Guests today are well-travelled with tastebuds sensitive to authentic cusinies, which has led to the evolution of bakery products in the country discovers Sapna Kulshresta.
The bakery segment in Indian hotels has evolved over the last few years. Guest’s tastes have become more cosmopolitan leading to increase in popularity of bakery products along with improvement in product offering, and food safety.
Vikas Kumar, executive chef, Flurys Swiss Confectionery agrees “In the foodservice channel, quick casual dining is the up-and-coming trend; consumers too have become very savvy when it comes to dining experiences, and also the increasing availability of high class products in hotels and confectionaries has contributed to the rising popularity of bakery products in
Indian hospitality.”
Bakery products can be extremely versatile as an ingredient and ethnic products are rapidly growing in popularity especially products with a deep historical context like the South African, Egyptian and Southeast Asian breads in addition to the European style bakery goods.
Other than baguettes and foccacia hotel bakeries are witnessing a huge demand for Arabic baked products such as manakish, fatayer and various flatbreads along with breads like ciabatta, pretzels, whole wheat bagels, sweet corn breads and pita which are not only different but also healthier.
Mukesh Singh Rawat, Bakery chef, The Claridges, Surajkund, Delhi, NCR adds “There is no end to the new trends in breads, for instance we have our own inventions such as Tulsi bread, mint and garlic bread; moreover we make breads as per guest requirements.
In pastries mango is roaring now-a-days, plus international fruits, such as passion fruit, is a trend”.
While earlier with a view to saving time, labour and other operational expenses many bakeries in hospitality segment used frozen products and premixes such as croissant laminates, cookie dough, bread dough etc, the trend is now moving towards going back to the old fashioned ways of baking without moulds, in open ovens especially in luxury hotels where there has been a resurgence in baking breads, rolls and other products using a natural fermentation process.
Also the age-old, process called retro-innovative, has brought a whole new meaning to exciting flavors where the expert bakers are making everything from scratch, breads, rolls, pastries, cakes, cheesecakes and so on rather than using the quicker ‘instant dough’ or pre-mixed or par-baked products.
Vikas Kumar presenting the pros and cons of the method says “The use of premixes is probably prevalent in extremely high turnover bakeries, though you won’t get an outstanding product but surely a good consistent one, but most chefs are very careful in using these. The drawback is the lack of authentic and rustic tastes and the advantages are of time saving and lesser skilled manpower.”
Also with the changing tastes of the consumer who are well travelled and want to try out new products, patisserie’s freshly baked breads and own range of signature baked goods are being promoted as the unique selling point of the hotel, moreover as compared to the frozen dough product that lacks freshness, a hand rolled croissant, breakfast pastry or breads offers more personalized feel to the guest.
Not to mention the dynamic sector of cakes and pastries considered luxury products of hotels is also undergoing innovations.
Newer and more attractive garnishing items and ethnic extras such as streusel or coconut toppings are being added enhancing the products while chocolate work is gaining prominence as an art form.
Chef Shubham Paliwal, pastry chef of Goa Marriott Resort says “cakes and pastries are the showcase goods of the hotel. The product appearance and aroma constitutes an important consideration in these bakery goods.
For instance vanilla, chocolate and caramel are the evergreen flavors which never fade. Combination of flavors too is getting popular like mango and basil, thyme and cheese for cakes and pastries”.
Additionally food technologists are experimenting with newer ingredients and pairings, to create novel flavors and develop innovative trends. Shubham Paliwal explains “There is a definite trend when it comes to molecular gastronomy, incorporation of food additives, and new techniques for dessert section.
Certain good interventions like stabilizers or hydrocolloids allow us to achieve textures and elements that weren’t really possible before. I just think that you need to be careful, and make sure your overall technique is grounded before you start throwing all kinds of gels and foams on your plate.
At Marriott Goa, I try to harmonize these things, so that the final dessert is really what I’m looking for.
Also the new trend is leaning towards usage of international ingredients, like Latin American, Caribbean and tropical ingredients such as hibiscus, tamaring, lychee etc and lighter desserts are being celebrated more right now for instance fruit with a whisper of flavored cream.
As a matter of fact many pastry chefs have clearly defined their own style whether that be a more savory dessert menu, the incorporation of new, and experimental techniques, or the perfect execution of classics” Another reason chefs are experimenting with pairing regional and international ingredients within traditional products is to let hotel guests experience the flavor of the region they are traveling.
For example infusion of zaatar in Middle East, coconut in coastal area or for that matter a coffee flavored Phirni adds a whole new dimension to traditional desserts. In addition chocolate desserts are getting more refined as they move from compound chocolate to pure covertures chocolates.
Though covertures chocolates are more expensive than a normal compound chocolate, chefs are shifting to the pure chocolate due to the common problems of dull appearance, greasiness and waxiness associated with compound chocolate coatings.
Mukesh Singh Rawat avers “There is much more than just cake and pastry to showcase the hotel, in fact the chocolate work now a day is an important platform for the hotel bakery. Covertures chocolates are replacing compound chocolates as they add to the texture ,taste and body of the product, moreover bitter is the trend and all are flowing with the trend,.”
However the key trend setter in the bakery industry today is the growing focus on organic foods. Consumers are inclined towards bakery products they view as healthy and nutritious.
Bakers too are going natural and excluding additives which act as an allergen or are harmful for digestion. Bread ingredients have also evolved with the focus on specialty flour like linseed and bakery mix and Roggan mix, the new variety flour for creating breads.
Moreover many of the major bakeries are adding omega 3, fibre, soy and the like as value additions and natural fermentation processes are now being practiced on a product to product basis like biga for ciabbatta, Poolish for baguette etc.
Not to mention the low-carb trend is fueling interest in moving away from the use of TFAs and saturated fats and replacing the use of tallow-based shortenings with vegetable options.
Vikas Kumar adds “With increasing awareness demand for items like sugar free pastries, allergy aware products and organic breads is on the rise. As a matter of fact the whole focus has shifted from bakery goods being exclusive and ‘once in a while’ to a more inclusive one, a part of day to day food habit.”
Also getting popular are gluten free breads, sugar free cakes and flourless and less creamy desserts. Chefs are also opting for seed based like flaxseed and multi grain flavored breads as well as adding fructose such as honey and jaggery instead of sugar.
Furthermore many chefs now use isomalt sugar and oil soluble colors to make stunning garnishes and wonderful displays to add elegance to the cakes, pastries and deserts. Chef Amit Arora of Au Bon Pain, India the Boston based bakery chain adds
“Some of the new varieties to be seen in hotel bakeries are strong flavored breads, bagels and sour dough breads while in pastries mousse based cakes along with baked cheese cakes as well as fresh fruits, wild berries black currant, blueberry, passion fruit based desserts is in fashion now a days”.
Furthermore, in India with a high proportion of vegetarians, egg-free baked goods have a virtually untapped potential. Another recent trend is sugar-free products like chocolates and syrups and a wide range of sugar free, low calorie milk products.
The significant evolution in the bakery sector has also been fuelled by the availability of better quality machines in India which has enabled large scale production and ensured consistency in the final product.
Vikrant Patil and Milind Umredkar, directors Orange Foodstuff equipments, suppliers and consultants for bakeries say, “There is a definite need for advanced technologies and upgraded equipments for hotel bakeries as traditional methods are not capable to cater to fast growing bakery trend.
Advanced ovens such as Gas deck ovens are specially designed with maximum front glass visibility to display ‘Live Baking’ showcasing freshness of the products, moreover this oven has top heat and bottom heat adjustment separately so that, all the bakery products can be manufactured with multiple options while Rotary Rack Ovens are suitable for mass productions where the whole trolley can be inserted in the oven.
Likewise with dough sheeter a specially designed machine for sheeting of dough for puffs, croissants, pizzas etc. the maximum workload can be handled with minimum manpower and no skilled person is required whereas Smart Drop is really a smart working machine for production of multi shape cookies with beautiful shape and sharpness.
Moreover recipes can be stored into the memory as machine is with digital LCD control panel. Dropping for cup cake, Sponge and wire cut cookies can also be produced with same machine only by changing the attachments.
Similarly Planetary mixer also called Universal mixer is designed to give maximum aeration to products giving light sponginess and internal texture to the product”.
Another of the advanced bakery equipment to come in the Indian market is the imported Radio frequency oven that gives baker a greater ability to control final moisture content and uniformity throughout the product. It virtually eliminates checking, offers longer shelf life, more control over product color and almost 40% increase in productivity.
Ashish Sirsat Owner and partner NaikOven Manufacturing Co, manufacturers of ovens and bakery machinery adds “While electric ovens have definitely been a step ahead of the earlier gas or oil fired ovens, Radio Frequency ovens are the latest technology, though their usage is still low in Indian bakeries due to the high costs.
Electric ovens such as rotary rack ovens or deck ovens are preferred in hotel bakeries for their low maintenance and lesser space requirement apart from their efficiency.”
Although bakery specialisation is growing fast in luxury and mid-segment hotels, there are many challenges being faced by professionals, such as quality of bulk raw material including flour, butter, yeast and sugar that can bring the end product at par with international standards and limited availability of international ingredients and exotic fresh fruits.
In addition due to the recent growth in the industry and high demand for good bakers, it has created a shortage of talent in the industry and is being seen as one of major problems. However Mukesh Singh Rawat optimistically adds “yes there is a shortage of skilled staff but the chef’s duty is to groom raw staff as we finish our final product.”
Moreover the imported baking equipments are not only expensive but the availability of their spare parts and maintenance is also an issue.
According to Ashish Sirsat, “Though the bakery sector is buoyant and bakeries are looking for versatile hi-tech equipment that can increase production, Indian made equipments still lack the finishing compared to American or European brands. However Indian brands score better for service available locally, easy availability of spare parts and overall costs.”
Signing off on a positive note Vikas Kumar says, “I think bakery products will soon become a part of our daily diets rather than a celebratory thing. With the increasing prosperity of the middle class, there are tremendous growth opportunities.”
