Steamed buns are one of the staple foods of Chinese people. Steamed bun foods in a broad sense include steamed buns, steamed buns, Hanaki, pancakes and other fermented noodles produced in China

Why is bread more expensive than steamed buns?

There are many kinds of steamed buns

Bread is the staple food of Westerners. The earliest bread in the world originated in ancient Egypt. Bread-making technology was introduced to Greece in 600 BC. After the Roman Empire, bread was brought to Europe and spread.

Bread is the staple food of Westerners

Steamed buns and bread are fermented flour products, and their main ingredients are flour and water.

However, I don’t know if you feel this way, but the prices of steamed buns and bread are obviously different. Steamed buns are usually sold on the shelves for one or two yuan, while steamed buns can be sold for less than ten yuan. It seems that steamed buns and the word "high-end" have no connection.

Most buns in supermarkets cost one or two yuan

The price of bread is much higher than that of steamed buns. Cheap bread in supermarkets and convenience stores costs three or four yuan a piece, while bread in chain bakeries is more expensive. It is not uncommon for bread to cost more than ten or twenty yuan a piece. Have you ever thought about the mystery?

In various countries and regions in Asia, the baking industry represented by bread has not developed for a long time, but in recent years, consumers' awareness of baked goods has continued to increase. With the continuous innovation of technology and the improvement of technological processes, baked goods are becoming more and more popular among consumers because of their rich varieties, popular flavors, diverse uses and portability.

It is also made from flour. Why does one seem to be Haruyuki from the food industry, while the other is from Ba Li?

Bread has many raw materials and is expensive

The raw materials of steamed buns are relatively simple, mainly wheat flour, yeast (or old noodles), and water; in addition to wheat flour, yeast and water are also needed to make bread. , butter, sugar, salt and other accessories.

Materials for making bread: high-gluten flour, eggs, cheese, sugar, butter, etc.

At the same time, the prices of some raw materials in bread are generally high, such as low output, low price High quality blue cheese is almost a pastry chef’s dream material. Common cheeses commonly used in Western pastries, such as Nanqiao and An, are also very expensive.

It is worth mentioning that wheat is divided into strong-gluten wheat, medium-gluten wheat and weak-gluten wheat according to the differences in gluten properties caused by the protein content and ingredients in the flour. In terms of the quality of wheat flour, steamed buns are looser than bread. The wheat flour used to make bread requires strong gluten and a certain proportion of broken starch. The wheat flour used to make steamed buns has a wide range of gluten strengths. Wheat flour with medium gluten strength can make better quality. of steamed buns. Wheat flour can vary greatly in protein content and is also lower in broken starch.

The bread-making process is more complex and labor-intensive

In terms of production technology, making steamed buns is relatively simple. The production cycle of kneading, kneading, stuffing, wrapping, fermenting, and steaming is about one and a half hours; making bread takes a long time and involves many processes. To make the simplest bread, knead for 30 minutes, spread for 40 minutes, relax and shape for 20 minutes, spread for 30 minutes, and bake for 15 minutes. It may not be completed in two hours. Kneading the dough is a very simple action for steamed buns, because the ratio of flour and water is fixed. As long as you master the basic techniques and knead the dough smoothly, the final effect will always be the same. But when it comes to bread, different recipes require different levels of kneading and techniques. For example, the less you knead, the better, and toast needs to be kneaded thoroughly.

The most basic and difficult bread to make: baguette

Toast

For steamed buns, fermentation only needs 1-2 times. The fluffy texture, while for bread, takes into account the functions of puffing, further improving the flavor, and strengthening gluten. The longer the fermentation time and the more times, the better the integration of the internal flavor of the dough.

Steamed buns usually only need to cut the dough evenly into several portions, but many breads need to be round and cut into different shapes, on the one hand for the sake of beautiful viewing angle, and on the other hand to open several Fixed "channels" guide gas circulation.

To sum up, making bread is a time-consuming, laborious and laborious process. The quality of the flour will affect the flavor and the success of the fermentation, and the effectiveness of the fermentation will affect the degree of baking. The finished product after baking will ultimately reflect the quality of the flour and the craftsmanship, and every step requires a lot of experience and patience.

The operating costs of bakeries are higher

Generally, bakeries are exquisitely decorated and have an elegant environment. In addition, equipment purchase, labor costs, rent and other expenses lead to higher operating costs. Due to the complex bread technology and small output, only the pursuit of high quality brought by high costs can ensure sales.

The decoration of the bakery is very exquisite

In contrast, Xiaolongbao and Xiaolongbao, as traditional breakfast foods in China, are more popular on scattered roadside or community breakfast shops. It is the most common, and most of them are self-employed, with different tastes and scales, and the prices are naturally cheaper.

The decoration of the Shantou store is not as particular as that of the bakery

The bakery industry system is more mature

With the continuous improvement of people's consumption level and the acceleration of the pace of life, the staple food Consumption has also shifted from "subsistence and clothing" to "well-off", emphasizing nutrition, delicious flavor and diversity. Consumers have higher and higher taste requirements for staple foods. Deliciousness, safety, beauty and convenience have become consumers' potential needs.

Once upon a time bread is also processed in traditional handmade workshops. In European and American countries, there are also cases where farmers sell bread on the streets with pushcarts. After the Industrial Revolution in 1870, Western countries invented bread forming machines and automatic bread ovens. During World War II, driven by labor shortages and urbanization, European and American countries promoted the industrialization of bread and other staple food products through technological development, and realized the mechanization and automation of production operations.

At present, the scale of large-scale baking enterprises represented by bread is constantly expanding, and the industrial baking business model is gradually occupying the market, forming cross-regional enterprises and famous brand products. After bread was introduced to China, China's bread industry gradually transitioned from early workshop-style production to modern industrial production, forming a complete and mature system. Why is bread more expensive than steamed buns?

There are many more bread products than steamed buns

In contrast, although the scale and degree of mechanization of China’s staple food production companies have increased in recent years, the core production links of many companies still Being done by hand, it was simply a matter of expanding the size of the workshop. There are very few staple food manufacturers in China, let alone Chinese fast food brands that can compare with McDonald's and KFC

In addition, bread is an imported product and can only be used as a snack in China and cannot replace steamed buns. Staple food status. Data shows that per capita bread in China is very low. The largest bread consumer in Europe is Germany, where the annual per capita bread consumption is as high as 84 kilograms. China’s per capita bread consumption is less than 0.7 kilograms, and per capita bread consumption in underdeveloped areas in the central and western regions is even lower.

Bread has not replaced steamed buns as the staple food in China

This "snack" positioning makes the main consumers of Chinese bread are young people, and their demand for bread taste is more individual. ization and diversification. Some higher-priced breads will target middle- and high-end consumers. As a staple food, steamed buns are aimed at the public. They have fewer steps and are processed quickly, allowing practitioners to make more products at the same time, with a cheaper unit price.

The value of steamed buns and bread is obviously different. On the surface, it is the difference in raw material prices, production processes, and operating costs. The underlying reason may be that steamed buns and bread are at different industrial stages and face different consumer groups.