What does bread smell like? What you need to know about bread

Culture

It is so homey, cozy and so sweet for almost all of us. We are talking about the smell of freshly baked bread, which can make us more responsive.

Scientists conducted a study and found that Customers were more likely to help passers-by if they passed by a bakery where the delicious smell of baked goods came from..

The thing is that certain smells improve your mood and are more conducive to altruism and caring for others.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that pleasant smells make us feel happier. Psychologists from University of Southern Brittany in France they decided to test how smells affect attitudes towards others.

The experiment involved 8 women and men who were standing either near a bakery or near a clothing store.

Volunteers had to pretend to look for something in a bag and then casually drop a glove, handkerchief or napkin in front of passing shoppers.

The experiments, which were repeated nearly 400 times, showed that when volunteers dropped items outside a bakery, 77 percent of passers-by stopped and helped them pick up the dropped item, returning it to its owner. Near a clothing store, only 52 percent of passers-by offered their help.

Scientists have come to the conclusion that odors considered pleasant induce similar friendly behavior.

The most pleasant smells

The smells that surround us have a psychological effect. For example, the smell of lemon improves our ability to solve mental problems, and the smell of mint has the same effect, but on performing physical work.

What smells are considered the most pleasant? Here, as they say, there are no comrades according to taste. This depends on your individual experience. While one person may associate the smell of lavender with fond memories of hugging their beloved grandma, another may associate it with the smell of a dentist's waiting room.

However, there are smells that many people find pleasant. These include the smell of baby powder, flowers and spices such as cinnamon and vanilla, associated with food prepared for special occasions or holidays.

There is rarely a person who can resist the smell of fresh, hot bread! This is the ancient magic of ovens, worshiping the sun and the earth... This is the medieval magic of small bakeries singing a hymn to the new day... This is the modern magic of bread stalls and mother's hands, teasing the sense of smell and giving a feeling of celebration!!

Since ancient times, the baker's craft has enjoyed special honor and respect.

In Egypt, for example, on the wall of the tomb of one of the pharaohs, a detailed picture of bread being made in bakeries was discovered; in the Giza Museum there is a figurine of a dough mixer, which is also several thousand years old. The ancient Egyptians mastered the art of leavening dough using fermentation, which is caused by tiny organisms—yeasts and lactic acid bacteria—that they never knew existed.

Thus, 5-6 thousand years ago in Ancient Egypt, the development of baking production began.

Ancient Egyptian bakers prepared various types of bread: oblong, pyramidal, round, in the shape of braids, fish, sphinxes. On bread they put signs in the form of a rose, a cross, a sign of a family or clan, on products for children - in the form of a rooster, kitten, turkey, etc. They baked sweet breads, which included honey, fat, milk, they were valued more than ordinary bread bread.

Hymns were composed in honor of the bread. In the cursive writing adopted in Ancient Egypt, the sun, gold and bread were denoted in the same way - by a circle with a dot in the middle.

The art of making loose bread from fermented dough passed from the ancient Egyptians to Greece and Rome. Such bread was considered a delicacy in these states; it was available only to the rich; black bread was baked for slaves - dense and rough. Bread was specially baked for athletes who were to participate in the Olympic Games. On the occasion of sports competitions in Olympia, special white, well-leavened bread was baked for participants and guests and served with olives and fish.

In Ancient Greece, bread was considered a completely independent dish and was consumed like each separately served dish. The richer the house and the more noble the owner, the more abundantly and generously he treated his guests to white bread. Bread was also treated with superstitious reverence. It was believed that a person who ate food without bread had committed a great sin and would be punished by the gods for this.

In ancient Rome, master bakers kept bread recipes in the strictest confidence and passed them on from generation to generation. A slave who knew how to bake bread was valued very highly: a baker slave cost 100 thousand sistertia, and only 10-12 thousand were paid for a gladiator.

The fate of wheat and bread is directly proportional to the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. Caesar, Augustus and Nero distributed grain free of charge to keep the unemployed people from revolting, but the demand was so great that the borders of the Empire had to be expanded to achieve this. In those times

The Roman Empire stretched from Britain to Africa, and grain came from Egypt. But soon after the Empire split into two parts, Eastern and Western, control over Egyptian grain was lost.

In the 10th century in Byzantium, bakers, “so that they could bake bread without any interference,” were not subject to any state duties. However, for baking bad bread, the Byzantine baker was subjected to public punishment: he could be flogged. tied to a pillory, shaved bald and even expelled from the city.

In 1266, England passed a law controlling the price of bread; this law lasted 600 years. The English title "Lord" comes from Hlaford-loaf ward (provider of food), and the title "Lady" comes from Hlaefdige- Loaf kneader (kneader). The Lord was the breadwinner of food for those around him, and his wife the Lady was seen as a distributor.

Bread was also an indispensable part of Ottoman cuisine and was consumed in large quantities by people from all social classes. For the rich, bread was a pleasant addition to the main dishes, while for the poor it was the main dish itself. Immediately after the conquest of Istanbul, Mehmed el-Fatih appointed Khyzyr Bey as leader, who first of all organized the production of clean, high-quality bread. In 1502, Sultan Bayezid introduced a state guarantee on the quality of bread; later this practice spread throughout the territory. After such a decision, many great bread masters were trained, especially in the Karadeniz region.

During the Renaissance in Italy, instead of simple sourdough, they learned to use brewer's yeast for kneading bread - such bread was softer and more fluffy. Marie de Medici had a weakness for bread made from yeast dough with milk. But Italian peasants almost did not know the taste of wheat bread. Their lot was rye bread made from sifted wholemeal flour, with the addition of rice flour, which rich aristocrats disdained, as well as flatbreads made from flour of various cereals.

Each country is famous for its own national bread recipes. Mexico is tortillas. Germany - pretzel, flaten, sapelbrot. Ireland - soda bread, fudge (potato bread). Sweden - Lefse. Scotland - oatmeal bread pie.

Our country is far from the last on this list. Just look at the rolls, cheesecakes, famous black bread, raisin rolls, etc. And each bread also has its own story. Here, for example, are buns with raisins. One day, the Governor-General of Moscow A. Zakrevsky, a stern man, while eating a bun at lunch, discovered a baked cockroach in it. He called the baker I. Fillipov for an explanatory conversation, and he, in order to save his reputation, declared that it was not a cockroach, but a raisin, and with a smile on his face swallowed the remaining piece. Arriving at his bakery, he ordered that raisins be added to all buns from that day forward. This is how modern raisin buns were born.

Bread is a holy food, so every country strives to pay tribute to this great creation. Bread Festivals are a very popular phenomenon. Russia is no exception. Every year Moscow hosts the “Festival of Bread”, in which enterprises from all over Russia take part. As part of this event, the Russian Baking Cup is played, a conference of leading bakeries and factories, a master class, competitions and much more are held.

ABOUT many people say bread Russian proverbs:
* You can't cut bread without a knife.
* Without salt it is not tasty, and without bread it is not satisfying.
* Without salt, bread is not food.
* Without salt, without bread - half a meal.
* Without salt, without bread, conversation is bad.
* Without a plow and a harrow, the king will not find bread.
* Without bread and without porridge, our labors are worthless.
* Without bread and rushnik in honor.
* It’s bad to live without bread and near water.
* Without a piece of bread there is sadness everywhere.
* There is no lunch without bread.
* The snow is white, but a dog runs through it; the earth is black, but it bears bread.
* Keep your bread in the corner, and your money in your bundle.
* Save bread for food, and money for trouble.
* Myopia - through bread and pie.
* Have bread for lunch, and a word for the answer.
* Eat bread for food, and a penny for trouble.
* God is on the wall, bread is on the table.
* My brother, eat your bread.
* Throw the bread back and you will find yourself in front.
* If there is bread, there will be lunch.
* There would be bread, but teeth would be found.
* If there was bread, there would be mice.
* There would be bread, and the bread would have people.
* If you had a head on your shoulders, there would be bread.
* In dishonor there is no money, in waste there is no bread.
* In debts there is no money, in sheaves there is no bread.
* There is a lot of firewood in the forest, but no bread.
* There is no shortage of bread in Moscow.
* In Moscow they don’t thresh bread, but they eat more than ours.
* In the field - for bread, in the forest - for firewood.
* Great is your bread and salt, and all the crusts.
* All bread is not without chaff.
* Time and a slice for a whole bread.
* Everything is one, bread and rowan: both are sour.
* Everything is the same as before: where is the bread, so are the crackers.
* Everyone has enough to eat, and there will be no bread.
* Everyone earns their own bread.
* Mother harmonica is better than bread father.

“Loaf, loaf, choose whoever you want,” - all the children of the USSR sang such a simple song. The wedding loaf is baked when two people have already decided on their choice. This sacred bread, as a symbol of a future happy life, is baked in compliance with all Russian traditions, decorated with a wreath and leaving room for a salt shaker. The tradition of baking a wedding loaf gives the ceremony and the main celebration in the lives of young people a special secret meaning. Real wedding bread is considered to be properly baked only when all rituals, rules and traditions are followed.

Traditional wedding symbol

Loaf, a round sweet yeast bread, has been baked in Rus' since ancient times. From time immemorial, as a ritual baking for a wedding, the wedding loaf has been considered a symbol of happiness, love, abundance and prosperity. This tradition originates from the ancient pagan Slavs, who considered bread a gift from the gods for hard work. The loaf, as a symbol of fertility, was present at many holidays; it was also baked on the day of sorrow. However, each occasion had its own recipe and decorations.

According to an ancient legend, the sun itself clearly appeared in the form of a loaf of bread, descending to earth to take a new family under its protection - a beautiful maiden and a good fellow. It was believed that the one of the young people who took the largest bite of the wedding bread would become the master of the new house, the head of the family.

A Russian wedding is unthinkable without a wedding loaf. Ruddy fluffy bread, decorated with spikelets and fruits, like a pass to a new, happy, rich life, greets the newlyweds at the entrance to the wedding celebration. And in the feast, and in the world, and for a long time

memory.

It’s not difficult to live without cutlets,
Kissel is not often needed,
But it’s bad if there’s no bread
For lunch, for breakfast, for dinner.
He is the king of food, even though he looks modest.
From antiquity to the present
Among the various dishes, bread stands
Honored in the middle.
It is tens of thousands of years old.
People have fought for centuries
Until our bread became like this,
How it sits on the platter.
You will find it on the table
The Romans and the Greeks
In war, in times of severe troubles,
Bread saved man.
And now he feeds people’s bread -
Doctors, soldiers, workers.
And this gift of his land
We must take great care!

Olga Stratonovich

To prepare bread, you need to mix a teaspoon of dry yeast (or 25 grams of pressed yeast), a teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of flour. Add a little warm boiled water to the dry mixture, stir, add water if necessary (a total of 350 ml will be required),
then mix again and put in a warm place, without waiting for a foam cap to appear.

Pour the finished mixture into a larger container, add a glass of flour, mix, and put it in a warm place until the dough rises. After an hour, add two or three tablespoons of vegetable oil, a teaspoon of salt and, for example, a pinch of cumin to the dough, for those who love this spice. Mix the resulting mixture thoroughly again and add flour. As experienced experts advise, you need to sprinkle it until the dough stops sticking to your hands.

Now the dough needs to be allowed to rise. It will be better if it reaches “condition” in a warm place. Next, you need to “knead” it again and wait until it rises again. After the third “rise”, we form a “bun” and place it on a greased baking sheet, decorate and leave for a while. The main thing is not to let it rise again.

The oven where we place the bread should be preheated to 200 *C. Before planting, the dough must be pierced in 20 places with a long needle.

Experts advise baking the product for about 40 minutes. The readiness of the bread will be indicated by an evenly browned crust.

The finished bread must be wrapped in a towel or wrapped in special polyethylene for half an hour - this way the crust will lose its rigidity.

Homemade bread is the most delicious! And rest assured, fresh, flavorful bread is worth the effort that goes into making it.

Homemade bread recipe from Yulia Vysotskaya
It will turn out rustic, simple and tasty.
750 g flour
350 ml warm water
1 packet of dry yeast (7.5 g)
Salt - a pinch
Sift flour through a sieve into a large bowl, add yeast and salt. Stir, then add water. Mix with a large wooden spoon. If the dough is too stiff, add a little more water.
Sprinkle the table with flour. Pour in the dough and continue kneading with light movements. Grease a deep dish with vegetable oil, put the dough in it, cover with a towel and place in a warm place for 1 hour.
After an hour, put the dough back on a floured table and knead again. Place in a deep bowl again, sprinkle with flour and place in a warm place for another 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 250ºC. Cover the baking sheet with parchment and sprinkle it with flour. Form the dough into a round loaf, place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 220ºC and bake for another 20 minutes.

Some tips on how to store bread and how to keep it fresh for a long time.

It is not recommended to buy a lot of bread at once; from long-term storage it becomes stale and loses its taste.
Bread easily absorbs moisture and other odors, so it must be kept separate from other products.
Special wooden or plastic bread bins are convenient for storing bread; you can store bread in an enamel container with a lid.
Bread will stale more slowly if you put a piece of peeled potato, a sliced ​​apple or a little salt in the bread bin.
Stale bread, by the way, is more useful; in addition, it can be used to prepare various dishes, crackers, and kvass.

02.03.2018 10:21:00

There is a place in our village where in the morning there is a delicious smell of freshly baked bread. Its smell can be felt on the street, causing smiles and a joyful feeling in people. Fresh, appetizing, with a fragrant crispy crust, Arsenyev bread is known far beyond the borders of our region. But few people know what kind of people are involved in the process of its creation, how such delicious bread is obtained.
- From an ear ripened in the field to a warm loaf taken out of the oven, bread passes through hundreds of caring and skillful hands. And the baker’s profession is remarkable because the result of your work can be seen immediately. Several hours pass, and from the gray mass a fragrant, ruddy bread is obtained, says Tatyana Petrovna Baranova, baker at the Arsenyevsky bakery.
Today I’m visiting her, at her workplace in the “Bread Kingdom”. She has been working here for almost a quarter of a century. Over the years spent in the workshop, Tatyana studied the manufacturing technology of this important product to the smallest detail.
Tatyana Petrovna never thought about becoming a baker. One might say, by chance, as a result of life circumstances, I began to bake bread. Even during her school years, she dreamed of being a seamstress, sewing clothes and beautiful outfits. Therefore, after school, she mastered the profession of a seamstress and worked at the Arsenyevsky House of Life for 17 years. She liked the work, but perestroika began in the country, and downsizing began at the once advanced and successful enterprise. The service center was closed, and Tatyana was left without work. She had to look for something, and she was lucky: there was a free place in the Arsenyev bakery.
In 1995, Tatyana began her career in a new place. I had to master a complex business from scratch; I spent almost seven months learning the difficult business of baking under the guidance of an experienced master Natalya Vasilievna Shibalova.
“Nowadays the baker’s work has become much easier, but back then it was necessary to perform the operations manually, it was physically difficult. At first I wanted to leave, but there was nowhere to go, and I’m not a fan of walking from place to place. Gradually I got used to night shifts and physical activity. The friendly team helped me get used to my new job in many ways,” says Tatyana Petrovna.
The young woman learned everything quickly and was soon able to replace specialists at every stage of the technological process. An entry appeared in the work book: transferred to the position of baker.
Having worked for many years, gained experience and earned the trust of colleagues and management, she was transferred to the position of master baker. He leads a team of 5 people and fully controls the entire bread production process: from kneading dough to releasing high-quality finished products.
“Baking bread is not an easy process,” says Tatyana Petrovna. – Even with the use of modern equipment, technologies and automation of many production processes, the work of bakers remains quite labor-intensive. The work shift lasts 12 hours. You need to approach the baking process calmly, with an open mind. Then the result will be good, and the matter will be settled. Precision is very important in our work: we must follow the recipe and temperature conditions, otherwise the baked goods will not be of good quality. If you overcook or do not keep the product in the oven for a little longer, the loaves will no longer turn out so tasty and fluffy.
During a shift, Tatyana Petrovna passes through about 500 pieces of “Narezny” loaves, more than 300 “Podmoskovny” loaves, and 1,500 pieces of “Urozhayny” bread. It is simply impossible to list everything, because the bakery produces about 17 types of bakery products. Her work was appreciated. For her professionalism, long-term and conscientious work, Tatyana Petrovna was awarded the badge “For conscientious work in consumer cooperation in Russia.” He has the title “Veteran of Labor”.
According to Olga Parfyonova, master baker, Tatyana Petrovna works with her soul. A responsible person, he delves into all the intricacies of baking. She is neat and balanced, attentive and calm. And most importantly, he knows his job and loves it.
Today Tatyana Petrovna is one of the most experienced employees. But, despite the extensive experience, it is recognized that every shift is a new experience. There are too many factors that influence how bread turns out: the quality of the raw materials, strict adherence to proportions, and even the air temperature outside the window. And the most exciting moment is when fresh, rosy bread comes out of the oven. He always tastes the still warm, fragrant loaf, checking for taste and quality, which has invariably pleased customers for several decades.

The fragrant crispy bread crust and the soft, fragrant pulp of fresh baked goods always excite the appetite. According to French psychologists, the smell of baked goods radically changes human behavior.

The information in the article, published in the latest issue of the Journal of Social Psychology, talks about the experience of French researchers who claim that people become softer and more responsive after tasting aromatic freshly baked bread.

While conducting an experiment, French psychologists walked past a bakery where fresh pastries were being prepared and deliberately lost a wallet with money, keys or a glove. And imagine their amazement when about 77% of buyers leaving the booth immediately responded to the request for help in finding the loss. At the same time, the number of people willing to give a helping hand near the supermarket was only 52%. Scientists have suggested that the reaction and responsiveness of passersby is higher where the aromas of caramel, coffee, fresh baked goods and citrus fruits are present. They are the ones who make us kinder and more attentive to others.

Illustration copyright Getty Images Image caption Some companies specialize in producing special delicious flavors

You are walking down the street and suddenly feel the stunning, unique aroma of freshly baked bread. This may have happened to you more than once.

A few meters from you is a bakery, and you want to go into it so much that it’s impossible to resist.

At the same time, you most likely did not realize that the smell of baking tickling your nostrils is not real.

Market of your feelings

This practice is called olfactory marketing, and the demand for this service has increased significantly over the past decade.

But here, too, specialization has emerged: some companies working in this area create scents that allow them to sell various products more effectively, while others are tasked with linking a specially created scent to a specific brand.

Illustration copyright Getty Images Image caption In 2006, American dairy producers released a series of posters that smelled like freshly baked cookies, with which milk is often drunk.

University of California researcher Eric Spangenberg, who specializes in olfactory marketing, says it benefits companies that manage to find the right scent for their products.

In one of his studies, Spangenberg concluded that shoppers attracted to a store by their favorite scent tend to spend 20% more there.

The secret to success, according to the expert, is the use of simple aromas. Here are some examples.

1. When plastic smells like leather

Manufacturers of artificial leather goods widely use the scent of natural leather for their clothing or furniture.

Illustration copyright Getty Images Image caption Smells like leather but isn't leather

Even if the product label indicates its composition, the smell of real leather can help win the buyer’s heart (although the price of the product also plays a role here: artificial leather, of course, is cheaper).

2. The Spirit of Christmas

All New Year trees, no matter whether artificial or natural, are impregnated with artificial scents.

Illustration copyright Getty Images Image caption The smell of a Christmas tree is associated with Christmas and New Year

The same thing is done in stores on the eve of the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Each country has its own smells associated with Christmas and New Year; they are used to create a festive atmosphere.

3. Popcorn makes nets

We are used to the smell of popcorn in the cinema, but some stores also use its artificial smell to attract customers.

Illustration copyright Getty Images Image caption The smell of popcorn often prompts viewers to buy not only that same popcorn, but also something else before the start of the show.

4. Some coffee with your gasoline, sir?

Many gas stations now have shops that often use an artificial coffee smell to attract customers.

Illustration copyright Getty Images Image caption Coffee at a gas station is commonplace

People all over the world love coffee: more than 2 billion cups of the drink are drunk on our planet every day.

The theory goes that if people smell coffee, they will buy it, and if coffee smells at a gas station, people will not only buy a cup of coffee, but also fill up with gas.

5. Sweet aromas of candy stores

In confectionery shops, as a rule, they do not prepare candies behind the counter, but they always smell like chocolate. Why?

Illustration copyright Getty Images Image caption Here they are - sweet temptations

The use of artificial flavors in confectionery shops is also part of the strategy to attract visitors, especially children. After admiring the chocolate and enjoying its smell, people buy more.

6. Is your bread fresh?

A classic example of olfactory marketing is the smell of freshly baked bread.

Illustration copyright Getty Images Image caption This smell awakens personal memories

This smell not only awakens the appetite, but also appeals to a person’s senses, evoking joyful childhood memories.

7. Fragrances to lift your mood

This type of scent is often used by clothing manufacturers and sellers.

Illustration copyright Getty Images Image caption The smells of flowers and freshness captivate customers

Swimwear stores often use mango and coconut scents to put shoppers in the holiday mood. And in lingerie stores, scents of rose and narcissus are not uncommon.

What does your brand smell like?

Some companies develop special scents for their brands. This smell becomes their signature scent and part of their image, along with their trademark and slogan.

“When choosing a product, smell is no less important than vision, it helps to assess the atmosphere and make a decision,” shares Olivia Jezler, executive director of The Future of Smell, a company that provides olfactory marketing services.

“Smell is the only sense that can directly connect our emotions with memories,” she says.

Illustration copyright Getty Images Image caption Singapore Airlines wet wipes and hot towels have a signature scent

Olfactory marketing is not just about selling products and food.

Singapore Airlines has pioneered the use of scent to create a comfortable mood.

The wet wipes and hot towels provided to passengers on board the company's aircraft have a signature scent. This scent is designed to help passengers relax and feel comfortable.

Nike says the use of fragrances in its stores has boosted sales.

And even the London toy store Hamleys adopted this idea. Recently the place began to smell like a Pina Colada cocktail (coconut, pineapple and rum).

And here is the result: parents linger longer at the counters while their children admire the toys.