the national culinary review
August 2007
Bread Matters
Ray Hollingsworth's bride-clientele wants great breads on their sandwich bars at Best Western Sterling Inn Banquet & Conference Center in Sterling Heights, Mich. No surprise there, Bread is the first part of a sandwich that customer's experience. It has to taste good and look good.
"We are always looking for new ideas for our three product lines," says Henk Drakulich, CC, vice president of operations, research and development at Oliver's Artisan Breads in San Fernando, Calif. The company produces organic breads sold to supermarkets and other retail outlets, fresh bread delivered to restaurants and other foodservice operations in the greater Los Angeles area, and custom breads developed for chains, and shipped frozen throughout the country.
While most chefs might turn up their noses at frozen breads, "if they are flash or blast frozen, most people can't tell the difference between frozen and fresh, as long as they are handled well," says Carol Head, Oliver's owner/CEO.
"The shelf life of bread depends on the bread," Drakulich says. "Sliced breads dry out more quickly than rolls, because more of the surface is exposed to the air. Breads should be kept airtight in plastic, and used as soon as possible, but putting them in the cooler will extend their shelf life."
Drakulich and Head agree that wholegrain and multigrain breads are extremely popular and chefs and their customers. "Focaccia also is popular with chefs, because the olive oil in it keeps it moist when used in pressed and grilled sandwiches," Drakulich says.
Whatever the type of bread, he offers these tips for sandwich making: Choose a bread variety that coordinates with but doesn't overwhelm the filling. To prevent the bread from getting soggy, put a barrier between the dressing and the bread. And whenever possible, prepare sandwiches à la minute.
"Bread makes the sandwich," Drakulich says.
