Cindy Hamilton wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> On Wednesday, September 20, 2017 at 1:22:41 PM UTC-4, Bruce wrote:
> > On Wed, 20 Sep 2017 10:20:12 -0700 (PDT), dsi1 >
> > wrote:
> >
> > > On Wednesday, September 20, 2017 at 4:03:15 AM UTC-10, Ed
> > > Pawlowski wrote:
> > >>
> > >> Why are they necessary? For a couple of centuries cakes were
> > made >> without them. I made a cake on Sunday. Flour, sugar,
> > milk, eggs, >> butter, vanilla, baking powder, salt. No other
> > chemicals and tastes >> better than anything from a package.
> > >>
> > >> Necessary usually translates to cheaper, longer lasting, more
> > profitable. >>
> > >> Same with ice cream. Gums are cheaper than mild and fruit. The
> > best >> ice cream does not have them.
> > >
> > > For a fun science experiment, you can buy a doughnut at your
> > > local bakery, wrap it up, then try eating it after a week or two.
> > > What these stabilizers and preservatives are able to do to
> > > certain foods is simply amazing. People say they don't like
> > > preservatives in their foods but just try living in a world
> > > without them.
> >
> > It goes as follows: you buy a real bread and you eat it before it
> > goes stale. I'm told that in the old days, you could even buy half
> > a loaf. How advanced is that?
>
> I can buy half a loaf at my local bakery. Usually, though, I buy a
> whole loaf and freeze it. Not as good as fresh bread, but it keeps
> the bread from going stale (or moldy), and I can go to the bakery
> (and resist its other temptations) once a week rather than more often.
>
> Ingredients: flour, water, salt, yeast.
>
> Grocery store bread is dismal.
>
> Cindy Hamilton

But real fresh is best!

Since I have so much rye, I made an experiment Sunday.

1 1/3C water plus 1 TB (thinking +2 would be better)
3 TB butter (I was a little short, maybe that's why I think a little
more water?)
2 2/3 cup bread flour
1 1/3 cup rye flour
3 TB vanilla lavender sugar (original was brown sugar)
2 ts Bakers Brew coffee spice (original was caraway)
1 ts salt
2 ts yeast

Dough mode then shape, let rise in a slow oven (just the light on) for
1 hour then remove, preheat to 400F and bake 17 minutes.
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