Daily Bread

Bread is a food that is as essential as it is fascinating for vegans! Unlike its refined cousins cakes and biscuits, bread does not contain any animal products. It consists of flour, water, salt and, in some cases, spices. Egg and milk are actually only found in milk rolls, although there are some types of bread that contain buttermilk.

Another current trend is bread made from gluten-free flour: buckwheat, coconut flour or rice, corn and millet flour are very popular. Ancient grains such as spelt, einkorn and emmer are also popular. They belong to the wheat variety. However, emmer and einkorn in particular were cultivated a thousand years before wheat as we know it. For bread fans, ancient grains are considered to be less highly bred and therefore richer in nutrients and minerals. Ancient rye forms such as forest perennial rye are also on trend, while adding grains and nuts and baking wholemeal bread are popular, too. So there’s something for (almost) every dietary style. Some have also discovered the joy of grinding their own grain and are taking home-baking to a new level. That said, bread has been important to us humans right from the very beginning.

Baking bread is an art form, and each culture has its own unique techniques and traditions. In many parts of the world, baking bread is considered a deeply personal affair that includes not only the ingredients, but also the technology and specifically adapted oven. In Ethiopia, for example, injera is baked on large, flat, hot stones, while in India, naan is traditionally prepared in a tandoor oven. Even in our latitudes, at least in the past, everyone was aware of village ovens. On the one hand, these traditional methods offer a deep insight into the culture, and on the other hand, they also have a great influence on the taste and texture of the bread.

And today, artisanal bread making has been rediscovered as a craft, even if state-of-the-art ovens are used in many cases. Baking bread has indeed become a mega food trend. The bread of the year is chosen annually and, as with wine, we now have bread sommeliers. Sonja Laböck from Munich, master baker and head of Brotmanufaktur Schmidt, was the first to bear the title of bread sommelier.

He may be the social media guru of baking, but Lutz Geißler, known for his Plötz blog, is definitely an authority when it comes to baking bread.

In his blog, he provides insights into the art of baking bread and shares valuable tips for beginners. For Geißler, it all starts with a love of bread and respect for the ingredients. He stresses the importance of patience and precision in the baking process and advises novice bakers to start with simple recipes to get a feel for the dough process. Another key piece of advice is to experiment with different types of flour and levels of hydration to understand the effects on the texture and flavour of the bread. Geißler also encourages people to explore baking with sourdough, as it adds an extra dimension of depth of flavour and digestibility to bread. His most important tip: “Don’t be discouraged by setbacks. Every failed loaf of bread is a step on the way to becoming a master baker.”

The debate about yeast and sourdough bread is as old as the art of bread baking itself. But is yeast really bad? The answer lies not in a simple comparison, but in the consideration of the different properties and advantages of both raising agents. Yeast bread is characterised by its lightness and rapid fermentation, which makes it particularly attractive to beginners. Sourdough, on the other hand, requires more time and patience, but rewards with a richer flavour profile and improved shelf life of the bread. In addition, sourdough is said to be more digestible, as the longer fermentation process breaks down phytic acid and makes nutrients more readily available.

But instead of a competition, why not consider both methods as complementary techniques that have their place in the art of bread baking depending on preference and requirements? Rather than talking about good or bad, baking fans should embrace the variety of possibilities offered by yeast and sourdough.

When it comes to sourdough, it would be remiss of me not to mention our colleague Katja H.’s top tip: “I prefer to bake sourdough bread in a clay pot. This stores the evaporating water, making the bread nice and moist. It’s also worth putting the clay pot in the oven while it is preheating to ensure it heats through evenly.“

2024’s vegan trends underscore the increasing creativity and growing awareness of the environment and animal welfare. They show that the future of nutrition is plant-based, with no sacrificing taste or variety necessary. Whether it’s traditionally baked bread or innovative new recipes, the possibilities are endless.

The personal experience of visiting local bakeries and discovering the stories behind the bread seems irreplaceable to us. After all, the art of baking bread and creative vegan trends offer a rich source of culinary discoveries. So, why not go on a journey of taste discovery and experience the variety of bread for yourself? You can find fine flour and other baking ingredients, for both bread and cakes, at Velivery.

And now we want to know the truth: how do you bake at home? What kneading and dough-proofing tricks do you use? What are your absolute no-gos when it comes to baking bread – are there even any?