Homemade Bread vs. Store Bought Bread - The Major Difference! (2024)

FAQs

Homemade Bread vs. Store Bought Bread - The Major Difference!? ›

Homemade bread contains no chemicals, artificial additives, preservatives, or enzymes. These are often used in store-bought bread to make them stay fresher for longer and enhance the taste.

While there haven't been clinical studies to clearly define the differences, artisan bread is made from wholesome fresh ingredients whereas store-bought bread contains processed ingredients and preservatives to stretch the shelf life.

May Be Lower in Calories

Because homemade bread can include the ingredients of your choosing, you can opt for a lower calorie recipe which may be beneficial if you have specific wellness goals. A slice or two of homemade sourdough or whole wheat bread can be a healthy, lower calorie option.

Homemade bread is also made with more nutritious ingredients and is healthier and better-tasting than store-bought loaves. But buying store-bought bread may be more cost-effective than making it yourself if you just need one loaf of super basic, plain sandwich bread for breakfast or lunch.

Final answer: Home baked bread does not contain the same preservatives as commercial breads because home cooks do not have access to the chemicals used in commercial breads. Additionally, enriched flours used in commercial breads improve shelf life without the need for extra preservatives.

You don't have to worry about added sugars in the form of processed fructose corn syrup or dextrose, which are just empty calories. Store-bought bread is also often higher in sodium and contains more trans fats due to margarine and vegetable shortening.

This results in stale bread's leathery, hard texture. Additionally, pleasant “fresh” flavor is lost to the air, and often unpleasant flavor is absorbed from it as well, especially in a confined space with other food such as when in a refrigerator.

If you have a bagel at breakfast (500 milligrams), a sandwich with two slices of bread (500mg) at lunch and a roll for dinner (200mg), you've eaten almost a whole day's worth of sodium. Why bake bread? Not only is it fun to make, but your own homemade bread can significantly lower your sodium intake.

You can take your time to knead the dough, let it rise, and bake it to perfection. This slow, careful process allows the flavors to develop fully, resulting in a loaf of bread that's truly unique. Commercial bread, on the other hand, is often made in large quantities, using machines and automated processes.

How much does a loaf of bread cost in 2024? ›

Bread now costs over $2 per pound — $2.03, to be exact, as of January. Last January, the same pound cost just $1.89 for a year-over-year increase of 7.7%. A standard loaf of sliced white bread weighs 20oz, which means a loaf costs about $2.54, so $20 can buy you just shy of eight loaves.

Hydrocolloids. Hydrocolloids are ingredients that work wonders to keep bread fresh and delicious for longer. The ones commonly used in bread are agar and carrageenan from seaweed, and cellulose and gum acacia from plants.

Where Is the Best Place To Store Bread? It turns out bread boxes aren't such a bad idea. "Homemade bread stored at room temperature will have the best quality if used within three to five days," Baker says. "Commercially prepared bread can be used within five to seven days.

Add an Enzyme

To extend the shelf life of products, many bakers use specially formulated enzymes for preservation. These naturally occurring protein compounds can keep baked goods soft while preventing crumbling and staling.

Fresh-baked pastries and bread are lower in sodium compared to the commercially produced and preserved ones. Reliable bakers use flour from whole grains, which is far more nutritious than bleached flour. Whole grains flour has more fiber than refined flour and this makes it healthy for the digestive tract.

Fresh: During the fresh stage, bread is 2-3 days old. It loses moisture during the fresh stage and becomes easier to slice. Bread still tastes good during this one. Dry: Days 3-5 are the dry stage of bread freshness.

Canned vegetables, freshly baked bread and pasteurized milk are processed foods. At the other end of the spectrum are ultra-processed foods. These are the stereotypical junk foods that are so far removed from whole foods that Wohlford refers to them as 'food-based products.

The Ingredient Showdown

On the other hand, store-bought bread often contains a long list of ingredients, many of which are hard to pronounce, let alone understand. These include preservatives to extend shelf life, sweeteners to enhance taste, and dough conditioners to improve texture.