Baking bread with a firm texture that doesn't grow mold
I bake large quantities of bread like 50kg a day. People are complaining that the butter bread, when I slice it, is like a sponge in texture and gets moldy in three days. How can I get a firmer texture and delay mold growth? The ingredients I use are margarine, flour, milk, nutmeg, yeast, vanilla extract, sugar and salt. I don't add eggs.
Best Answer
Mold grows on bread because mold spores in the air, or on hands or other surfaces, get transferred to the bread. Bread has plenty of nutrients for these spores to grow. Mold growth is enhanced by temperatures over 70 degrees F (21C). Humidity and moisture also favor mold growth.
There are a couple of things you can recommend or do to reduce mold growth.
Bread should be handled with clean hands.
Bread should be kept well wrapped.
Refrigeration dramatically slows mold growth.
Freezing virtually stops mold growth.
If not freezing, consume bread as soon as possible.
Margarine and milk help keep the texture soft, and reduce staling. If you want a firmer texture, you might consider a formula without these ingredients.
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Why does some bread not mold?
Sandwich, loaf, or bakery breads available at the store often contain preservatives to prevent mold and increase shelf life. Without preservatives, bread lasts 3\u20134 days at room temperature ( 1 ). Some common bread preservatives include calcium propionate, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, and sorbic acid.How do you keep homemade bread from molding?
The best way to prevent mold is by storing your loaves in a bread bin, cloth bread bag, or even a paper bag. Keep the bread away from heat, sunlight, and preferably oxygen by keeping it in an airtight or near airtight container.Why does my homemade bread get moldy?
There are three main things molds need: food to eat, moisture, and warm temperatures. So how does our bread get moldy? Basically as soon as we bring bread out of the oven, some of those invisible, airborne mold spores land on it. And unfortunately, bread can be an ideal spot for mold to grow.Why is my bread dense and not fluffy?
Dense or heavy bread can be the result of not kneading the dough mix properly \u2013out of many reasons out there. Some of the other potential reasons could be mixing the yeast & salt together or losing your patience while baking or even not creating enough tension in the finished loaf before baking the bread.The 7 Most Common Breadmaking Mistakes You’re Probably Making
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Answer 2
Moist breads will get moldy faster than dryer breads, and moister breads also are more open, i.e. a have spongier texture, so reducing the milk in your recipe may help resolve both of those complaints. I would suggest you reduce the milk by 5% and see how that improves the situation, then keep reducing it by 5% until you get the texture you want. Reducing the moisture will make the bread less open, if it gets too tight add a bit more milk.
Take notes on the changes you do so you remember what works and what does not for your recipe.
There are answers about how to use preservatives in bread here.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Leigh Patrick, Nicole Michalou, StockPhotosHub.com, Nicole Michalou