Bakers Delight Introduces Stone Baking Ovens

Bakers Delight introduces stone baking ovens to satisfy Kiwi cravings!

Bakers Delight has introduced ceramic stone baking technology and traditional bread-making techniques into its nationwide bakery network to fuel the Kiwi craving for continental flavours and specialty artisan bread.

Italian ceramic stone tiles have been introduced into the ovens in the 33 Bakers Delight stores around New Zealand. The stone baked selection, which includes Continental Pasta Dura and Pane Di Casa loaves, will all be hand-made using time-honoured techniques - some will be fermented for up to 16 hours to enhance their flavour and texture.

Bakers Delight bakers have received specific training in the art of stone baking, including the time-honoured proving process.

Technical baker at Bakers Delight Andrew Gunn says the concept of baking on stone is nothing new - bakers have been doing it for centuries. However, modern baking techniques mean this practice has become almost obsolete, except for in a few niche bakeries.

"Baking has really come full circle," he says. "Modern technology has tried to cut corners to make baking quicker to churn out more products faster with a longer life.

"Bread traditionally was made with the simplest ingredients, fermented for hours and then baked on the bottom of a stone oven. This greatly enhances the end result. Like a fine wine, the longer a loaf of bread is fermented the more developed the flavour and texture of the loaf. The stone baking polishes off the process as the immediate heat transfer from the hot stone to the loaf helps create a crispier, almost caramelised crust, sealing in the freshness."

Bakers Delight accepted the challenge to master artisan stone baked products to keep up with customer demand, says Andrew.

"New Zealanders are craving continental varieties of bread. We're a very well-travelled nation and having experienced artisan bread in Europe, from crusty Pane di Casa and Ciabatta in Italy to Turkish flat breads, people want the same experience from their local baker."

"We're no longer a one-loaf-fits-all society. While there will always be a place for the white sandwich loaf, we're finding a much greater demand for continental varieties to compliment our international tastes and cravings for Italian, French and Mediterranean cuisine."

The Bakers Delight stone baked range includes Continental Pasta Dura, Pane di Casa, Ciabatta and Turkish Bread. Prices range from $3.40-$4.00.

Breads in the stone baked range contain no preservatives and all loaves are hand-made and baked fresh each day.

ENDS

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