Sharing my loaf for bread.
A quick history lesson on the evolution of bread
At Indiandribble, we're always looking for a refreshing angle to look at projects. For example, isn't it interesting how some ancient conceptions are still at the centre of ingenious projects today? We're currently working for an innovative car brand where its origin can be linked to the discovery of the weel, almost 6.000 years ago. Another client of ours is a mobile banking solution that traces its history back to the first use of coins, about 5.000 years ago. For the last couple of weeks, however, we've been working on an RFP for a product range that was launched more than 14.000 years ago. A tasty and versatile treat that's probably stocked away in your kitchen cabinet as we speak. Yep, I'm talking about bread.?
Ancient history
A simple mixture of grains, water, salt and yeast is all that it takes to make a delicious loaf of bread. But did you know that the earliest evidence of bread can be found in prehistoric Jordan? Stone age bread makers had a recipe based on flour, wild wheat, barley, pulverised roots of plants and water. All was mixed and baked in a stone fireplace. Talk about old school.?
Today, fresh bread has never been more popular. Hipster bakers juggle sourdough recipes and ancient grains. Even your local supermarket wants in on the fun and screams out how their bread is stonebaked, organic and good for you.?
The big industrial shift?
For 1000s of years, people baked their bread at home or got it from their local baker in town. That all changed in the 1900s, as the industrial revolution provided a shift that we still feel today.?
The industrial revolution announced an era in which everything man-made got transformed into machines. Milling could now be done with fast rotating engines. The bran & wheat germ, aka the healthy nutrients, were removed during milling to give the flour a longer shelflife. A chemical leavening agent was added to replace the yeast. All to speed up the process.
Wonderbread
The result? The arrival of Wonderbread. A pure and white loaf of bread with fewer nutrients. At one point the Wonderbread brand prided itself that a leaf of bread would leave the factory in only 30 minutes. That was the time needed for kneading, baking, cutting and packing. The loafs left the factory still warm in a plastic sealed bag. Today, artisan bakers take up to 33 hours for this same process.?
Eventually Wonderbread came under pressure because of the lack of nutrients in this modern daily bread. They enriched it by adding nutrients and claimed to be the most nutritious bread ever made. Wheat it and weep.? The Wonderbread formula was a grand success in the USA, but also Europe and the world didn't escape the allure of fast baking.?
All-natural?
Since the early 2000s, an increased interest in natural, organic and non-industrial foods started changing the whitebread movement. In the US the spend on whole-grain bread surpassed white bread for the first time in 2009.
Today, there seems to be a real global boom of traditional bakeries, sourdough and ancient grains. Being a (good) independent baker is good business again and on the rise. Pun intended.?
Next time you need a loaf, challah at me
So, what does this have to do with indiandribble ? Nothing much. Just a little reminder to sometimes go back to the basics.
Evolution still plays a pretty crucial role in today's business. Think about how things started and how they evolved.
Or, call us. We're always up for a deep dive strategic investigation.?