Baked Bread Odour

[chamois]

When I was in the States a couple of years ago, many of the large supermarkets had the smell of baking bread pervading the store obviously to entice customers to buy the stuff. I was curious about this and just wondered how they did it bearing in mind its done artificially.
Does anyone know?

[Sunk]

Many UK stores bake bread on the premises. Morrisons, Asda and some Tescos. Perhaps they had ovens.

[jno]

some supermarkets do have bakeries on site.

Some lie about it too

https://www.sustainweb.org/realbread/tesco_advertisement/

[TheChair]

I have an automatic air freshener in my living room called "mum's baking" and it's quite realistic.

[theprof]

Simples. Although some US supermarkets do pipe natural baking smells throughout their stores, quite a few do it using specialised, vapourised (vaporised for my US readers!) chemicals.
The main one is 5-acetoxymethyl-2-furaldehyde but furfuryl alcohol and 2-propionyl thiazide are effective too. All these are relatively cheap and specialised equipment is used for their distribution throughout the store. The first produces the closest smell to baked bread. Toxicity is not a concern.

[vulcan42]

There used to be a coffee shop in Eastbourne that put coffee beans under a grill to entice customers in. Perhaps they put a loaf under a low grill to warm it up.

[theprof]

Hmm, a supermarket that claims it "bakes bread on the premises" is not what it seems. Many supermarkets have proved, shaped dough trucked in during the night. These are then "baked off" instore, cooled and placed on sale.
Many no longer have the industrial mixers, scales, provers and shapers necessary to produce bread from scratch. The size of the "behind the scenes" area is the usual giveaway as the equipment is not small.

[woofgang]

Its an old house staging trick to have the house smelling of coffee or baking when people view. Paul Hollywood tells of his father putting bun spice extract in the water he washed the floors with, also putting a little in the extractor fan to blow the enticing smell out into the street.

[Sunk]

theprof

Morrisons and Asda properly mix and bake bread in their stores. Farmhouse Loaves, tin loaves, Coburgs, bloomers and most of their baps are mixed in-store, and baked off early in the morning.

[theprof]

Absolutely woofgang, it's been done for years. The purpose here is to entice customers into the back of the store where most instore bakeries are located as almost everyone goes in to buy bread at one point or another. Once there, they've got to walk past shelves of goodies to get out!

[theprof]

Sunk, I beg to differ. I had no intention of naming the ones concerned but you've put me on the spot. Asda do precisely as you say with the exception of their smaller stores. Morrisons do not with the exception of a handful of stores and it has created some bad feeling in the industry. Revised text on packaging labels have recently been demanded over some issues. I've been in one or two of their instore bakeries and the necessary equipment is not there.

[theprof]

Sunk, I'd point out that when your post is read from beginning to end, it seems you are claiming that Morrisons bread is "baked from scratch" ( see jno's post). Their instore bakery packaging labels tell a different story if read carefully. Still, Tesco could provide them with some advice on the pitfalls should they be in any doubt.

[Sunk]

theprof

My local Asda and Morrisons do a proper mix and bake production. You can see the bread plant working in the afternoon, and can view the morning baker putting the proven dough in the ovens in the morning.
They do not make artisan bread in-store because they sell so little of it. It is not worth making a Sourdough Sunflower loaf because they will only sell 2 or 3 a day, so those arrive partially baked and frozen, to be finished in the store ovens. But loaves, french sticks and baps are the genuine real deal.

[Sunk]

theprof

Jno’s post is about Tesco not Morrisons.

We will have to agree to differ.
I worked for 5 years baking in-store for Asda, so I know what I have posted is true.

[theprof]

Sunk, I conceded earlier on that Asda do indeed do as they say. The posts were not about Asda. I mentioned Asda as you mentioned them, nothing more.
You say your "local Asda and Morrisons do a proper mix and bake production". Further you claim that "you can see the bread plant working in the afternoon". Tell me, is that both Asda and Morrisons or only one of them? It's great that you can see the bakers putting the proven dough in the oven in the morning. Again is that in both stores? I'd suggest to you that if you are referring to morrrisons, what you are seeing is the shipped in dough being put in the ovens after arriving overnight if you are talking about Morrisons.
As I said, I had no issues with Asda and the fact that you have worked there has enabled me to confirm what I knew previously. Thank you for confirming it. Morrisons is a different matter.

[theprof]

I made reference to jno's post as Tesco were criticised for their claims that they baked fresh bread "from scratch". They were advised to retract the statement after investigation. There is some evidence Morrisons have been making similar claims via labelling. Nevertheless, I do appreciate you have no knowledge of that Supermarket group. Again, I have no issues with Asda.

[theprof]

Sunk, it's conventional for "morning bakers" to start work at around 0400 to 0500. It seems to me that you must be up very early in the morning in order to see these bakers put the proven dough in the ovens if I'm reading your 2236 post correctly. You and I know how long it takes to bake a proven loaf.
What time do these supermarkets open to the public?

[Sunk]

Morrisons bread production.

[barry1010]

My local Morrison's sells 'fresh baked bread' but the dough is delivered ready for the ovens every day. It's quite a large store, too

[rayzorless]

i,ve just taken first batch out of my oven mmmmmm

[theprof]

Sunk, I work in a sector where I'm bombarded with promotional videos produced by expensive public relations companies advocating that their stuff is the best available. The video you have posted is regrettably of the same category despite the mellifluous overtones of the voice-over.

It's evident that you have failed to respond to the questions I asked in my most recent posts for some unfathomable reason. Your silence is telling as obviously, your response along with cogent and authentic knowledge would have been far more useful than your decision to post a promotional video.

You are clearly not in a position to offer an opinion as to what happens in a Morrisons bakery as you have no first hand knowledge of the company. Promotional videos do not cut the ice regretfully.

Please note the post by barry1010 above.