Consumers’ pursuit of premium bread varieties hasn’t shown any signs of slowing, putting elevated flavors at the forefront of category growth. 

“New and interesting flavors including sourdough, Hawaiian or yet to be introduced sweet, savory or spicy options will continue to attract consumers,” said Dawn Aho, client insights principal, bakery vertical, Circana. “Flavors play a key role in premium sliced breads.”

Bimbo Bakeries USA, Horsham Pa., added Hawaiian bread and buns to its Sara Lee Artesano portfolio, and expanded its breakfast bread lineup with Thomas’ Breads Everything Breakfast Bread, made with garlic, onion and poppy seeds. Another recent addition to the Thomas’ line up is Croissant Bread. 

“With a strategic pre-sliced design, our new croissant bread is more than just bread, it’s a way to give our fans their mornings back, especially during their busiest days,” said Mary Pitone, brand manager for Thomas.’

Other breakfast innovation includes Lemon Blueberry Swirl Bread from Pepperidge Farm, a subsidiary of Campbell Soup Co., Camden, NJ. Canyon Bakehouse, a gluten-free brand of Flowers Foods, Thomasville, Ga., added Cinnamon Raisin Bread to its lineup.

Bimbo Bakehouse is leveraging foodservice flavor trends for its in-store bakery launches, said Brandi Unchester, marketing director, in-store bakery, Bimbo Bakehouse. She cited Datassential reports showing varieties like sourdough and pretzel are growing 50% and 200% across menus, respectively. 

“Let’s put them together, and you have something that’s proven on both sides and should be a hit,” she said. 

The company offers a Sourdough Bread through its Goldminer Bakery brand as well as a wheat sandwich loaf of its The Cheesecake Factory At Home “brown bread,” which consumers can heat and serve to bring that restaurant-quality experience home. 

Bread flavors are also being enhanced through premium inclusions, Unchester said. Wholesome Harvest morning loaves, for example, are made with real fruits, grains and nutritious seeds, she noted.

“We have some unique capabilities that allow us to create some more premium products and a more indulgent experience,” Unchester said. 

Dana Strain, senior marketing manager, Bimbo Bakehouse, echoed this, adding, “It’s about flavors and bringing something a little bit different.”

Anthony & Son’s Bakery, Denville, NJ, certainly brought something different with the recent launch of its avocado bread line, the first avocado bread to market. Sold under The Avocado Bread Co. brand, the sliced bread is set to become the company’s best-selling product. 

Ben Rizzitello, vice president of sales and marketing, sees flavors like these as the future of the category. 

“It needs to be made to look like it’s been in-store baked,” he added. “More attractive toppings, and eye-catching labels with call outs.”

This article is an excerpt from the September 2024 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Pan Bread, click here.