Modern Baking RSS Feed

What the future holds for bakers, in-store bakeries and retail bakeries

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

I know, it just might come true, was my response with the requisite eye roll. I failed to see what could possibly go wrong with me marrying Corey Haim. (In my defense, it was the late '80s, I was barely a teenager and he was way cooler than Corey Feldman.) But lacking the ability to see the future, what do you wish for? Would it be to know what influences were going to have the most effect on your

Bread Bakers Guild Team USA 2010 named

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

After a seven-month draft process, The Bread Bakers Guild has named nine bakers to the Bread Bakers Guild Team USA 2010 to train for the Louis Lesaffre Cup

Cupcake bakery chains expand again

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Last month, Modern Baking reported that Magnolia Bakery, the bakery often credited with beginning the cupcake craze, was opening its first location outside of New York in Los Angeles

Godiva.com relaunched

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Americans to compete at Bakery Masters 2010

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Peter Yuen and Dara Reimers will be among 24 candidates from 17 countries who will be competing at the Maîtres de la Boulangerie (Bakery Masters) 2010

NHB launches new website

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

The National Honey Board (NHB), Firestone, Colo., launched a new website specifically for the baking industry

Dozen Bake Shop opens new store

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Pittsburg-based Dozen Bake Shop opened its fourth location last month at the city's Andy Warhol Museum. The bakery announced it would soon open its fifth location early next month. Dozen offers a variety of pastries, bars, cakes, cupcakes, pies and lunch items.

Donuts rebound in contribution to total bakery sales

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

The donut category has shown impressive growth in recent years. Donuts combine affordability with the familiar indulgence of a comfort food. This has proven to be a popular combination during times of economic stress. Nationally, donut sales accounted for an average of 7.3 percent of total bakery department dollar sales during the 52 weeks ending July 25, 2009, up 0.1 percent from the prior year.

Workbench

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Q: How much weight is lost due to evaporation during the baking process?M.B., Rosemead, Calif. A: The degree of weight loss depends on several factors: kind of dough system used, dough consistency, baking time, baking temperature, size and shape of baked products and how many pieces are baked on each sheet or rack. Below are some common weight loss percentages. Weight Shape Weight loss in % 17.5 ozs.

Bread with a bite

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

The word cereal in Latin-based languages was taken from Ceres, the Roman goddess of grain and agriculture. The world's diet has centered around cereal-based foods since man first crushed grain between his teeth. As people began to understand the nutritive value of cereals and how to cultivate them, lives and economies evolved accordingly. Farmers were among the first to prosper, and as technology

10 New directions impacting bakeries

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

That people need to eat is a constant, but how they eat is always evolving. Forces are at work, both invisible and in plain sight, that stand to change how consumers approach food. Of course, the economy has altered the food landscape in recent months, but other macro-trends are doing their part in constantly reshaping the consumer perception of what constitutes good food. The Internet has been a

How Straub's in-stores change with the times

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

How does a company in business since 1901 stay relevant to today's consumer? By knowing its customers extremely well and meeting their changing demands. This is exactly how Straub's Fine Grocers, Clayton, Mo., has remained successful, and bakery has been integral in that success. William Straub opened his first market in the Webster Groves neighborhood of St. Louis with a second location following

Levain Bakery...a little bakery with a big presence

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Levain Bakery, home of the large, 6-oz. cookie, isn't so big itself with retail and production space of only 500 sq. ft. This is only one of the Manhattan retail bakery's many contradictions. Another is the owners themselves. Pamela Weekes and Connie McDonald are competitive athletes, who you'd think would be more likely to open a juice bar instead of a bakery full of high-caloric indulgences. In

Cakes fit for a princess

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

For first communions, confirmations or christenings, this pink tiered cake is ideal. Prepare a 20-in. cake board. Cover a 13-in. cake round and a 7-in. round with pink fondant. Use tip No. 6 to pipe a white bubble border around the base of both tiers. After sheeting white fondant, cut it into a 12-in. by 14-in. rectangle. Dust the fondant and worktable with cornstarch. Then, accordion-fold the fondant

Chocolate chip remains cookie king

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

October is National Cookie Month, and a survey shows that chocolate chip is the clear favorite. The country may seem divided these days, but there is one thing that everyone agrees on: chocolate chip cookies. A recent survey showed that Americans prefer chocolate chip cookies more than three to one over all other varieties. Nearly 53 percent of adults polled named chocolate chip cookie as their favorite.