The university's Dr Grant Campbell confirmed to BakeryandSnacks.com that research could help to perfect sandwich products worth €5.8bn last year in the UK alone, according to Mintel. Researching the creation and behaviour of bubbles in bread promises to help improve the tastiness of wholemeal bread and to boost consumption rates and consumers' health, said Dr Campbell. Brown or wholemeal bread is not as soft as white bread partly because of the way the bran interacts with the bubbles. "Different breads are distinguished by different aerated structures," he added. "It's one of the reasons why brown or wholemeal bread is less suitable for making tasty sandwiches - the bran pops the bubbles." The key to improving taste is to preserve the bubbles which are created when the dough is mixed, explained Dr Campbell. Between 6 - 8 per cent of dough is air which is distributed throughout as bubbles which are inflated by gas from the yeast. "Chemical engineers are working to find a way of getting bran into bread recipes without popping the bubbles," he explained. "Doing that will create healthier bread without sacrificing taste. Nutritionists have been telling us to eat more wholemeal bread for decades but we still prefer white bread because at present it tastes better", he added. Dr Campbell is also researching the nature and effects of bubbles in other bakery products. The sandwich market Sandwich sales rose by nearly 9 per cent between 2006 and 2007 as manufacturers supplied more health, ethnic and ethical products, according to a Mintel report published last November. "Sandwiches increasingly appeal to the rising number of Brits looking for naturally good and wholesome food", said a senior market analyst.
