"Real" wholemeal bread vs "spongy" sliced w/m bread?

Since I hate any slab like dense bread I won’t be in mourning for Cranks.
Hovis make a lovely wholemeal sliced, not in the least spongy.

Thanks for that article which was fascinating! I guess we've all noticed the change in bread since the 1950s, but as everything else has also changed it's no surprise. Food is now manufactured and most of what we eat today does not taste as it did in the past.

It is to do with how the bread is baked. Real bread, goes through a raising and 'proving' process, before being baked in a hot oven .

In 1961 the Chorleywood Flour Milling and Baking Research Assoxiation developed the Chorleywood bread making process. It involves putting lots of extra ingredients in the bread mix, which makes the bread rise fast and then steam cooking it. Here is a link to the process, its advantages and disadvantages www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13670278

Personally, when I was young I loved bread and spread, but in the 60s-70s, I gradually started eating less and less, it just didn't taste right. I had no idea why.

Then 30 years ago we moved to live in a village with a 'real' baker and I learn all about the Chorleywood process. With bread baked from simple ingredients and baked properly, I began to eat bread again.

I now have difficulty swallowing supermarket bread. It turns into a sticky paste like uncooked pastry and sticks in my throat.

NotAGran55

I occasionally buy the Cranks from Waitrose and will look for it tomorrow in my local branch .
I also like the Heyford loaf from the bakery in Waitrose- have you tried it GeeKay? It isn’t as dense as Cranks but is very tasty, and nothing like the plastic spongy brands.
They will slice it too.

Just what I was going to say! Try the Waitrose Wholemeal Heyford and ask for it to be sliced. I agree most supermarket wholemeal loaves are spongy and soft, like white bread that looks brown.
www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/wholemeal-heyford/432291-60813-60814

I occasionally buy the Cranks from Waitrose and will look for it tomorrow in my local branch .
I also like the Heyford loaf from the bakery in Waitrose- have you tried it GeeKay? It isn’t as dense as Cranks but is very tasty, and nothing like the plastic spongy brands.
They will slice it too.

Oh, I wonder if they’ve stopped trading - seems out of stock everywhere

Oh, no, hope not all Waitrose branches have stopped selling Cranks Brad - it’s delicious, and healthy.

I will check my Waitrose! If true, I shall make my own wholemeal bread.

Cranks has no additives and those spongy ones usually do... flour improvers, preservatives etc. Additives to puff it up, retain soft spongey freshness etc. The wholewheat content can be the same.

Waitrose has a nice sourdough loaf made by Bertinet. Not 100% wholewheat though. No additives and a 'proper' texture. They also sell 'artisan' spelt and wholemeal loaves as well.
Their in-house traditional wholewheat loaf is good.

I have had 100% wholewheat from a bread maker ... might be an idea. It's very easy.. just put everything in and wait for the fresh loaf to appear!