Mass-Produced Breads
The manufacture of commercial breads bears
little resemblance to the process described
above. Ordinary mixing, kneading, and
fermentation require several hours of work
and waiting from the bread maker. In bread
factories, high-powered mechanical dough
developers and chemical maturing agents
(oxidizers) can produce a “ripe” dough, with
good aeration and gluten structure, in four
minutes. Yeast is added to such doughs
mainly as flavoring. The formed loaves are
proofed briefly and then baked as they move
through a tunnel-like metal oven. These
breads tend to have a very fine, cakelike
texture, because machines are far more
efficient at aerating dough than are hands or
stand mixers. The flavor of manufactured
bread can sometimes be marked by such
unpleasant aroma compounds as sour, sweat-
like isovaleric and isobutyric acids, which are