What does bread smell like? The smell of freshly baked bread makes us kinder

Bread on the table is a constant symbol of prosperity. Bread has always been an important attribute of the home.
The monasteries traditionally engaged in bread baking. Numerous pilgrims took away with them as a memory of the holy places for every Russian person a loaf of fragrant, tasty bread. One of the most amazing smells on earth is the smell of freshly baked bread.
Bread is one of the staple foods. Each of us has been familiar with several dozen of its varieties since childhood: black, white and gray, round and shaped, bun, bagel and bagel, student long loaf, poppy seed and mustard, Easter cake and pita ... It seems that the list is endless!

Why does bread smell delicious?
It turns out that the smell of bread is one of the richest and most complex in composition. It arises from the interaction of more than sixty aromatic elements.
About twenty milligrams of flour is obtained from one grain, which means that for baking one loaf, flour is required from grinding about 10 thousand grains.

Bread is one of the main sources of carbohydrates; it provides about 1/3 of the daily requirement for protein, up to 25% for potassium and phosphorus, more than half for iron; contain vitamins of group B. The norms for an adult who is not engaged in physical labor are approximately 300-350 g of bread per day, however, this amount may vary depending on age, type of human activity, body weight, individual characteristics of the body, the number and composition of other foods included in the diet.

The biological and nutritional value of bread and bakery products does not decrease with staling. Slightly stale and dried bread is even easier to digest. The content of food substances (proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, etc.) in bread depends on the type and grade of flour and the additives used.

The best bread is made from whole grains. This does not mean, of course, that whole grains are baked in bread. As a rule, flour is used for baking, containing all components valuable for nutrition: a large amount of B vitamins, minerals, unsaturated fatty acids, enzymes. Such flour is more expensive than usual, hence the corresponding prices in the bakery.

Doctors have long advised eating whole grains. Why?
They protect against caries and periodontal disease, as they need to be chewed well. Thanks to this, the gums are massaged and strengthened. At the same time, saliva is abundantly secreted, cleaning the teeth and supplying them with minerals. Be careful: not every brown bread offered on the shelf in a bakery is actually baked from whole grains. Often the bread is simply colored dark with beetroot juice, malt extract, or evaporated sugar cane juice. Alluring names, as well as grains or seeds stuck on the outside, by no means guarantee that really whole grain flour was used for baking.

Private bakeries with new equipment do not guarantee the high quality of bread either: they do not always follow the manufacturing technology, they often buy cheaper flour. They will add "improvers", baking powder to it, so that the dough approaches faster, and the bread turns out to be very soft and fluffy. But such an "improvement" of bread turns into the fact that it becomes tasteless and crumbles or crumples under the knife. In addition, new equipment does not improve, and sometimes worsens bread: it bakes faster in ovens. But fast does not mean good: bread baked from rye flour is heterogeneous in composition, shapeless, with light inclusions ...

Not answering the question of whether the bread is fresh, the bakery salesman simply has no right. The date of its production, the hour of extraction from the oven are recorded in the documentation. According to the accepted rules, it is supposed to be as follows: the shelf life of wheat bread is no more than 24 hours, rye bread is no more than two days.

Having visited the bakery, I saw how bread is baked, and at the same time received adviсe to which I advise you to listen:
Don't buy ugly bread. If a long loaf or loaf has a bumpy crust, it means that it has all sorts of impurities or it has been "improved". Don't take flat bread. As the bakers say, he sat on the crust. This loaf is sour in taste. And it’s absolutely not worth buying greenish bread - this means that it is not baked and, moreover, it has a lot of salt;
Don't buy bad smelling bread. If the loaf emits a rotten or musty smell, this is a sign that the flour from which it is made is contaminated with a potato stick. It will not bring anything but harm to your stomach. Another sign by which you can detect its presence: break off a piece of bread, and if its flesh stretches and sticks to your fingers, a potato stick nests in the dough.
- do not buy bread in different bakeries. Try to take from the same seller - from the one from whom you have already bought bread.

Recently, it has become fashionable to bake bread at home by yourself. Here is a simple homemade bread recipe:

Water - 350 ml, yeast - one teaspoon (with a very small top) of dry imported yeast or a quarter of a 100-gram pack of fresh (25 g), sugar - one teaspoon, flour - about 0.5 kg, salt - one teaspoon, cumin - taste. Vegetable oil - 2-3 tablespoons.

Cooking: Pour yeast, sugar and a teaspoon of flour into a half-liter mug, mix everything dry, and then mix by adding a little water. Then pour out the rest of the water and mix again. The water is very warm and boiled. Put the mug in a warm place. The resulting yeast wiring is ready when a head of foam appears on it. This takes about half an hour.

Pour the yeast wiring into a two-liter bowl, add 1 cup of flour there and mix thoroughly. Put the resulting mixture in a warm place for about 1 hour, until the mixture rises, turning into foam. This is how steam is made.

Add vegetable oil, salt, cumin to the dough, mix everything thoroughly and knead the dough, gradually adding flour (at first, a glass, at the end, half a glass or less). While the mixture is liquid, knead with a spoon, when it thickens, knead with your hands right in the bowl. When the dough stops sticking to your hands and dishes, then there is no need to add more flour. It is important to catch this moment and not shift the excess flour.

Form the finished dough into a bun, transfer to another larger bowl (with a capacity of 4 liters). Sprinkle the bowl with flour beforehand so that the dough does not stick, and put in a warm place.

When the dough has risen after an hour or two, filling almost the entire bowl, knead it and leave to rise again. At the same time, you can add a little flour if the dough begins to stick to your hands. After the second rise, knead it again, and place the dough ball on a baking sheet.

Lubricate the baking sheet with vegetable oil, then the dough for baking and put in a warm place for about an hour or less. Here it is no longer necessary to wait for a very large rise in the dough, so that large gas bubbles do not form in the bread. For the same purpose, before planting the dough in the oven, pierce the dough with a large needle from above and almost to the bottom, making at least 20 punctures.

Put the baking sheet with the dough in a preheated oven to 200 degrees. At the same temperature, bake bread for about 40 minutes, sometimes longer, but no more than 1 hour. The readiness of bread is judged by the color of the top crust. It should be uniform brown.

After the bread is ready, it is taken out, wrapped in a towel, covered with plastic wrap and kept for 30 minutes. As a result of this, the bread crust will soften and will not be tough.

At present, due to the trend of accelerating the technological processes of bread production and the use of tunnel-type ovens, great importance is attached to measures to enhance the taste and aroma of bread. These activities can be carried out with the correct selection of the recipe and composition of raw materials, the addition of improvers and aromatization with individual components. It has been experimentally established that the addition of yeast affects the taste and aroma of wheat bread.
A characteristic yeast aroma is created at a dosage of pressed yeast of 1-3% by weight of flour. Adding yeast Sach. fragilis in an amount of 2 to 6% with the usual method of dough preparation improves the aroma of wheat bread prepared with the addition of whey.
The taste and aroma of bakery products are improved when they are cooked on liquid yeast with a selected strain of thermophilic lactic acid bacteria Lact. delbriicki 14. The use of this yeast contributes to the rapid accumulation of organic acids with an increased synthesis of aromatic compounds. Partial addition of liquid yeast in the production of sliced, student (7.5% yeast), suburban and table (2.5% yeast) loaves improves the freshness of products.
The addition of sugar, milk and whey has a beneficial effect on the aroma of bread. The introduction of skimmed milk powder in an amount of 2.5% by weight of flour contributes to the formation of a fuller taste of wheat bread and improves the taste and aroma of products during their storage.
Fermented rye malt is used to improve the taste and aroma of rye bread. This product contains a significant amount of melanoidins and aldehydes, which are formed in rye bread in appreciable amounts only during long-term baking. In this regard, the addition of red rye malt in the production of low-mass rye bread can improve its taste and aroma. The sugar contained in red rye malt gives the bread a sweetish taste. The use of red rye malt in the baking process helps to obtain a dark brown crumb and a pronounced specific aroma of bread.
The aroma of bread is formed during the baking process as a result of the Maillard reaction between simple sugars and free amino acids, the content of which in the crust and subcortical layer is sharply reduced.
The addition of enzyme preparations increases the formation of sugars and amino acids in the dough, which during baking cause a greater accumulation of flavoring substances and improve the taste of bread.
From the practice of baking it is known that from dough with a low sugar content and with insufficient amylolytic activity, bread is obtained with a pale-colored crust and less fragrant. Therefore, to enhance the aroma of bread, it is desirable to use amylase preparations (malt, mold and bacterial). Insufficient browning of the crust can also be caused by the absence of protein breakdown products, which are also necessary for the non-enzymatic browning reaction. Pelschenke established the possibility of using proteolytic enzymes to accelerate browning and improve the taste of the crust. Studies conducted in Russia and the USA have shown that proteases rather than amylases are the limiting factor for browning and aroma formation.
El-Dash and I. A. Johnson studied the effect of proteolytic enzymes on the flavor of wheat bread.
From the data in Table. 49 it can be seen that in the test, the content of amino acids almost did not change when papain was added. In the process of baking a dough piece, their number increased by 1.5 times. This led to a significant increase in the amount of carbonyl compounds in the crust.

A significant increase in individual carbonyl compounds in the bread crust was obtained by adding enzyme preparations isolated from Asp cultures to the dough. oryzae and Asp. awamory. Their addition to the dough increases the formation of sugar and amino acids - the precursors of flavoring substances. This increases the content of acetaldehyde, isobutanal, isopentanal, hydroxymethylfurfural and furfural. In table. 50 shows data on the effect of enzyme preparations on the content of carbonyl compounds in bread.

The influence of the enzyme preparation on the formation of the aromatic complex of bread was studied in the process of increasing the temperature during bread baking. In addition, their influence on the change in the content of the precursors of the reaction of melanoidin formation and the formation of an aromatic complex - free amino acids and reducing sugars - during the baking of sliced ​​loaves was studied.
Baking sliced ​​loaves weighing 0.4 kg and hearth bread weighing 1 kg from grade I wheat flour was carried out in an experimental oven VNIIKhPa equipped with an automatic temperature control system in the baking chamber. Free amino acids were determined using paper chromatography, reducing sugars - by the Bertrand method, bisulfite-binding compounds - by the method developed at VNIIKhPS. The obtained data were conditionally expressed in mg of acetaldehyde per 100 g of dry matter.
Ten free amino acids were identified in dough, dough-bread and ready-made bread: aspartic, glutamine, threonine, alanine, tryptophan, methionine, valine, phenylalanine, leucine; one amino acid was not identified.
At the beginning of the heating of the dough piece (40-45 ° C), optimal conditions are created for the action of the proteolytic enzymes of flour and amylorizin P10x, therefore, at these temperatures, the content of free amino acids in the upper crust and crumb increases. An increase in the temperature of the baking chamber helps to reduce the amount of free amino acids in the crust and crumb due to their entry into a redox reaction with sugars, which leads to the formation of aromatic and coloring substances of the crust. When amylorizin P10x is added, proteolysis is intensified and the content of free amino acids increases at all stages of baking.
In table. 51 shows the change in the content of amino acids in dough, crumb and crust of bread.

Determination of the content of reducing sugars shows that their largest amount is in the middle part of the dough piece, the least of them in the upper crust. Directly reducing sugars in the crumb and crust of bread accumulate during the first baking period (temperature 50-60 °C).
The data obtained show that when an enzyme preparation is added, a deeper process of hydrolysis of high-molecular proteins and carbohydrates occurs, resulting in the formation of soluble forms of nitrogenous compounds and reducing sugars, which determine the formation of an aromatic complex (Table 52).

Studies using chromatography have shown that the addition of the enzyme preparation amylorizin P10x significantly increases the content of volatile carbonyl compounds in bread. In the crumb, their number increases by 2.3 times, in the crust - by 3.2 times (see Table 52). The most dramatic increase is observed in the amount of aliphatic compounds, the content of which in the crumb increases by 9 times, in the crust by 15 times. At the same time, the content of butyric, isobutyric, valeric, caproic aldehydes and ethyl propyl ketone, which play a leading role in the formation of bread aroma, increases.
The taste and aroma of products can be improved by using hydrolysates obtained by enzymatic or acid hydrolysis. As a result of enzymatic hydrolysis under the conditions of bakery production, highly sugared semi-finished products can be obtained.
There are several ways to prepare enzymatic hydrolysates. So, I. A. Popadich et al. developed a method for producing flour hydrolyzate with a high sugar content by using enzyme preparations amylorizin P10x, amylosubtilin G10x or glucoendomicopsin G15x. The method involves the preparation of tea leaves from flour and water and its saccharification with the help of enzyme preparations, after which the hydrolyzate with a high sugar content can be used in the manufacture of products.
VNIIKhP has developed a method for preparing highly sugared enzymatic semi-finished products from flour using whey, citric, orthophosphoric and other acids. Solutions of acids or whey are used to boil flour with intensive stirring in order to obtain a homogeneous mass. Enzymatic hydrolysis of chilled brew with amylolytic enzyme preparations amylorizin P10x with amylolytic activity (AC) 2000 U/g and proteolytic activity (PS) 30 U/g; amylosubtilin G10x (AC not less than 3000 units / g) and drugs with active glucoamylase - leads to the formation of significant amounts of glucose. Highly saccharified enzymatic flour semi-finished products improve the quality, taste and aroma of products.
To improve the taste and aroma of bread, flour hydrolysates obtained by acid hydrolysis can be used. During the hydrolysis, the water-flour suspension in the ratio of flour and water 1-2 is treated with hydrochloric acid. Hydrolysis proceeds at a temperature of 100 °C until the accumulation of 60-80% of reducing sugars in the mass. About 5% of the flour used for dough kneading is subjected to acid hydrolysis. Adding flour hydrolyzate to the dough, which has 60-80% of reducing sugars (glucose and maltose) in its composition, in an amount of 5-40% to the mass of flour allows you to get good quality bread with elastic crumb and pleasant taste and aroma.
It is possible to enhance the aroma of bread by flavoring it with individual components. The formation of the aroma of bread is characterized by a certain quantitative combination of a large number of substances. Currently, a large number of substances that give flavor to bread have been identified.
VNIIKhPom LNIIPPom investigated various compositions of flavorings for pastry products and on the basis of extensive tastings, the most satisfying flavoring requirements were selected. The composition is called bread essence, agreed with the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, the recipe for this essence was compiled
An aromatic substance, 1, 4, 5, 6-tetrahydroacetopyridine, has been isolated from the crust of bread, which has an intense smell of malt crackers and can be used as one of the main components of the aroma of bread. The weakening of the aroma of fresh bread during storage is due to a change in this compound in the air. The reaction of proline with dihydroxyacetone in the presence of bisulfite produces an aromatic compound that, when sprinkled on the surface of stale bread, gives it the aroma of fresh bread. This compound is referred to as cracker flavor concentrate. M. Rote believes that many nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds are involved in the formation of a cracker-like aroma.
To improve the aroma of wheat bread, free amino acids are added to the dough in small amounts. In this case, amino acids are used, the effect of which is manifested mainly in the baking process.
Studies on the use of various additives show that they can be used to improve the taste and enhance the aroma of bread. These measures are especially necessary when introducing accelerated methods of making bread.

Fragrant crispy bread crust, soft fragrant pulp of fresh pastries, always excite the appetite. According to French psychologists, the smell of rich pastries radically changes a person's behavior.

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

Conducting an experiment, French psychologists walked past a bakery where fresh pastries were prepared, and deliberately lost their wallet with money, keys or a glove. And what was their amazement when about 77% of the buyers leaving the booth instantly responded to a 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 passers-by is higher where there are aromas of caramel, coffee, fresh pastries and citrus fruits. They make us kinder and more attentive to others.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Some companies specialize in the production of special delicious flavors

You are walking down the street and suddenly you feel the stunning, unique aroma of freshly baked bread. It 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 is impossible to resist.

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

The Market for 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 appeared: some companies working in this area create scents that allow them to sell various goods more efficiently, while others are tasked with linking a specially created scent to a specific brand.

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

UCLA 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 found that shoppers attracted to a store by their favorite scent typically spend 20% more there.

The secret of success, according to the expert, lies in the use of simple fragrances. Here are some examples.

1. When plastic smells like leather

Manufacturers of artificial leather products widely use the smell of natural leather for their clothing or furniture.

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

Even if a product’s ingredients are listed on the product label, the smell of real leather can help win the heart of the buyer (although the price of the product also plays a role here: faux leather is, of course, cheaper).

2. Spirit of Christmas

All Christmas trees, whether artificial or natural, are impregnated with artificial fragrances.

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

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

The smells associated with Christmas and New Year are different in each country, they are used to create a festive atmosphere.

3. Popcorn sets up nets

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

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

4. A little coffee with your petrol, sir?

Many gas stations now have shops, and they often use an artificial smell of coffee to attract customers.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Coffee at the gas station is a common thing

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

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

5. Sweet Candy Store Flavors

Pastry shops usually don't make sweets behind the counter, but they always smell like chocolate. Why?

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

The use of artificial flavors in candy stores is also part of the strategy to attract customers, especially children. After admiring 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.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption This scent evokes personal memories

This smell not only awakens the appetite, but also appeals to the feelings of a person, evoking joyful childhood memories.

7. Fragrances to uplift your mood

These kinds of scents are often used by clothing manufacturers and retailers.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Smells of flowers and freshness captivate customers

Swimwear stores often use mango and coconut scents to create a holiday feeling for the customer. And in lingerie stores, aromas of roses and narcissus are not uncommon.

What does your brand smell like?

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

"When choosing a product, smell is as important as vision, it helps to assess the atmosphere, to make a decision," says Olivia Jezler, CEO of The Future of Smell, an olfactory marketing company.

"Smell is the only sense that can directly link our emotions to memories," she says.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption At Singapore Airlines, wet wipes and hot towels are scented

Olfactory marketing is not only aimed at selling goods and food.

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

Wet wipes and hot towels, which are distributed to passengers on board the company's aircraft, have a signature scent. This smell is designed to help passengers relax and feel comfortable.

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

And even the London toy store Hamleys has adopted this idea. Recently, it 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.

culture

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

The scientists did a study and found that shoppers were more likely to help passers-by if they passed by a bakery with a delicious smell of baked goods.

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

Numerous studies have shown that pleasant smells make us feel happier. Psychologists from University of South Brittany in France, they decided to test how smells affect the attitude towards others.

The experiment involved 8 women and men who stood either near the bakery or near the clothing store.

Volunteers had to act as if they were looking for something in a bag, and then, as if by chance, dropped a glove, handkerchief or napkins in front of passing customers.

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

The scientists concluded that odors considered pleasant elicit similar benevolent 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 the performance of physical work.

What smells are considered the most pleasant? Here, as they say, there are no comrades for the taste and color. It depends on your individual experience. If for one person the smell of lavender evokes pleasant memories of hugging their beloved grandmother, for another it may be associated with the smell in the dentist's waiting room.

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