# What do people mean when they say "American bread is sweet"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 10, 2018, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783 "2018-10-10T23:06:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783/21 "2018-10-11T09:06:26Z")
IME, it’s really tough to find breads (and cereals) here that are acceptable if you’re trying to limit your sugar intake. I remember reading in the Guinness Book of World Records in the early 1970s that the population of the UK were the largest per capita consumers of sugar. A few years ago, I was talking about food with a British colleague, who volunteered that he didn’t like American bread because it was too sweet. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783/22 "2018-10-11T11:05:18Z")
After adjusting my diet a few years back to control my diabetes, I will say that supermarket “sandwich” breads are too sweet. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783/23 "2018-10-11T11:06:15Z")
> [@F.U.Shakespeare](#): > > IME, it’s really tough to find breads (and cereals) here that are acceptable if you’re trying to limit your sugar intake. Well, depending on _why_ you’re trying to limit your sugar intake, don’t forget that _all_ of those carbs are ultimately metabolized as sugar. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783/24 "2018-10-11T14:04:54Z")
I’d just like to say that _Beard on Bread_ is a terrible name for a book and conjures up some really gross images that makes me not to want eat bread at all. Otherwise - Wonderbread Yum! ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783/25 "2018-10-11T14:13:40Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Well, depending on _why_ you’re trying to limit your sugar intake, don’t forget that _all_ of those carbs are ultimately metabolized as sugar. Simple sugars, yes. Refined white sugar (sucrose) is hard for your body to break down, and it gives you nothing but calories. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783/26 "2018-10-11T14:32:07Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > Or baking a cake. > > My favorite cornbread recipe has 6 ingredients - yellow cornmeal, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, egg and vegetable oil, baked in a cast iron skillet with butter melted in it before adding the batter. > > No sugar and no flour either. Preach it! ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783/27 "2018-10-11T16:27:17Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > Or baking a cake. > > My favorite cornbread recipe has 6 ingredients - yellow cornmeal, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, egg and vegetable oil, baked in a cast iron skillet with butter melted in it before adding the batter. > > No sugar and no flour either. Please share! I have a hankerin’ for some good cornbread. ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783/28 "2018-10-11T16:41:45Z")
Because almost all the studies on added sugar, weight and diabetes seem to be biased and it is hard to find reliable data let me provide this link which will help. [http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/37/4/950](http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/37/4/950) Current data suggests: Obesity is driven in part by the total calorie intake, and sugar dense foods are a common large source, but the source of calories is less important the total amount. Fructose is an independent driver of type 2 diabetes and fruit juice and even _100% fruit juice_ is just as bad or worse depending on the fruit as HFCS. While _refined sugars_ are a considerable source of our dietary load, replacing them with “_natural_” sugars and especially with _fruit juice_ or agave will not help. > [@](#): > > current data suggest that it is a “linear” response and that the reason we are now detecting the pathophysiological consequences of fructose is that its dietary load has continued to increase, largely as a consequence of increased soft drink and fruit drink consumption. The school lunch program, USDA recommendations and studies are still under lobbying pressure to count _fruit juice_ as a fruit serving. But the industry funded _fruit juice_ studies typically hide the impact with smaller portion sizes compared to soda and they are not any safer at similar calorie levels. Reducing sugar intake overall and keeping liver metabolized forms Fructose at about 10% of total calories is what is important. It is easy to get tricked into simply swapping calorie sources and marketing is planning on that fact. I hope that bread is part of that push back because I do miss the taste of tannins being up front on dark breads. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783/29 "2018-10-11T17:06:46Z")
> [@Shagunathor](#): > > A while ago I inherited a copy of “Beard on Bread” by James Beard. I found it appalling how much sugar he added to every recipe. Maybe his influence on American breads and the perception thereof is greater than expected. I learned to bake bread using that book. I hadn’t really thought about the sugar levels, but even when I started baking - and certainly later when I started becoming a more confident breadmaker not limited to just his book - I thought he used an awful lot of salt. ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783/30 "2018-10-11T17:32:25Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > I learned to bake bread using that book. I hadn’t really thought about the sugar levels, but even when I started baking - and certainly later when I started becoming a more confident breadmaker not limited to just his book - I thought he used an awful lot of salt. Ironically, while too much salt can make it unpalatable, and supermarket bread is highly processed for reasons of shelf life etc…one of the reasons it has so much sugar was due to a hyper-correction to some outdated concerns on salt intake. If you reduce salt too much the volume goes down and the crust doesn’t darken as much. I don’t know the exact reasons for volume but for crust color is because salt retards amylase enzymes so you need to add sugar with less salt or the crust ends up being pale. ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783/31 "2018-10-11T17:42:07Z")
One thing I love about the Internet is access to information from professionals. Here is a comprehensive page on what salt does that will help adjust levels if you are more of the experimental type. [https://www.kingarthurflour.com/professional/salt.html](https://www.kingarthurflour.com/professional/salt.html) ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783/32 "2018-10-11T20:24:15Z")
My first experience with American bread was over 20 years ago and it was the white supermarket kind. To me that was like making sandwiches with cake. The year I’ve been living here I’ve been experimenting with baking my own bread, both in the bread machine and without, but I avoided Norwegian recipes because I wasn’t sure how big a difference variations in type of flour would make. I found some fairly decent whole wheat recipes, but something was always off. Finally a couple of weeks ago I decided to experiment again, and to start with a Norwegian recipe as the base, and the result was remarkable. A bread much more to my taste. I just checked, and the American whole wheat recipe has about 50% more sugar. Not that the American whole wheat loaf tastes all that sweet, but it does taste sweet in comparison. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783/33 "2018-10-11T22:08:04Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Mr.Wrekker likes sweet corn bread. The recipe he prefers is nearly cake like and eggy. I don’t really care for it. But it’s how his Mom used to make it. To each his own. I’ve only really had bad corn bread in a bad restaurant (where the rest of the food wasn’t good either). I’ve eaten corn bread made by many people using various recipes in different styles, and discounting the ones where the cook themselves said “this cornbread came out wrong, it’s no good”, I’ve liked them all. ---
**Author:** ![Shagunathor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@Shagunathor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagunathor)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783/34 "2018-10-12T02:42:15Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > I learned to bake bread using that book. I hadn’t really thought about the sugar levels, but even when I started baking - and certainly later when I started becoming a more confident breadmaker not limited to just his book - I thought he used an awful lot of salt. Well, you’d need more salt to tame down the yeast getting all frisky with that extra sugar. Actually, though, I leafed through it again last night, and it wasn’t quite as bad with the sugar I was remembering. There still tends to be more than I expect and in recipes I wouldn’t expect sugar, but my memory exaggerated the amounts. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783/35 "2018-10-12T07:06:27Z")
> [@susan](#): > > Two slices of Wonder Bread have more sugars than half a baguette. Sugar in a baguette? Cite? ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783/36 "2018-10-12T10:20:07Z")
> [@The\_Librarian](#): > > Sugar in a baguette? > Cite? Here is one generic cite. > **[{{MetaTags.title || 'Nutritionix'}}](https://www.nutritionix.com/i/usda/french-bread-1-baguette/5759dbc95f51862d386fd92e)** > > {{MetaTags.description}} Doesn’t matter if it is added or produced via Amylases, yeast won’t grow without sugar and not all sugar is used by the yeast or the crust wouldn’t brown. The starches may need to be considered depending on the health concern. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783/37 "2018-10-12T13:47:46Z")
> [@rat\_avatar](#): > > Here is one generic cite. > > [Nutritionix](https://www.nutritionix.com/i/usda/french-bread-1-baguette/5759dbc95f51862d386fd92e) > > Doesn’t matter if it is added or produced via Amylases, yeast won’t grow without sugar and not all sugar is used by the yeast or the crust wouldn’t brown. The starches may need to be considered depending on the health concern. Interestingly that indicates there is more sugar in American baguettes than Norwegian. According to that link the carbohydrates in the baguette are 9% sugars, whereas a generic Norwegian baguette has 6.4% mono- and disaccharids and 0% added sugars. That’s of course just two random products in two databases, but still. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783/38 "2018-10-12T13:52:46Z")
> [@naita](#): > > Interestingly that indicates there is more sugar in American baguettes than Norwegian. > > According to that link the carbohydrates in the baguette are 9% sugars, whereas a generic Norwegian baguette has 6.4% mono- and disaccharids and 0% added sugars. > > That’s of course just two random products in two databases, but still. And just to emphasize the variability of databases, the USDA database (which is the source for the previous US baguette nutrition link), lists this Lowe’s baguette at 0% sugars, despite sugar being on the ingredient list: [https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/45179352?fgcd=&manu=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=default&order=asc&qlookup=baguette&ds=&qt=&qp=&qa=&qn=&q=&ing=](https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/45179352?fgcd=&manu=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=default&order=asc&qlookup=baguette&ds=&qt=&qp=&qa=&qn=&q=&ing=) ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783/39 "2018-10-12T14:03:57Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Simple sugars, yes. Refined white sugar (sucrose) is hard for your body to break down How so? No sugar is “hard” for the body to break down. > [@](#): > > and it gives you nothing but calories. Just like simple sugars…and more complex sugars. But they work differently than fat and protein, so they are more than “nothing but calories”- they have specific benefits. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783/40 "2018-10-12T18:03:46Z")
> [@rat\_avatar](#): > > Here is one generic cite. > > [Nutritionix](https://www.nutritionix.com/i/usda/french-bread-1-baguette/5759dbc95f51862d386fd92e) > > Doesn’t matter if it is added or produced via Amylases, yeast won’t grow without sugar and not all sugar is used by the yeast or the crust wouldn’t brown. The starches may need to be considered depending on the health concern. > [@naita](#): > > Interestingly that indicates there is more sugar in American baguettes than Norwegian. > > According to that link the carbohydrates in the baguette are 9% sugars, whereas a generic Norwegian baguette has 6.4% mono- and disaccharids and 0% added sugars. > > That’s of course just two random products in two databases, but still. Thanks, ignorance fought. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-mean-when-they-say-american-bread-is-sweet/822783.md?page=3)