As the name suggests, artisan bread is not mass produced, it is however hand crafted in small batches. Artisan bread is not produced in massive assembly lines and varies in significant ways to the mass produced breads that are available in the stores and supermarkets. Artisan bread coming from a bakery in Chicago will be produced with different ingredients and will be produced using different processes, almost returning to the bread making traditions that has always set artisan bread apart from the bland commercial breads which are laden with preservatives for long shelf life.
When one looks at the ingredients that go into mass produced bread you can see there are close to 20 ingredients, most of which are preservatives of some sort. Artisan bread has four ingredients in most cases; flour, water, salt and yeast. There are other artisan breads that use sourdough as well as eggs and sugar but the result is an all natural loaf.
The bread making process is the same as it has been for centuries, the bakery in Chicago takes the best ingredients money can buy, slowly mix and ferment them and hand shapes the loaves which are baked in small batches. The crispy outer crust of this type of bread is one of the features people enjoy most; this is accomplished by using steam in the baking process.
There is no doubt that the taste and texture of any artisan bread is far superior to any mass produced loaf. Attention is paid to details throughout the process, not just the choice of high quality ingredients but to the chemistry of the bread which results in unique and specific textures.
Artisan breads use no chemicals, only natural ingredients, as a result of this the bread tends to have a short shelf life compared to the mass produced counterpart. This type of bread should be eaten on the day it’s baked or at latest the flowing day but it can be frozen if longer storage is desired. Left over artisan bread is ideal for use in dressings and in salads.
Many artisan breads use additional ingredients to expand the varieties; onions, cheese, olive oil and sun dried tomatoes are favorites for more exotic loaves, many of which are baked daily at small bakeries.
La Patisserie P is a bakery in Chicago that prides itself on the wide variety of artisan breads; every loaf is made from scratch using only the finest ingredients.
