The second episode of the food documentary 'SBS Special - The Bread,' which aired on the 18th, introduced the behind-the-scenes stories of signature breads crafted with passion by bakers. Following the first episode, the second part piqued curiosity and recorded a peak viewership rating of 2.8% (according to Nielsen Korea's metropolitan area data), drawing significant viewer interest.
The episode featured a 'Baguette Competition' where over 100 bakers showcased their skills using only baguettes. Despite being made from just four basic ingredients―flour, water, salt, and yeast―bakers consider the baguette to be one of the most challenging and demanding types of bread, sparking intrigue.
Im Tae-eon, a baker who has been crafting his signature baguette with his own starter for 19 years, shared that he became so enamored with the baguette that he decided to host the competition himself. He explained that the taste and texture of a baguette can vary immensely with just slight differences, requiring bakers to pay attention to 'weather, humidity, dough temperature, and oven temperature.'
The episode also highlighted Park Seong-chae, a master baker known for his signature 'Cream Bungeoppang,' which has gained popularity among celebrities. Park, who has a fondness for cats, shared his whimsical thought: "What kind of bread would a cat make?" This led him to press croissant dough into a bungeoppang mold, creating the 'Cream Bungeoppang' filled with various ingredients.
Mikael, a French pastry chef with 25 years of experience, was astonished to see Park pressing croissant dough into the bungeoppang mold, exclaiming, "This is something you wouldn't see in France." Park explained that it was a method chosen to differentiate himself in the rapidly changing Korean dessert market, to which Mikael nodded in agreement.
Food content director Kim Hye-jun explained the rise in popularity of signature breads. "In the past, local bakeries sold all kinds of bread, from loaves to sweet red bean buns and cakes, functioning as 'general bakeries.' However, many of these bakeries disappeared due to competition from large franchises. The new local bakeries that have emerged now specialize in signature breads to maintain their competitiveness," he clarified. Big data expert Song Gil-young added, "As Korea's GDP has grown rapidly and more Koreans have traveled abroad, there has been a growing desire for diverse types of bread. At that point, local bakeries began to align with consumer preferences, leading to a more varied ecosystem."
Consumers have started to seek out bakeries to taste each baker's unique 'signature bread,' traveling long distances. One bakery run by Kim Min-hyuk, located on a quiet hill, has become a popular destination for his 'three-day loaf.' Kim, who developed a perfectly square loaf, expressed pride in his creation, stating, "I made my own starter and researched extensively to create a loaf that is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside." Jeong Jeong-hoon, who calls himself the 'Bread Master of Mangwon-dong,' has attracted young consumers with his 'Signature Mammoth Bread,' which is filled with toppings favored by the MZ generation.
The episode featured renowned bakers, including Master Baker No. 2 Im Heon-yang, No. 4 Kim Jong-ik, and No. 6 Kim Young-mo, along with veteran bakers with an average of 60 years of experience, adding depth to the documentary. The lively banter and interactions between the veteran bakers and younger bakers provided entertainment.
The veteran bakers were particularly surprised by the 'generous mammoth bread' favored by the MZ generation. Master Baker Kim Young-mo recounted, "The original mammoth bread was created during a time when food was scarce. We baked large loaves with leftover dough, spread jam on them, and topped them with leftover crumb topping." He even recreated the 'nostalgic mammoth bread' on the show. The veteran bakers acknowledged the need to recognize the changes of the times, stating, "Even if the methods differ from the past, what matters is that the bread that customers enjoy today is the best bread," praising the adventurous spirit of the younger bakers.
Presenter Jang Na-ra also took on the challenge of creating a signature bread. He shared a recipe for a rabbit-shaped cake called 'Rabbit Living in the Snow Country,' made with easily accessible ingredients like castella, whipped cream, strawberries, and coconut powder.
Additionally, the episode introduced the backstory of the 'Fried Soboro,' a signature bread from a famous bakery in Daejeon that gained fame after being gifted by Ryu Hyun-jin of the Hanwha Eagles to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts last year. Im Young-jin, the bakery's owner, revealed, "Originally, I planned to cool the fried bread and coat it with chocolate, but before I could do that, customers bought them all, leading to the current form of our signature bread," he chuckled.
This signature bread has sold over 100 million pieces in 43 years, setting a record and earning Daejeon the nickname 'City of Bread.' Daejeon has also been humorously dubbed the 'Battlefield of Bread Masters,' as skilled bakers flock to the city, which hosts an annual bread festival.
At the end of the broadcast, the lively scenes from last year's 'Daejeon Bread Festival,' which attracted 140,000 visitors, were showcased. The festival featured over 80 bakeries from across the country presenting their signature breads, and the backstory of the event caught viewers' attention. Notably, bakers Hwang Mi-jeong and Lee Ji-young, who won first place in the festival's popularity vote with their madeleines, shared, "A recipe mistake led to us whipping the egg whites too much, which actually resulted in a fluffier bread," revealing the birth story of their signature bread.
The bakers featured in the episode reflected on their baking journeys, expressing heartfelt sentiments such as, "I strive every day to create my own bread without being swept away by trends," "I've been baking for 60 years, but it's still not easy, and I study every day," and "I've been baking for over 30 years, but I still want to make even better bread," resonating deeply with viewers.
[SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae]
(SBS Star)