Question about white bread

[Caslon]

OK, I should be eating whole grain bread, but I like white bread for my sandwiches. Has anyone noticed how soft and spongey packaged white bread has become? I mean, as of the last 6 months, It's so wet and spongy that when I put it in my toaster, it pops up partly collapsed, from its own weight! That never happened in years past, it does now, with almost all packaged white bread for sale at supermarkets.

Do bread manufactures pump air into the dough like they do ice cream?

Also, I've heard that the Oroweat company pretty much makes packaged white bread for all the supermarkets now. Wow, white bread texture has really changed lately at my 3 major chain markets. It's all the same...spongy wet fluffy soft nothingness.

 

[Rocklobster]

They try to achieve the largest loaf using the least amount of ingredients. So it is mostly air. Nothing to support its own structure. The moisture is there to give it shelf life. Quality is way down the priority list for these guys...

Soon it will just be a crust shell with nothing inside. lol

 

[Steve Kroll]

I think the principal culprit is a chemical called azodicarbonamide. Fast food places have been adding it to their buns for years, to keep them soft and pliable even after weeks on the shelf.

Do we really need Azodicarbonamide in our breads?

Strangely, this same chemical is also used to make door molding and floor mats.

 

[olmoelisa]

Is raining a lot there?
Here we are drowning, it's raining since last October and the bread is spongy as you are describing.
Never seen before so many rain a so bad bread!

 

[CharlieD]

I would never, ever even consider buying supermarket brand white bread. It is should not even be called bread. A good bakery, or home made is fine, even thouse groccery store bakeries are fine, but not the one of the shelf.

 

[Kayelle]

The last time I had white store bought sandwich bread I was a little girl..Wonder Bread, with the colored balloons on the wrapper. I can't imagine how it could be any softer or full of air than that was!

 

[Addie]

I always bought Sunbeam bread when the kids were taking lunches to school. But can't find it anywhere around here.

 

[Caslon]

I was able to buy some Sara Lee Whole Grain White Bread at my supermarket. It's not nearly as spongy and moist as the cheaper brands. It's pretty close to a bread that I can no longer buy at my major 3 supermarkets called Home Pride Butter Top bread.