Artisan Breads Are on the Rise

You may be surprised to learn that artisan bread popularity is on the rise, in spite of the recent no-carb and gluten-free diets that have swept the nation.

With health-conscious consumers and a desire for transparency in how your food is made on the rise – bread pun intended, of course – more and more people are curious about what goes into their food. Reactions against GMOs, artificial flavorings, high fructose corn syrup and other sugars have prompted consumers to seek out wholesome, whole-grain and healthy options. Those consumers who don’t need to be wheat-free are buying artisan breads, in part because of the perception that whole-wheat and whole-grain breads tend to be heartier, and they are less mass-produced than what you might find on the shelf at a local grocery store.

This recent artisan craze is sort of a return to the ways of old. Prior to the availability of grocery store bagged white breads, consumers purchased their hand-crafted, locally made bread from a bakery. By today’s standards, that’s considered artisan bread.

Even fast food chains, like Wendy’s, are jumping on the bandwagon, offering multigrain buns, ciabatta rolls and brioche buns as options for their sandwiches in place of the regular old hamburger bun. Subway has capitalized on the artisan bread movement as well, offering options such as hearty Italian, honey oat, nine-grain and wheat. With big brands even recognizing the appeal, if you’re not already making artisan whole-grain and multigrain bread options available to your customers, you could be missing out a big potential market!

Many restaurants and industry leaders believe that the current uptick in bread purchasing trends will continue, as customers return to their roots and start to turn away from strict carb-free or gluten-free diets when not medically necessary. Baking Business even recently posted that many bakeries are looking to new technologies to help automate and accelerate their operations to keep up with the impressive demand for artisan options.

Gentle dough handling is the key to any good artisan bread. At Empire Bakery Equipment, our selection of dough mixers, bread moulders, and artisan bakery ovens are all designed to help you keep up with demand. Whether your loaves are flying off your shelves or you’re planning to make an addition to your kitchen space, we can help. For more information or help finding the right products for your bakery, contact us today!