. We have
the scale of operations and operational
controls necessary to meet the needs of
the largest, most demanding customers.
As a family business we act quickly and
forcefully to meet customer needs. We
serve the food service industry through
fresh and frozen distributors in the
Eastern US. For more information, please
go to www.ottenbergs.com or call us
at 800-334-7264.
336 501 1363
[email protected]
Jenny Gibbs
North East Sales Manager
443 761 0338
[email protected]
Maurice Graham
Director Fresh Sales
301 237 5668
[email protected]