Kays Translations

Chapter 66. Let’s think about new bread creations Part 3: It’s hard to tell whose opinion is for which bread!

And so, the candidates for new bread recipes have been baked.

The judges are called in around the time the bread is expected to be done baking.

No point in bringing them too early, since there’s nothing to do yet.

When I asked Larry-san, he immediately gave me permission.

Apparently, they’ve been eating the bread themselves and are starting to lose track of what they’re eating anymore.

So, they’re glad to have outside opinions.

“Thank you for inviting us,” Luna says, smiling politely and appropriately. She looks so adorable. Today she’s wearing a yellow dress. The one-piece makes her look like a Colias hyale butterfly fairy. With her magic stabilized, Luna can eat anything now. That’s why I asked her to try it also.

“W-welcome,” Larry’s smile is a little stiff, as he doesn’t know how to handle Luna’s cuteness. Maybe he has had the experience of children being intimidated by his large build.

Anna is already giving her her biggest, most cheerful smile.

Jude-san, who came along to accompany her, bows his head in response to Luna’s greeting, introduced both of them, and smiled, saying,

“I’m looking forward to it.”

You sure love delicious food, don’t you?

“Is this a new type of baked bread?”

　Grandpa Jill, special judge for the baked bread experimentation, is also just as enthusiastic.

For now, it’s good to hear the opinions of children, male adventurers who eat a lot, and elders alike.

And Martha and Anna will give their opinions as women, too.

First, we have the plain bread made with dry yeast, raisin bread, currant bread, walnut bread—all mixed together. That’s five types in total. They’re cut into bite-sized pieces for tasting.

These aren’t straight out of the oven; they’ve cooled down before the tasting. Since they’re going to be sold, it’s important to consider how they taste when cold too.

Sure, freshly baked bread is amazing, but the flavors settle and become even tastier once the moisture is balanced out. 

“There’s plenty more, so don’t overeat! Think about pacing yourself,” I warn.

It happens, right? You know, when you’re eating a course meal and the bread that comes first is so delicious that you end up eating too much and feeling sick towards the end. When you’re hungry at the start and there’s still some time before the next dish is served, you end up eating it. It’s even worse when there’s an all-you-can-eat option or you can have as many refills as you want. You just end up eating too much.

I’ve prepared a simple checklist to jot down everyone’s opinions.

If we’re selling these breads, novelty and taste are important, but we also need to consider whether they can be sold persistently. Developing new products is really challenging.

The judges start commenting:

“ it’s so fluffy and delicious!”

“Sweet and tasty!”

“it’s soft and easy to eat, but a little sour, and it gets stuck in my teeth.”

“The bread dough is really flavorful. The crunchy nuts add a nice texture. Toasty and delicious. But it does have a bit of a bitter aftertaste.”

“The different yeasts make such a difference. It’s super tasty, with a fine texture and a fun mouthfeel. But if I add everything in, the price might be an issue.”

Wait, wait—it’s hard to tell whose opinion belongs to which bread! It’s a bit confusing.

I try to compile the impressions, but I’m slow at writing.

Can I write in Japanese? Hmm… probably not.

I was worried about showing it to Larry later, but Jude-san took over as recorder. He’s so kind. He’s so nice. And his handwriting is so beautiful.

I really admire people with beautiful handwriting. Long, well-shaped fingers, and big hands.

“This secret yeast is amazing. The dough is completely different. Just this alone could make it a star. The fermentation is fast and powerful. It takes some time to get used to handling it, but it seems versatile,” Larry says, captivated by the dry yeast dough.

Yes, it’s definitely innovative. Because it tends to make the bread fluffy and fine-grained, like grandpa Jill said, it’s easy to eat—which is a big plus.

Luna also seems to like it, so it might appeal to kids and elders.

As for the raisin bread, people tend to have mixed feelings about it—mainly because of that sweet-sour flavor and the sticky bits that cling to teeth.

Walnut bread is also a matter of love or hate. Some love it, others won’t even touch it.

Considering the cost, putting all ingredients in might be tough. I wonder if it would be okay if it was positioned as a special bread that is baked only once a month on a specific day. 

“Next up, sweet bean bread!”

I proudly present my favorite, anpan (sweet bean paste bun). Because, honestly, anpan is delicious!

We’ve made two types: one with Larry’s usual bread dough and another with added water roux. Topped with black and white sesame seeds, so you can tell them apart.

“Saki-san, this is also delicious!” 

“It’s got a nice chewy texture. And it’s sweet and tasty,” 

“Oh, it tastes the same as always. It’s delicious. The sweetness of the beans feels a bit strange, but it’s not bad,” 

“The dough has a strong umami flavor. It pairs well with the sweet beans. I like it,” 

“Even with the same usual dough, what you put inside makes a big difference. It looks easy to cook, so this might be good.”  

Wow, they seem to like it more than I expected!

Perhaps the reason for its success was because I used red lentils, which kept the color from turning black. When it’s black, first-time tasters tend to be taken aback.

I tried it myself too, and the lentil anpan was quite good. The chestnut-flavored bean paste and the bread dough go really well together. Still, I think I prefer the natural yeast dough of Larry’s bread with the bean paste better, but the one with yudane is also tasty, of course. It’s just a matter of personal preference.

“I wonder—does adding the water roux really boost the moisture content of the dough? It’s tricky to handle, but it definitely seems to have improved the flavor. After making bread for so long, I realize there are all kinds of different techniques. That’s what makes it so much fun!”

I nodded in agreement at Larry’s words.

It’s fine to experiment.

I love the usual bread, of course, but trying different recipes and techniques to bake all kinds of different bread is what makes baking so much fun.

When I really get into bread making, I end up baking so much I can’t eat it in time. At one point, my freezer was packed to the brim with bread—no joke.

“And now, for today’s main event: Curry bread!”

Wait, is it okay to call it curry bread? Or should I say “Bread with spicy fillings”. That would be too long, so I guess it’s okay.

“’Curry bread’ is what we call it in my hometown, so if there’s a better name, I’d be happy to hear it…”

　I’ll add that.

 “I guess that’s the name from the land where this secret yeast was created. It’s perfect.” Larry quickly tells me.

So, this one is also made with the same two doughs: one with Larry’s usual bread dough, and another one with added water roux.

And, I’ve even made only baked curry bread, but also deep-fried curry bread—though it’s more difficult and costly, I made it because I wanted to try! 

Deep frying it might be tough considering the cost and the time and effort involved, but I really wanted to taste it.

Up until now, baked bread has always had a simple topping of sautéed ingredients, so I think it would be difficult to make fried curry bread itself, considering the time and effort required and the cost.

But, oh, how delicious it is!

Now, let’s taste them all.

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