Greater Manchester bakery divides opinion with ‘heavy fired’ bread rolls

A bakery in Greater Manchester has sparked a fierce debate after a photo of its ‘heavy fired’ bread rolls went viral.

This particular style of bread roll is most recognisable for its charred, black exterior and light, chewy interior, and has been a staple bakery item over in Scotland for decades.

Here in Greater Manchester, however, the bread rolls aren’t so popular so, when they were recently spotted in a bakery in this neck of the woods, opinions were seriously divided.

Pictures of the peculiar looking bread rolls at The Bread Stall in Hyde Indoor Market were shared across various community groups on Facebook this week, and they were quick to spark a discussion.

David Brown / Facebook

Many locals were quick to express their shock at the sight of the seemingly over-cooked loaves, while others praised their ‘beautiful’ exterior.

One person wrote sarcastically: “Love my bread baked in a volcano”, while another commented: “My Nan’s first rule of baking: When they’re brown, they’re done, when they’re black they’re buggered.”

A third noted: “I actually like well done and a bit burnt but think these are beyond that!”

However, a Scottish woman described how popular the rolls are, explaining that they sell out first thing in the morning. She said: “I’m Scottish and these are well fired rolls and they sell out by 8am back home. My favourite with square slice and brown sauce.”

@hydehighmusic / Instagram

Some other people were clearly fans of the well-fired rolls too, with one social media user writing: “That’s the tastiest part of the bread!”

Another explained: “They are called well fired rolls and they are actually really nice.”

Though fans of the bread may need to watch their intake, with Scotland’s food standards agency previously warning consumers to limit how many well-fired rolls and other foods rich in starch they eat in a bid to guard against Acrylamide, a cancer-causing chemical.

On the other hand, however, Cancer Research UK says that the Acrylamide from burnt bread, burnt chips or crispy potatoes is unlikely to increase the risk of cancer… So eat away at your own risk.