Having enjoyed some part-baked loaves that I bought from Sainsbury's and Tesco, I decided to try some Iceland to see how they compare. I chose to buy a four pack of French style petit pains, which cost just 75p a packet or you can buy them in a mix and match 2 for £1 offer with other part baked breads. This deal does seem to be available almost every time I visit the shop, which isn't every week. Other items in the range include baguettes and white rolls, which I haven't sampled yet.


These are a long life product, which makes them absolutely ideal for keeping in the cupboard. I have found the use by dates to be at least 3 months after purchase. You can also freeze them, but I have not tried this. I do like fresh bread straight from the oven bread, and the next best thing to making my own is to use a product such as this. The petit pains [or small french roll size loaves] have been partially cooked, so all you need to do is keep them in the cupboard until you feel like some bread, then finish them off in the oven. There's no mixing or kneading involved, and no need to let the bread rise - all that part of the preparation has been done for you. They are not messy to handle, because the dough has been cooked enough to make them solid, if soft. They are ready after just 8-10 minutes in the oven, which is less time than it would take me to get to the supermarket to buy a ready baked one! I find that they are well done in 8 minutes in my fan oven. It is wise not to over cook them as if you do the ends are apt to go rather hard. This is true of any bread though, especially the smaller sized pieces such as these.


Once baked, these petit pains look every bit as good as those from a bakery. They have coloured evenly, and have developed a perfectly crispy outer layer. I hate bread with an overly chewy crust. The crumb is light and fluffy, and it doesn't taste "doughy." They are their most delicious warm, but they are also lovely cold. I like them as a partner to soup when you can tear the bread into big hearty chunks or I use them as a substantial filled roll. If you do let the cooked bread go soft, you can re-crisp it the next morning in the oven by heating it for a few minutes.


The only minor quibble that I have is that the petit pains are packaged all together in a single plastic bag. Once opened you need to use all the bread within 3 days, so it is a shame that the bread couldn't be individually sealed or packaged. Other than that, I think these are tasty, good value and certainly convenient. You couldn't really ask for a quicker to prepare product. They contain no hydrogenated fats, artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, or GM ingredients. They are also suitable for vegetarians. Well worth a try!