Why do grocery stores only sell half loaves of rye and pumpernickle bread? I have asked two different customer service reps from from commercial bakeries, but no one seems willing to answer the question. Anyone know why these two types of bread are sold this way?
Perhaps people don’t like to buy full loaf quantites of these types of bread, since they aren’t as popular as wheats or whites.
On a related note, does anyone know of a good place to find facts and statistics? Google isn’t very good at that sort of thing. Where would you go to find a list of breads by popularity?
My guess would be a website for a large, commercial bakery. Sunshine, or Strohman’s, or Wonder.
I’d have to go with Wikkit’s guess. I know that when I buy a loaf of pumpernickle or rye, I don’t use that many slice of it, and it’s a pain to keep half of it in the freezer.
And while we’re at it, why do they still put the half-loaf into that package that’s impossible to open without tearing? Is there a secret way I don’t know to re-close a loaf of rye?
Peace,
mangeorge
I actually got a plausible answer from a commercial baker…(finally!) He told me that both rye and pumpernickle loaves do not bake properly in a loaf that weighs under 2 lbs. The average size of commercially baked loaves of bread is about a pound to a pound and a half. The rye and pumpernickle loaves are baked and split to keep them under the pound weight that consumers have come to accept as standard. Another mystery solved! I will try to ask about the impossible to open wrappers! Now, does anyone know why I can buy a giant squeeze bottle of catsup but not a giant mustard to go with it??? Goddessodd