That was actually one of the first questions I asked. One baker told me that technology evolved because of the need to make bread on a massive scale on a consistent basis. However, he also told the food processing technology that made possible for large-scale bread production could be modified and scaled down to make true artisan breads on a larger scale than old-fashioned methods.
I’d agree that many processes can be improved and some technology can aid production of bread in quantities beyond that of the hand-crafted baker. However, a brief glance at the pages of many food technology journals will show a clear trend to cheapen and substitute rather than improve. If there is a firm that is able to compete with artisan products, great. But I think the lucrative market segment the mega-corp firms are after have left their folds for good.