Back to the subject though, Ruchbrot from Manor keeps at least until the next day for me, as long as I keep it in the wrapper it comes in (after cutting, put it back in the wrapper, cut end first).
Sorry if I offend anyone that thinks Swiss bread is great, it's just my opinion but after living with German bread for over a decade I feel qualified to compare Swiss to German and I think German bread wins hands down.
What kind of bread are you buying? Also do you really want a loaf of white bread or is it brown or even 'vollkorn' you are looking for.
Büerli are supposed to have hard crusts, if you want soft you need to move to Silser. I.e. try Silser Kranz from Migros. Also try the sunflower loaf from co-op. There is always Globus on Bellevue too.
There is nothing to beat a good Brezel with butter.
So whats the closest thing to brown granary bread that we get in England? Any suggestions would be great....including giving up eating bread all together!
Good bread in Switzerland: (1) epeautre (translates as "spelt wheat") at the Maison du ble et du pain in Echallens; (2) I just discovered the seigle (rye) at Confiserie Moutarlier in Lutry (they are also in Lausanne and Chexbres). These are the only 2 that pass the Frenchman's test that I've had here.
I echo the sentiments about German bread - excellent excellent bread up there.
Actually there is an important point here for me and that is; in England bread loaves are usually good and bread rolls are usually bad. In Germany and here it is the other way round. (excluding vollkorn)
My thrifty tips on the matter are:
- If you can't eat the whole loaf in one sitting, slice it and freeze it. It defrosts quickly at room temperature and is great for toast or fondue.
- Alternatively, slice thinly or cube the bread and dry it out in the oven to make crostini or croutons
- Buy some 'bake-it' bread for emergencies. It keeps for a few weeks and can be baked in about 10 minutes on demand.
Voilà!
Coop also do a whole grain sliced (vitalife i believe was already mentioned, plus another brand). They are relatively soft and keep for a week or so before getting really crumbly. That is what we use as a substitute and they are not too bad.
Closest I've been able to come is making subs with the Olivenbrot from Coop. However, you still only get 12-24 hours to use it before it goes stale.
Frankly, even if it is full of preservatives, or whatever, I find the various different styles of Molenberg, Helgas, Burgen, Noble Rise, etc, bread back in Australia to be better in terms of flavour, texture, variety and longevity. But that's probably because my main uses for bread are sandwiches and toast.
I normally cut the crusts off (I HATE crusts), spread on a little butter, on goes some fresh salad, a few slices of tomatoe, three rashes of bacon, a dash of tomatoe ketchup and a dab on mayonnaise..
Mmmmmh BLT.
Preservatives do indeed keep manufactured breads from spoiling by preventing the growth of mould, but most don't really affect the moisture content of breads. European bakery breads tend to go dry quite quickly because the only wet ingredient in them is water, which is prone to evaporation. One day after baking, the water is pretty much all gone from the bread, and you have a stale loaf that's so dry and hard you could use it as a stake to drive through the heart of a vampire (in a pinch). (One notable exception is Zopf/tresse, which is made with butter, and will stay soft for many days if stored in a sealed bag.)
Many breads made in England/Ireland/North America, etc. contain some fat, which makes the bread a lot softer and chewier. Because oils and solid fats don't evaporate, breads made with water and oil will 'keep' (i.e. retain their softness) for a lot longer than ones made with water alone. Lots of commerical breads do also have additives (such as extra gluten, artificial preservatives, etc.) but there are plently of additive-free loaves around.
Case in point: my mother's homemade bread only has seven ingredients (whole wheat flour, white flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water and canola oil), and it will keep at room temperature for quite a long time so long as it's kept in a sealed bag. Even a few days after baking, it is quite nicely sliceable, and makes excellent sandwiches or toast.
It is true that there is a lot of crap bread in the English-speaking world (beware anything in a foil bag!), but not all soft and chewy breads are that way because of chemicals. There are some great-tasting sandwich breads made from all-natural ingredients, it's just that they don't make this type of bread here. (And I do make my own occasionally, but I'm not sharing any of it! )
Anywho. My 2p.
Heather
PS-To echo WorldFoodie's sentiments, the bread from Echallens is great!