OMG. Just bought something masquerading as a baguette from Tesco...

[Quip]

... and it turns out to be a cunningly baguette-shaped batch loaf (joined along the long side wft?), obviously cooked with something to soften the loaf as it's not at all crunchy on the outside, but soft and flaccid, like a milk loaf. Inside you haven't got the fluffy texture and distinctive baguette taste, but something more like a sweetish bathroom sponge.

Is this what the UK considers to be a baguette? I haven't bought one from Tesco for ages (usually go to co-op where their baguettes are passable, or Waitrose if I'm feeling spendy). WTF? Is all Tesco food this shit??? Why deface the staple produce that is the baguette by making it so multidimensionally crap?

Rant over. Yes, it's a first world problem.

[minikimmi]

Bread is the work of the devil. Stop eating it.

[TrinityRhino]

thats like no baguette I've ever had from tesco

sounds rank

[Glittertwins]

Asda is the same, it's normal bread fashioned into a stick shape. Waitrose have come the closest to the authentic French baguette and even turns into a lethal weapon the following day.

[getmeoutofthismadhouse]

my OH is a Tesco baker and recently they have had all new ranges in the bakery, bread and confectionary , so maybe its a new style bread or maybe just badly made !!

[Quip]

It seems like a new style to me - the packaging didn't look familiar. I don't think you would do this by accident, because the recipe must be different to have such a soft crust. And batch-cooking baguettes??? I don't think I've ever had a baguette before with tears all the way along both sides. On the other hand, it didn't crumb at all, which is quite extraordinary for a baguette. I was expecting to have to sweep under the table after the kids' tea, so perhaps that's the silver lining to the cloud. Perhaps Tesco have done some market research showing people don't like pesky crumbs or something .

[kerrygrey]

Most of tesco stuff is shit! I especially hate their "ripen at home" fruit. It just doesn't - it stays inedible , then suddenly, rotten. And their "2 for the price of 1", when I don't want and can't use two - encourages waste. The only thing I buy from tesco is petrol.

[getmeoutofthismadhouse]

Tesco are trying to up their game due to their declining profits this year but the new ranges seem to be totally over priced and not in a lot of peoples budgets for what most people would call "treats". My OH bought me a couple of their new cupcakes home £1.80 for 2 :O and they were vile , I much prefer Aldi cakes , 4 for 99p .

[TheSitChewAceChien]

Tesco doughnuts are also vile.
Stodgy, with lumpy jam. Yuk.

[Frontpaw]

Tesco stonebaked baguette is the only passable bread from that store!

[NameChangeGalore]

I've noticed alot of breads taste sweeter these days. Why is that? Are they adding sugar to make it last longer?
We only buy Kingsmill. It's the only bread that tastes like bread these days.

[HildaHotPants]

I had some coleslaw and pot salad the other day, which was so sweet I had to chuck it away. I'm beginning to think that my tastebuds are broken as I really notice how salty things are too.

[ZonkedOut]

We have a bread machine, and haven't looked back. I'd seriously recommend it.

[nikcname]

Tastebuds are not broken! I can't even consider coleslaw, or potato salad shop bought. Is so nasty! Others say about baking etc, really homemade potato salad is soo easy, coleslaw I'm fussy about cutting against the grain to get lil bits But so easy!

I don't really like white bread but Sainsburys loaves and french sticks are thin and hard (tried 3 different Sainsbugs) Morrisons similar. TBH the kids only like fresh bread from ASDA and Tesco.

[hiddenhome]

All Tesco bakery products are shite.

[londonmackem]

Kerrygrey stop buying petrol from Tesco. Their petrol tankers carry other stuff which wrecks engines and catalytic converters.

I bought a baguette yesterday and it had a huge air hole through so was just crust, dd was not amused as she only eats the soft centre.

[ImpatientOne]

Agree with Zonked My DH was finding shop bread very salty so we I make our own now.

[nikcname]

Apparently American bread is a lot sweeter than ours. I usually buy whole grain, white is a treat. e.g white bagette with brie mmmm .
Would love a bread machine, but work 40+ hours a week so not sure when I could make it.
Also DS is ASD and thinks bread is a food group. If I made it he would eat it!
Pizza, pasta, bread, are staple food he thinks he can't live without already!!

[ApocalypseCheeseToastie]

Best place for crusty/ French bread is BOOTHS.......I do a 20 mile round trip solely to stock up on BOOTHS bread

[Anifrangapani]

The BreadaBible has a really fab bagette reciepe if you have the time.

[plutocrap]

londonmackem, as little keen as I am on Tesco's food and corporate behaviour, are you sure that info about the fuel is up to date? A quick check pulled up a story about contamination with silicon causing cars to break down... in 2007. The company apparently apologised and issued compensation. Has something happened since then? (I'm a bit of a trade geek, so would enjoy learning something new about T's supply chain)

[ChuggaChuggaChooChoo]

nikcname long working hours don't have to be a barrier. I make up bags with the dry ingredients (bar the yeast, and substituting veg suet for veg oil so that it can be a dry ingredient too) a dozen at a time. The bags keep fine for weeks and when I want a fresh loaf in the morning I just bung in a bag of ingredients before I go to bed, the right amount of water and some yeast and set the timer on delay and hey presto I have bread warm and freshly baked when I wake up. It's deadly because the bread is so delicious I can quite happily eat half a loaf right away!

[chihiro]

OK - I may be barking up the wrong tree completely here, but it's not a part-baked one is it? The one that you have to put in the oven for 10 mins to turn it into a baguette? Surely that's the only thing that would ever say baguette on the packaging but would be soft inside. Otherwise it would be called something else surely?

[Lonelylou]

They've cocked up my car insurance no claims bonus and I can't get anyone to respond. I wont EVER get insurance from them again BSTDS!!!

[mylovelymonster]

I've had pizza from there when on holiday which we couldn't eat - didn't know if it was supposed to be savoury or dessert, it was so disgustingly sweet. Had a shock when we looked at the ingredients........................
Their curries are ok tho.

[Quip]

No, it really wasn't part-baked (or at least not meant to be). It was one of those standard "fresh from our ovens" sticks of white bread in long paper bag things.

I'm not surprised at the sweetness: it's human nature to crave sweet/fatty food as it's what infants need. Adding sugar to staples has worked in American food retail in terms of increasing consumption.

I do have a bread machine, a 10-year-old panasonic one, that's still working, I think. I will be getting it out of the cupboard. The only problem is that it's hard to do baguettes at home in a normal oven, as you can't get the right conditions for that lovely crust.