Thai Bread

[homeownership]

I have been eating Thai Bread now for around 10 years on and off and one of my particular delights is to add a banana well past its sell by date, crush it and psuh it through a seive and spready it warm on Thai Bread.

It is so sweet, that a friend of mine has told me Thai Bread by definition isnt actually bread at all, but a type of cake. If it were bread the yeast would have consumed all of the sugar and it woud not taste as sweet as it does.

Just hitting a post out there, rather less negative than usual as I am in a particular happy mood.

Does anyone else love Thai Bread like me and what do you spread on it, besides butter or margarine.

[Hedghog]

I dislike Thai bread.

Much prefer a fresh baguette with home made lemon curd.

[Nautilus05]

Nope, can't say Thais know how to make bread properly.

Now Laotians on the other hand... there's some good bread makers.

[ignis]

Big C now appear to have the same as Big C Extra [Carefour always made] round proper bread + they will slice it for you, otherwise shop inside of these super stores have 'English Bread' it is so so, but expensive........... Thai bread is Sweet bread

[AyG]

"If it were bread the yeast would have consumed all of the sugar and it would not taste as sweet as it does."

80% of factory-made bread in the UK is made by the Chorleywood process. It doesn't depend upon yeast to produce the bubbles, but beats the dough at high speed to aerate it. This cuts down on processing time dramatically (the beating typically takes only 3 minutes) and allows the manufacturer to use cheaper, lower quality (lower protein) flour, so make more profit. I strongly suspect that all the major bread manufacturers here use the Chorleywood process, so what yeast there is in the bread has no time to consume the sugar. And given that the bread is typically around 10% sugar, it would take yeast a long time to chomp its way through that much sweetness.

[Hedghog]

Nope, can't say Thais know how to make bread properly.

Now Laotians on the other hand... there's some good bread makers.

The Laotians were taught by the french,I have to agree the bread in Lao is very good.

[Hedghog]

"If it were bread the yeast would have consumed all of the sugar and it would not taste as sweet as it does."

80% of factory-made bread in the UK is made by the Chorleywood process. It doesn't depend upon yeast to produce the bubbles, but beats the dough at high speed to aerate it. This cuts down on processing time dramatically (the beating typically takes only 3 minutes) and allows the manufacturer to use cheaper, lower quality (lower protein) flour, so make more profit. I strongly suspect that all the major bread manufacturers here use the Chorleywood process, so what yeast there is in the bread has no time to consume the sugar. And given that the bread is typically around 10% sugar, it would take yeast a long time to chomp its way through that much sweetness.

Very informative.

[Scully]

"If it were bread the yeast would have consumed all of the sugar and it would not taste as sweet as it does."

80% of factory-made bread in the UK is made by the Chorleywood process. It doesn't depend upon yeast to produce the bubbles, but beats the dough at high speed to aerate it. This cuts down on processing time dramatically (the beating typically takes only 3 minutes) and allows the manufacturer to use cheaper, lower quality (lower protein) flour, so make more profit. I strongly suspect that all the major bread manufacturers here use the Chorleywood process, so what yeast there is in the bread has no time to consume the sugar. And given that the bread is typically around 10% sugar, it would take yeast a long time to chomp its way through that much sweetness.

Very informative.

Yes but there is no sugar added to a UK bread recipe, where does the sugar content come from?. Edit Sorry you could be right as flour contains sugar and it increases with fermentation taking it up to 2.5 % sugar. What did we do before google?

Edited April 3, 2013 by Scully

[AyG]

"If it were bread the yeast would have consumed all of the sugar and it would not taste as sweet as it does."

80% of factory-made bread in the UK is made by the Chorleywood process. It doesn't depend upon yeast to produce the bubbles, but beats the dough at high speed to aerate it. This cuts down on processing time dramatically (the beating typically takes only 3 minutes) and allows the manufacturer to use cheaper, lower quality (lower protein) flour, so make more profit. I strongly suspect that all the major bread manufacturers here use the Chorleywood process, so what yeast there is in the bread has no time to consume the sugar. And given that the bread is typically around 10% sugar, it would take yeast a long time to chomp its way through that much sweetness.

Very informative.

Yes but there is no sugar added to a UK bread recipe, where does the sugar content come from?. Edit Sorry you could be right as flour contains sugar and it increases with fermentation taking it up to 2.5 % sugar. What did we do before google?

Sorry if I was unclear. Traditional UK bread recipes sometimes contain a small amount of sugar for the yeast to feed upon so it can produce carbon dioxide which makes the bubbles in bread. However, after the yeast has done its work, there's really not enough left to taste sweet.

Thai bread has a large amount of sugar added to it simply because Thai people like it that way.

[CaptHaddock]

It's not a bread culture and Thais don't understand bread. A high end hotel nearby makes passable artisanal breads, but then wraps them in plastic spoiling the crust by making it soft. Thais think of bread as a dessert sweet. So, they make it sweet.

I remember seeing the look of shock on the face of a Japanese waitress in a sushi restaurant in New York City once as I doused my sushi with enough wasabi to kill a horse. She said, "No, do it like this" and made a fresh batch of soy sauce mixed with wasabi a la Japonaise. "But I'm not Japanese," I said as I ladled more wasabi into it.

[varun]

The 9-grains bread from Saint Etoile (Yamazaki) is pretty good, doesn't taste sweet at all.<br /><br />That's pretty much all I eat, the other local breads are too sweet.<br /><br />

[AyG]

II remember seeing the look of shock on the face of a Japanese waitress in a sushi restaurant in New York City once as I doused my sushi with enough wasabi to kill a horse. She said, "No, do it like this" and made a fresh batch of soy sauce mixed with wasabi a la Japonaise. "But I'm not Japanese," I said as I ladled more wasabi into it.

Off topic, but there's something wrong with this story. Japanese people never mix wasabi with soy sauce for dipping sushi - it's just plain wrong. That mix is only ever used for dipping sashimi.

[h90]

yes I would say it is more of a cake....but some people like it....

With cheese and sausage it does not taste soooo good.

[uptheos]

They don't knead the dough, but prices suggest otherwise.

[NanLaew]

The flour traditionally used in Thai baked products comes from locally grown tapioca and is naturally sweet. It is a relatively recent trend for unsweetened bread which uses mostly imported wheat flour that makes the more expensive but locally made 'European' bread taste more like foreigners prefer.

As for Lao bread being more akin to foreigners tastes, that is indeed due to the aforementioned French influences, similar to Vietnam.

For the OP's question, I seldom use Thai bread but my son loves to lather his with sticky, sweetened, evaporated milk. It makes my teeth curl!

The stepdaughter spreads the local margarine on both sides.... THEN sticks it in the toaster! Bloody horrible smell and the toaster is buggered with all the congealed vegetable fats in the bottom.

Edited April 3, 2013 by NanLaew

[PaullyW]

Nope, can't say Thais know how to make bread properly.

Now Laotians on the other hand... there's some good bread makers.

The Laotians were taught by the french,I have to agree the bread in Lao is very good.

As is bread in Vietnam

[homeownership]

The flour traditionally used in Thai baked products comes from locally grown tapioca and is naturally sweet. It is a relatively recent trend for unsweetened bread which uses mostly imported wheat flour that makes the more expensive but locally made 'European' bread taste more like foreigners prefer.

As for Lao bread being more akin to foreigners tastes, that is indeed due to the aforementioned French influences, similar to Vietnam.

For the OP's question, I seldom use Thai bread but my son loves to lather his with sticky, sweetened, evaporated milk. It makes my teeth curl!

The stepdaughter spreads the local margarine on both sides.... THEN sticks it in the toaster! Bloody horrible smell and the toaster is buggered with all the congealed vegetable fats in the bottom.

You must shift some toasters mate.

[NanLaew]

The flour traditionally used in Thai baked products comes from locally grown tapioca and is naturally sweet. It is a relatively recent trend for unsweetened bread which uses mostly imported wheat flour that makes the more expensive but locally made 'European' bread taste more like foreigners prefer.

As for Lao bread being more akin to foreigners tastes, that is indeed due to the aforementioned French influences, similar to Vietnam.

For the OP's question, I seldom use Thai bread but my son loves to lather his with sticky, sweetened, evaporated milk. It makes my teeth curl!

The stepdaughter spreads the local margarine on both sides.... THEN sticks it in the toaster! Bloody horrible smell and the toaster is buggered with all the congealed vegetable fats in the bottom.

You must shift some toasters mate.

Not so many since the stepdaughter left!

[breadbin]

Thai bread is nothing like bread

Banana sandwiches were a Sunday tea time favourite in if my families in the 70's when I was a kid.

Nothing new about a banana sandwich.

This poster is really getting non my nerves with all his 'inventions'

[homeownership]

Thai bread is nothing like bread

Banana sandwiches were a Sunday tea time favourite in if my families in the 70's when I was a kid.

Nothing new about a banana sandwich.

This poster is really getting non my nerves with all his 'inventions'

I have invented an anagram for you "Yuck! UFO."

[Jingthing]

It's cake.

Someone said, Let them eat cake, and Thais said, OK, but let's call it bread.

I don't care what they do with their cake bread but it does bother me when I accidentally buy cake when I wanted bread.

[NeverSure]

I grew up on a wheat and cattle ranch in the Western US. We had about 2,000 acres (4,500 rai m/l) in wheat. Their are many types of wheat, some with much more gluten in them and better for bread. That would especially be French bread, hamburger and hot dog buns, but even regular bread.

The low gluten wheats are used for cake, cake donuts, pie crust, and anything else which should be soft or crumbly.

Flours sold with a name similar to all-purpose flour are a mixture of both and not best for either, but usable for either.

I have no idea what varieties are available in LOS, but I found street sellers with varieties and they knew their wheat. I used a recipe (formula, bakers call it) from way back, and made my own bread.

Right now I use an electric bread maker and all I do is add the ingredients and turn it on. It has a timer that mixes, then waits for it to rise, then kneads it while also knocking it down, then lets it rise again and bakes it. It's darned good bread. I use what's called hard red winter wheat but again I have no idea what the name of the flour I got in LOS was. I just told the vendor what I wanted it to do and why. My bread maker came with a booklet that has a lot of recipes.

In LOS I made it by hand, two loaves at a time and froze one, because 2 loaves is what my small convection oven would hold.

My machine is a Cuisinart with a lot of options up to a 2 pound (.9kg) loaf. It cost me US$100 shipped, at my door. Link

Edited April 6, 2013 by NeverSure

[CHRISTIANa9]

"If it were bread the yeast would have consumed all of the sugar and it would not taste as sweet as it does."

80% of factory-made bread in the UK is made by the Chorleywood process. It doesn't depend upon yeast to produce the bubbles, but beats the dough at high speed to aerate it. This cuts down on processing time dramatically (the beating typically takes only 3 minutes) and allows the manufacturer to use cheaper, lower quality (lower protein) flour, so make more profit. I strongly suspect that all the major bread manufacturers here use the Chorleywood process, so what yeast there is in the bread has no time to consume the sugar. And given that the bread is typically around 10% sugar, it would take yeast a long time to chomp its way through that much sweetness.

This sounds like straight dough method. It saves time ie labour cost and is prevalent in western countries. On the other hand, bread here is done using the sponge and dough method, giving more time for the yeast to work. Which is also why bread are softer in Thailand.

10% of sugar by weight is too much. I seriously doubt so. Btw have you all look at Farmhouse bread. It doesn't seems to mould that fast.

[CHRISTIANa9]

I grew up on a wheat and cattle ranch in the Western US. We had about 2,000 acres (4,500 rai m/l) in wheat. Their are many types of wheat, some with much more gluten in them and better for bread. That would especially be French bread, hamburger and hot dog buns, but even regular bread.

The low gluten wheats are used for cake, cake donuts, pie crust, and anything else which should be soft or crumbly.

Flours sold with a name similar to all-purpose flour are a mixture of both and not best for either, but usable for either.

Right now I use an electric bread maker and all I do is add the ingredients and turn it on. It has a timer that mixes, then waits for it to rise, then kneads it while also knocking it down, then lets it rise again and bakes it. It's darned good bread. I use what's called hard red winter wheat but again I have no idea what the name of the flour I got in LOS was. I just told the vendor what I wanted it to do and why. My bread maker came with a booklet that has a lot of recipes.

. Link

US hard red winter is high protein flour or the equivalent APW1 in Australia.

[mogandave]

I thought Thai bread was rice, no?

Where are the Thai bakeries?

I like a good extra-sourdough.

[NeverSure]

Sourdough bread is another animal and sourdough is fun to work with.

In-depth explanation is long, but doing is easy. Google knows how.

Basically it's taking flour and water and mixing them and adding yeast. There are thousands of strains of yeast and flavors vary. But the yeast is added to a very loose (watery compared to bread dough) mixture of flour and water, covered with a damp cloth and allowed to "work." As the yeast eats the flour, it tenderizes it and left long enough, maybe 3 - 5 days, it will get sour. You can use it just fine before it is sour but some people like the tangy taste of sour.

Once the mixture has thoroughly bubbled up, the yeast colony has grown to digest the flour, the bread making begins. More flour is added to stiffen it, along with other ingredients. It is formed into bread, allowed to rise, and baked.

There are many recipes for using that initial sourdough, and my favorite is pancake or hotcakes or whatever you call them. We call them either. They are so tender it's unreal. Because the sourdough is used as a batter, not much flour is added and all that's there is this tenderized flour for texture.

I used to do it regularly, but haven't recently. It's a hobby that can entrap you.

Edited April 6, 2013 by NeverSure

[Buckaroo]

I thought Thai bread was rice, no?

Where are the Thai bakeries?

I like a good extra-sourdough.

BreadNStuff is a great bakery, but you have to go to Nan province to get some.

Non factory produced Thai bread uses condensed milk in its mix, this is what gives it a sweet taste and soft shiny exterior, you can't really call it a crust.

[transam]

Toooooooooooo sweet for me. Find a Vietnam shop. These folk eat more bread than Thais.and it is much more like farang bread.

[mogandave]

Sourdough bread is another animal and sourdough is fun to work with.

In-depth explanation is long, but doing is easy. Google knows how.

Basically it's taking flour and water and mixing them and adding yeast. There are thousands of strains of yeast and flavors vary. But the yeast is added to a very loose (watery compared to bread dough) mixture of flour and water, covered with a damp cloth and allowed to "work." As the yeast eats the flour, it tenderizes it and left long enough, maybe 3 - 5 days, it will get sour. You can use it just fine before it is sour but some people like the tangy taste of sour.

Once the mixture has thoroughly bubbled up, the yeast colony has grown to digest the flour, the bread making begins. More flour is added to stiffen it, along with other ingredients. It is formed into bread, allowed to rise, and baked.

There are many recipes for using that initial sourdough, and my favorite is pancake or hotcakes or whatever you call them. We call them either. They are so tender it's unreal. Because the sourdough is used as a batter, not much flour is added and all that's there is this tenderized flour for texture.

I used to do it regularly, but haven't recently. It's a hobby that can entrap you.

The yeast doesn't need sugar to get going?

[mogandave]

I thought Thai bread was rice, no?

Where are the Thai bakeries?

I like a good extra-sourdough.

BreadNStuff is a great bakery, but you have to go to Nan province to get some.

Non factory produced Thai bread uses condensed milk in its mix, this is what gives it a sweet taste and soft shiny exterior, you can't really call it a crust.

Okay, I know what you're talking about, it's okay, but not what I'd call good as far as bread goes.