Premium ingredients and tastiness are no longer the only qualities consumers look for in a product — “Is it healthy?” they’d ask, even when it comes to a slice of bread. As we were developing a new made-in-house bakery good for the HongKong Day under m.a.x. concepts in Mei Foo, we came up with a vegan bread product, incorporating the concept of “zero sugar, zero oil, zero egg, zero dairy” into a staple food that frequents our dining table, while keeping it same tasty and nutritious.
For Candy, Head of m.a.x. concepts, different foods, like staple grains or bread, come with various nutritional values, rendering appropriate portions and a balanced diet the rule of thumb at all times. “Apart from using Japanese flour to achieve a soft, fluffy texture, we are also actively exploring new elements to be added to the recipe.” Inspired by the French baguette, the team selected quality ingredients and upgraded the 4 Zeros recipe, eventually giving birth to the new vegan bread loaf with the perfect texture, same nutrition, and taste balance, available at m.a.x. concepts HongKong Day Mei Foo and Ma On Shan branches in Hong Kong.
On top of that, Arome Bakery incorporated fresh ingredients, such as apples, pumpkin, and mashed sweet potatoes, into bread in the Japanese Vegetables Collection, safeguarding consumers’ health while providing them with a variety of flavors. In addition to vegetables and fruits, various nutrient-rich grains are actually beneficial physically. “The Linseed Wheat Toast launched at the beginning of the year contains five grains — linseed, sunflower seed, sesame, soybean, and wheat — as well as rich dietary fiber.” Kari, Assistant Marketing Manager, Cakes & Bakery, explained that having a delightful wheat aroma is not the only merit of Japanese flour — the utane dough made with 65°C warm water is also very nutritious and fluffy.
Healthy foods are often perceived to be grainy and dry, putting the skills and technics of our bakers to the test. “One thoughtful detail here is the cross cut on the top of the bread, which lets out moisture and air for a better texture.” Kari shared the inventory tips of Arome's healthy bread. Candy also emphasized that when developing vegan bread at HongKong Day, it has gone through many trials and adjustments to successfully create today's standard.
Moreover, apart from the standard “less sugar and reduced sodium” approach, the market will be looking for bread with higher nutritional value and targeted benefits, such as wheat germ bread high in protein, organic five grains bread with abundant minerals or rye bread packed with iron and dietary fiber. Benefits-packed bread is the trend of tomorrow.
