As some of you know, I have the crazy fortune of being in Paris for the next two months! So, a very simple post to start. For Parisians, the baguette plays a very small part of their daily lives. For me — the carb-loving American — it’s a gem that the States simply can’t replicate.
I’m living in Montmartre during my stay – the neighborhood known by most from scenes in Amélie – and here are two neighborhood favs I’ve stopped by (or frequented multiple times…)
Le Grenier à Pain won of the 2010 Grand Prix de la Baguette and produces what I would typically consider a perfectly balanced loaf. It’s deeply golden and crusty on the outside, airy and spongey on the inside. Delish.
Coquelicot won 7th place for the best baguette in 2009, 6th in 2007 and its eponymous baguette is a bit different: it’s floury on the exterior and delicate to the touch; I always bring it back to my apartment very carefully. The outside isn’t particularly golden, and it certainly isn’t very crusty… so what makes this baguette so great? For me, it’s the variation, something that generally isn’t praised in baguette-making. It’s doughier, denser, generally thicker. And a big bonus point? It isn’t entirely hard the next day. I can have pieces for breakfast and even lunch the next day (and yes, I totally eat lots of bread at every meal).
More to come!
Coquelicot – My wife’s favorite with a bowl of coffee
I’m with your wife on this one – it’s become one of my favorite Paris breakfasts! /e