Panera's Bread Might Not Be As Fresh Baked As You Think

In February 2024, Panera Bread's menu overhaul increased portions, lowered prices, and changed some long-standing policies. This move led fans to suspect that Panera might be lowering standards to skimp on costs. Interestingly, one of the biggest changes has to do with the fast casual chain's bread. 

Previously, most Panera locations had fresh dough for bread, rolls, and bagels delivered daily from a nearby Fresh Dough Manufacturing Facility (FDF). The dough was then prepared and freshly baked in-house by bakers at each store. Now, Panera is turning to par-baking for most of its bread products. This process involves partially baking dough and then freezing it until ready for use.

The reason for the change is to streamline processes and reduce the amount of labor required. However, there are trade-offs too. "Anything frozen and premade is not going to have the same taste, texture, or look as a fresh product, as they have to make changes or sacrifices to [simplify] the process," an anonymous baker trainer specialist at Panera told Nation's Restaurant News. Internally, employees are facing dramatically decreased hours and layoffs as a result of the par-baking policy and new menu.

If you think par-baking bread is a red flag, then you should avoid ordering Panera's pastas and soups too. On TikTok, an employee revealed that Panera makes its famous mac and cheese by warming a plastic bag of frozen shells and cheese sauce in simmering water and dumping it right into a serving bowl. This strategy isn't limited to just Panera's pastas, either. Your favorite Panera soup arrives frozen and is reheated, too. 

Panera spokeswoman Jessica Hesselschwerdt spoke with USA Today and validated this fact. "This is how we are efficient and how we make it consistent," she said. "We want that experience to be great, and that's the best way to do it." She added that another reason for freezing soups and pastas is to cut back on the use of preservatives. This process helps maintain the continuity of quality and flavor of products across all Panera locations.